Wake up and smell the coffee if someone texts you a coffee scented message, that is. The Local, an English-language German news website, is reporting that two German firms have patented a system that can send scented you read right, scented text messages between mobile phones.
According to The Local, the chip that does the deed contains around 100 pleasant possibilities, including vanilla, rose, and cinnamon. The chip was developed by the Institute of Sensory Analysis and Marketing Consultancy in Göttingen, along with Oberhausen-based Convisual, a services firm. Its expected to be on the market in one or two years.
No word on when the stinky version will appear. Then you could text a stink bomb to those who deserve one. Or not.
According to the article, Partners in the project announced the patent for the smart card-sized chip on Tuesday. The project has been around eight years in the making.
People will be able to send the smell of the beach and sunshine to their friends when theyre on vacation, Convisual spokesperson Sandra Wiewiorra told The Local on Wednesday... Users could send flower scents for Mothers Day, for example
.
Users will of course need a scent-savvy phone. The News reported that the inventors are negotiating with some mobile phone providers on marketing and distribution plans for the chips, which could have applications for branded advertisements and adding a sensory element to electronic games.
