Sony Ericsson is planning on selling phones that will change their behavior depending on time and location. At the basic level, this would mean the phone wallpaper changing depending on the time of year; autumnal leaves in fall, a Christmas tree in December, etc. Ring tones could also change depending on where you are… the example New Scientist gave was it changing to a reggae ringtone in Jamaica, which sounds rather corny. But more practical applications could include a restaurant sending a specials menu to your phone via Bluetooth, instant localized weather reports, or even the cinema automatically switching your phone to silent mode (if you let it). Priority coding lets some automated controls override user settings, so no worries about having weird ringtones at inopportune moments. All in all, sounds like something potentially useful, if implemented the right way.
Location-Aware Cellphone Patent [US Patent Office via New Scientist via Textually]
