Smartphones are becoming smarter every day. These handheld devices are able to accomplish a vast multitude of tasks, ranging from playing music to paying the bills.
Now, another skill has been added to the ever-growing curriculum vitae of smartphones. Hungry people everywhere will be happy to know that their smartphones can now produce the aromas of delectable foods.
Japanese company Scentee has invented “Hana Yakiniku” (translated as “Nose Grilled Meat”), a small, white device resembling an eyeball that plugs into the earphone jack of a smartphone and releases specified scents. Users can buy assorted Scentee scent cartridges to insert into the device. The device then connects to a special Scentee app that allows users to choose the scent they want on demand.
The Hana Yakiniku device operates similar to a perfume spray bottle. Once users select the scent they want, the device sprays a small amount of the corresponding scented solution into the air. Each scent cartridge costs 525 yen (around $5.32) and contains enough scented solution for about 100 sprays.
In addition to releasing scents on-demand, the Hana Yakiniku device is also programmed to interact with a smartphone. The device can be synchronized with a phone’s clock alarm to automatically release specified scents at certain times throughout the day. Additionally, the device can work with smartphone apps such as email and Facebook to release specified scents when a user receives a new email or Facebook notification.
Such a device could come in handy for various populations. Here are a few examples:
For the typical, broke college student: You have just moved into an off-campus apartment, and this is your first semester without a meal plan. You are really craving a tender rack of grilled, marinated short ribs seasoned to perfection, but instead, with your meager college budget, you are stuck eating plain white rice. With the Hana Yakiniku device plugged into your smartphone, you can simply tap a few buttons on the Scentee app, and before you know it, your apartment will be filled with the mouth-watering scent of grilled meat. Now, your cheap meal of plain white rice will feel like expensive, savory grilled short ribs. Your stomach will be satisfied in no time.
For the sorority sister: You need to fit into your fabulous new dress and look great to impress your gorgeous date, but you are really craving a hearty helping of curry and rice. Using the Hana Yakiniku device, you can satisfy your craving almost instantly. With the smell of delicious curry wafting through your apartment while you munch on plain vegetables and ice water, you can satisfy your cravings and watch your waistline at the same time.
For a wooer: You have been dating the girl of your dreams for two weeks, and you have invited her over to your apartment for dinner. You plan on cooking a romantic candlelit dinner for her, but there is only one problem: You can’t cook. With the help of the Hana Yakiniku device, your culinary disaster can turn into a gourmet masterpiece. When the room is filled with the aroma of grilled steak, buttered potato, and corn soup, your date will be so impressed that she won’t even notice you overcooked the food and forgot to add salt.
For the sleep deprived: You are pulling an all-nighter and dawn is approaching. You could really go for a cup of hot coffee and a warm, toasty cinnamon roll, but you need to finish your twenty-page paper and cannot leave your apartment. With the Hana Yakiniku device, your room will be instantly filled with the aromas of strong coffee and fresh-baked pastries, and, in no time, you will feel like you have been transported to a cozy coffeehouse.
For the bored and adventurous: You want to go on vacation to a tropical beach, but unfortunately, you do not have enough money for an airplane ticket. Using the Hana Yakiniku device, you can bring the scents of tropical paradise to your room. With the scents of coconut and strawberries filling the air, you will instantly feel as if you are sipping strawberry daiquiris by the ocean, and your staycation will feel like an exotic tropical get-away.
For the frat brother: Your girlfriend is coming over to visit you in a few hours, but the frat house is still filled with the stench of the crazy party you and your brothers hosted the night before! No problem! The Hana Yakiniku device can also turn your smartphone into an air freshener. In addition to food-scented cartridges, Scentee also offers cartridges bearing fragrant scents, including jasmine, rose, lavender, and mint.
For the jokester: People could also use the Hana Yakiniku device simply to mess with others. Imagine if you were hard at work at the gym, lifting weights or running around the track, and suddenly you smelled cake or buttered potatoes. Things are sure to get interesting!
The Hana Yakiniku device will be available for purchase starting November 15, 2013.
