A German telecommunications company said yesterday it is developing the first mobile phone that will alert users when their breath is bad or if they are giving off offensive smells.

The phone will use a tiny chip measuring less than one millimetre to detect unpleasant odours, a spokesperson for Siemens Mobile said. A research team in the southern city of Munich is developing the device using new sensor technology.

"It examines the air in the immediate vicinity for anything from bad breath and alcohol to atmospheric gas levels," the spokesperson said. "Some people take smelling good rather seriously."

From itWeb