WASHINGTON – Imagine a whiff of bacon as a signal that an email is waiting in your Inbox. Inhale a sniff of cinnamon roll when someone hits “Like” on Facebook.
Instead of audible chirps, dings, and beeps, a new smartphone app and plug-in accessory being developed in Japan will use olfactory alerts.
Scentee will release aromas from scent capsules, including rose, mint, cucumber, coffee, lavender, apple, coconut – even curry.
On November 15, special edition Korean BBQ scents will be released, according to Engadget.
Earlier prototypes used mechanical devices to deliver a puff of scent, but the current model uses high-frequency waves to release the aroma.
The accessory, slightly smaller than a yo-yo, plugs into the headphone jack of the smartphone.
There are some limitations – a user can only smell the scent capsule currently plugged into the phone.
Its makers say Scentee will be available on Amazon, but at the moment it is not listed on Amazon, or in the Apple App Store or Google Play.
The company plans for Scentee to be compatible with Facebook, Twitter, emails, and phone calls.
It can also be set to release scents at specified intervals.
The accessory will reportedly cost $30, and each $3 scent capsule will contain 100 whiffs.
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