Another Thing You Need: A Smell-O-Phone

from the uh-yeah dept

Fri, May 11th 2007 5:51pm — Carlo Longino

Motorola's been awarded a patent for a smell-o-phone that releases a scent when it heats up. Now, we'll avoid the question of whether or not this patent should have been awarded, given previous things like NTT DoCoMo's smell-o-phone and even that old standby, the Glade PlugIn, which seems to operate on the same general principle. We'll focus instead on the bigger question: who the hell would pay for something like this? Apparently, according to the Motorola employees that wrote the patent, "Some cellular telephone users are the same individuals who enjoy having plug-in scent units located around their homes, and may miss not having a nice smelling fragrance while they are on the go." I miss sitting on my couch when I'm not at home, so where's the patent to build that into my cell phone? If this is the sort of thing that Motorola engineers spend their time on, it's little wonder the company is having such a hard time.

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23 Comments

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KuruOujou, 11 May 2007 @ 6:08pm

And this is from the company...
...that hires it's engineers for the FIRST robotics competition (a high-school competition) and usually win...or at least come really close...wow. Might I suggest trying something useful? After all, your bots this year were pretty good.
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Anonymous Poster (profile), 11 May 2007 @ 7:19pm

Good god. No wonder I'm sticking with prepaid.
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Anonymous Coward, 11 May 2007 @ 7:41pm

Oh how AWFUL!
Because all we ever need is useful stuff, or stuff that makes guys think they're cool and bleeding edge. Let's not think outside the box. Let's not offer more options. Let's all follow the same dull geek way of doing things. How exciting.

You know what? If I liked the scent, I wouldn't mind it floating around my bag. Big deal.
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- Paul`, 13 May 2007 @ 1:18am
  
  Re: Oh how AWFUL!
  ... You can't be serious. It's a frigging mobile phone, why the hell would you get a phone to smell nice? If it makes calls and sends/recieves text messages its good enough.
  
  Carry a pinetree car thing in your bag if you want a fragrence...
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- Anonymous Coward, 14 May 2007 @ 6:07am
  
  Re: Oh how AWFUL!
  if you miss the scent, carry an air freshener. there's no need to have it associated with your cell phone.
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rEdEyEz, 11 May 2007 @ 8:47pm

New markets abound!
I always wondered why after 10 minutes into my call, I kept getting the distinct smell of bacon...

...dust off those old phone sex numbers, y'all, there's a whole new market about to be reborn!
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MrPaladin, 12 May 2007 @ 5:16am

Wow I just saw this...
.. I just saw this article on the way to pick up my smell-o-vision... Simply a cutting edge must have...

*shakes head and walks away*
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Linda, 12 May 2007 @ 9:27am

Smell-O-Phone
Uh What???
Whatever the smell I would have to throw my cell out the window due to allergies. Could be useful for people with a lot of flatulence if they got a floral scent. Joking.

Dumb, Dumb & Dumber
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Letourneau, 12 May 2007 @ 10:48am

I know a few people who try to hide the fact that they are on toilet while they talk on the phone...
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Raina, 12 May 2007 @ 11:33am

Pheh, and they call themselves worthwhile. Instead of trying to make the population smell better and such, why not try to get people all the way out in Haskell a better signal, freakin' retards.
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- Ozzy, 14 May 2007 @ 12:13am
  
  Re:
  If your where I think you are, the should do the same for Fort Gibson. Nothing works, the whole town is blocked off. Pre paid, sorry so say, works perfect around here!!! Even then I dont know if I'd sign a contract with corporate America to use a damn phone!!!
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Anonymous Coward, 12 May 2007 @ 5:39pm

How about a cell phone that doesn't drop calls!
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bobshaker, 12 May 2007 @ 6:27pm

How about a mini-airbag. If I drop my phone, it deploys and protects the phone?
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Nilttab Yllib, 12 May 2007 @ 8:29pm

Here's an idea...
Why don't they make a phone that doesn't diminish peoples' politeness. If you're talking on your phone while driving or checking out at a supermarket it gives you an electric shock or something like that. THAT would be useful!
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Rose, 13 May 2007 @ 10:07am

Talk O Scent
Very good for someone with a horrible case of halitoshits.
This make me lol more than TV news.
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Robert, 13 May 2007 @ 10:11am

Wrong device for smelling
Not the cell phone people...It should be the TV! Smell-a-Vision! Smellular Phones? For what? Food Network would be SO much greater! No commercial smells though!
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Charles Griswold, 13 May 2007 @ 7:54pm

What I Really Want
I don't want a cell phone that smells. I want cell phone service that doesn't smell.

-- or --

Thank God for patents! Otherwise, we would never have had this wonderful "innovation" of putting a Glade Plug-In into a cell phone.
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Ron Larson (profile), 13 May 2007 @ 11:14pm

Use them in radar dectors
Here is an idea... use this tech in radar detectors. Since these detectors are illegal in lots of places (such as Switzerland), you could hide them under the dash somewhere. Then when it detects a radar, it releases a cooked bacon scent.
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Alan, 14 May 2007 @ 9:38am

Motorola Engineers
I had a uncle who used to be a Motorola Engineer. He was responsible for creating Patents for them in his lab. He would be truly flipping over in his grave with this idea....
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anonymous coward, 14 May 2007 @ 9:50am

press "1" to pull my finger...
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Perfumes, 13 Aug 2008 @ 1:32am

Perfumes
I have a branded perfume i bought far ago,...Its end now and now i want this again but it is not in the market... can anybody tell me from where i can do shopping...i wanna know any online perfume store...i shall be very thankfull if any body let me know......
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jeff paul, 22 Aug 2008 @ 4:28am

internet marketing
Jeff Paul - Instant Internet Cash Marketing Bible Teaches you how to get on the road to marketing success with very Simple & proven business models you can copy to make your on-line fortune at http://www.propeller.com/groups/jeff-paul-instant-internet-cash-marketing-bibl/
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- jeff, 1 Dec 2008 @ 4:44am
  
  Re: internet marketing
  Why don't they make a phone that doesn't diminish peoples' politeness. If you're talking on your phone while driving or checking out at a laptop batteries supermarket it gives you an electric shock or something like that. THAT would be useful!
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