Motorola patents a cell phone shocker

If you ever thought the vibrate mode on your cell phone was too subtle for you, you may be in for a big shock--literally. According to a U.S. patent application filed by Motorola, the company may be planning a cell phone designed to send you an electric shock whenever you receive a call or a message. The electric stimulation can be adjusted via power levels, frequencies, and duty cycles to act as a kind of caller ID signal to the wearer (or shockee). The patent was apparently created because the vibrating sound on a cell phone is too loud for some people, while the electric shock would be quieter (save for the shouts of surprise from an unwitting user).

But wait, it gets sillier. The patent application goes on to describe the potential therapeutic effects of such electric shock, saying that it may provide "muscle stimulation," and that they envision a world where doctors may prescribe specific signal patterns to be sent to a patient's phone. Oh, the things that could go wrong--I can imagine the lawsuits now.

Sources: Mobiledia and Engadget Mobile