smell

And you thought Superman 64 stunk....

The last 20 years of gaming have treated us to better graphics and sound, more innovative control schemes, and more mature and sophisticated storylines. Could the next innovation involve the olfactory system? If the team behind some unique British Army training videos have anything to say about it, then yes.

According to a Daily Mail article, researchers in the U.K. have partnered with the Ministry of Defence there to make training videos for the British Army a tad more immersive. While the troops watch the videos, foul smells are released into the air, appropriate to what's onscreen.

For example, a training video involving a real-life village would have the smell of cooking food associated with it, teaching the soldier to associate that village or type of village with that smell.

Then, when the soldier enters the village in real life, the absence of such a smell could signify that the area had been evacuated and taken over by hostile forces. Or that no one was cooking at that time.

Professor Bob Stone, an engineering professor and research director of the Human Factors Integration Defence Technology Centre (HFIDTC, or SHIELD) at Birmingham University, says the scent delivery system, or SDS100, consists of a compressed air chamber with eight compartments and four fans. Each compartment holds a pot of wax, chemically infused with a particular odor.

With 100 scent options available, including "weapon fire," "cat urine," and "human feces," it's no wonder the researchers speculate that this technology could be incorporated into video games "within three to five years" ('cause gamers just love the smell of cat urine). … Read more

Smell-O-Vision? Kinda.

An advertising kiosk equipped with a 42-inch LCD screen has been wafting out supposedly enticing smells to passers-by in the underground mall of Tokyo Station. A company called Recruit Co Ltd. is marketing the Scent-emitting LCD Display System developed by NTT Communications.

The hope is that people will be attracted by the scent, stop to watch a commercial, and then pick up a coupon book to use for the real version of the supposed deliciousness their nostrils had just encountered.

NTT Communications has been searching for real-world business applications for this technology, testing it in stores, hotels, and cinemas. In … Read more

'New car smell' becoming less toxic, report says

Car interiors and car seats are becoming less toxic, although "new car smell" continues to carry poisons linked to allergies and cancer, according to a report last week by the Ecology Center.

The Ann Arbor, Mich., group found that General Motors made the most progress in reducing potentially harmful materials, followed by Mazda and Nissan, since the nonprofit's initial Healthy Car report last year.

The ingredients in question include lead, chlorine, and phthalates from plastics, as well as brominated flame retardants from cushions and padding.

The car with the best marks was the Acura RDX SH sport-utility … Read more

Buzz Out Loud 698: Beacon will kill you

Today, Buzz is on your side, with such gems of wisdom as "don't shop at Staples," "bacon will kill you," and "how to opt out of Beacon." I guess that last one is pretty helpful. In other news of the day, we refuse to talk about the Google App thing, unless you can prove to us why we should. Thanks in advance. Listen now: Download today's podcast EPISODE 698

Google App Engine Blog: Introducing Google App Engine + our new blog http://googleappengine.blogspot.com/2008/04/ introducing-google-app-engine-our-new.html

California Lawmaker Proposes Music … Read more

In Japan, signs are smelled as well as seen

After the introduction of scented phones, it was inevitable that more technology playing to the olfactory glands would make its way to the public. Yet we didn't anticipate seeing it put to use in commercial signage.

NTT Communications is doing just that in Tokyo, where it's been experimenting with "its latest aroma-emitting digital sign technology, called 'Kaoru Digital Signage,'" according to Pink Tentacle. And its test site is one of the most significant venues in Japanese culture: a pub. Outside the Kirin City Beer Hall are 19-inch displays that provide aromas to match particular images. But … Read more

Only in Japan: A cannon that shoots smells

CHIBA, Japan--First you had personalized media. Soon, it will be personalized deodorizers.

The SpotScents device, devised by automaker Subaru, consists of two air cannons precisely aimed at a passenger about two feet away in a car. The cannons spritz the passenger with fragrances--there's "Cool Wind" and another one mysteriously called "Pleasure Time." Just the thing you need while driving.

The idea behind SpotScents is that not everyone wants to smell the same fragrance. Some people hate the smell of those little pine trees, after all, while other people hate the smell of dust in the … Read more

The smell-o-phone comes to the U.S.

Is there a big outcry for scented gadgets? The folks at Crave have commented on the uselessness of scented USB drives and the wackiness of aroma phones in Japan, but we may be in store for some more smelly goodness.

Motorola has received a patent for a handset that releases scents by heating a gel packet, similar to the way plug-in air fresheners work. According to the New Scientist blog, the phone's power amplifier could activate this feature without dramatically altering the phone's design. This is key for Motorola because slim, chic phones, like the Rizr, are the … Read more

Where there's smoke, robot smells fire

A few months ago we wrote of a rather odd-looking Japanese bot named "Ubiko" whose purpose was somewhat vague--"to replace humans for such tasks as welcoming clients, promote products on site." (The "replacing humans" phrase freaked us out a bit.) Now we find out its true mission: a rolling smoke detector of the future.

Ubiko doesn't just beep when your macaroni and cheese starts to burn; it actually has olfactory sensors designed specifically to react to odors associated with fire. The robot had its first public demonstration yesterday, which Pink Tentacle described … Read more

The smell of USB in the morning

We're big on personal hygiene here at Crave--so much so, in fact, that we wish it would be a societal requirement (especially for public transportation). But even the most OCD-afflicted among us aren't sure about the need for scented gadgets.

As if Japan's aroma phones weren't weird enough (and they are), now we hear about a USB drive in a silver bamboo motif from Hong Kong-based Debreu that "holds your favorite scent for up to two hours of use," according to Everything USB.

We're not sure who exactly would want--or need--one of these … Read more

Phones you can smell as well as hear

As Apple made clear with the iPhone last week, touch screens are the next evolutionary step in the development of mobile handsets. But Sony Ericsson is going after another one of the human senses: smell.

The company is making a line of aroma phones for Japan's NTT DoCoMo, according to Reuters, "to relax the users while making calls." (So Japanese in so many ways.) The handsets come with your choice of nine "scented sheets" accompanied by different designs.

Why, one might ask, would anyone want a scented phone? Perhaps it has something to do with … Read more