Students at the Universitiy of Dundee, where they train crocodile hunters and future product designers, have created what they call six sensual phones "to learn to communicate and interact with each other on a new level."
Back in the '80s, they would have called this one a "wood beeper" but now it's called the m:ssage, a mobile phone with dual massaging heads designed to give you pleasure each time you receive an SMS. Which is exactly what any other phone can give you if a) placed in the right places, b) equipped with the right accessories or c) all of the above. The m:ssage is made of handcrafted solid wood, probably because molding metal was too expensive or latex was not readily available. More models after the jump.
The Boom Tube is made of two kinds of wood and is designed to allow the user to communicate with tunes and interact in group jam sessions. While I like the concept, I guess its use is probably limited to musicians, French scientists trying to talk with aliens who love jazz improv concerts or virtually deaf people who listen to Milli Vanilli.
This one is the Aware, a pendant phone that will make your spine tingle using some kind of technology you probably never wanted to tingle you. In theory, you add people to your network and when someone is near you "there will be a tingle down the users' spine from the vibrators down their back." According to the creators, it's for teenagers. If I remember well my teenage years, I really never needed extra tingling or vibrators.
Then there's the Aurora, which aims to communicate "young adults" using LEDs, with "emotion transferred into a pattern of lights." I can imagine Shannon: "what did he meant with five blue lights, seven green sparks and a red star? He doesn't love me anymore? I AM GOING TO BREAK HIS LEGS! I HATE HIM!" while Tom waits at the movies: "I told her to be here at 9. Where the heck is she? Aw women."
The Hive is not as defined as the other concepts, just talking about "both physical and electronic interactions" which can be either Really Good or Really BAD™ stuff. I would play it safe here and say: "it just looks like a crappy wood box."
The Eo Una pictured here, however, looks much more attractive. Not only the solid elm wood with beeswax finish makes it look nice, but the concept is simple and effective: make your loved one know about your state of mind remotely. It operates by tilting it and it has four faces each representing a different emotion. While it's unknown if it includes the "I'm so pissed off with you! DON'T YOU DARE TALKING TO ME!" or the "I'm horny. Let's get a real phone and talk" emotions, I like the simplicity of the concept and the execution.
Product page [Phone|Not Phone via BBC News]