Brits Still Working on Stinky Email

prostoalex writes "British Internet provider Telewest Broadband is testing a system, which allows people to attach specific smells to their e-mail. It works with air freshener cartridge that one plugs into PC. The technology is developed by a US-based company Trisenx, which features the products and pricing on its Web site. A 20-channel serial port device costs $269, the same price for optional software package allowing the user to author specific smells. The replacement cartridges are $48 each." They're hardly the first attempt at adding smell to the computer experience. Digiscent didn't work out so well.

Comments

Why?

[E-Rock]

Am I just missing it, or is there no possible use for such a device? What would it do that anyone would pay $300 for one?

Re:Why?

[jfengel]

Well, it would be kind of interesting to add a smell factor to first-person-shooters. "Look out, I smell bad guys", or "I think there's some food over that way."

Artistically, an accompanying scent would serve the same purpose as a soundtrack: to set a mood. The smell of smoke and ozone would be a cool accompaniment to an FPS. Or putting a bit of perfume on a love letter: a distinctive aroma can be highly evocative.

Admittedly, I'm not paying $300 for either of those things.

Re:Why?

[jpmkm]

If something in a game triggered a smell then this device would release some aroma. You move to a different part of the game, but your room still smells like the previous part of the game because you move through the game much faster than the aroma disapates. When you go to a different part of the game another smell comes out. Soon your room is filled with a combination of smells which tell you nothing. This device is stupid and pointless. I have absolutely no desire for my computer to produce smells. That's just dumb. If these devices are ever actually released, I can see every one of them showing up in a thrift shop in about ten years.

There has been brighter ideas than this.

[bad enema]

The sense of smell is perhaps the most diverse when it comes to preferences. Just think of all the colognes/perfumes out there that end up delivering the opposite effect. Unless you know exactly what the user likes, giving them a scented email may look creative but runs the risk at the same time of offending the receiver.

Not worst...but how do you sell it?

[donutz]

I wouldn't call it the worst idea ever, but it does stink of bad business plan. How are you supposed to make money selling these things? Who's going to pay two hundred seventy dollars for the "convenience" of letting someone across the internet burn through the fragrance in a fifty dollar scent cartridge?

What's the target market for this thing?

Smells like fraudulant claims to me...

[Anonymous Coward]

Why on earth would someone want to pay $250 so that they can smell their spam mail? Come on people, someone answer me that? Furthermore, I am troubled by a quote in the article: Telewest says its "scent dome" could cost around 250 and would only work with a high-speed, broadband connection.. So what they are saying is that the unit can produce up to 60 smells (that's 6 bits of data), and I need a broadband connection to get that data? I don't buy it. (pardon the pun)

Re:Smells like fraudulant claims to me...

[hackstraw]

Why on earth would anyone view images in an email, or blindly open attachments?

*sigh* Why cant email just be email? I've been able to evoke a wide range of emotions with email over the years and I have yet to have used HTML mail, background or any other image, sounds, colors, or smells. I'm surely not going to pay $250 in hardware for this "feature" either.

Re:I am horrified to..

[cayenne8]

It would, however, be great for cooking/recipe sites. Or hell....would be great for FoodTV..