World Vignettes

Japan develops mobile phone with a human touch

Japanese researchers said Thursday they have developed a human-shaped mobile phone with a skin-like outer layer that enables users to feel closer to those at the other end. The phone may feel like the person you are talking to, the Advanced Telecommunications Research Institute International said in a press release,describing the gadget as a revolutionary telecom medium. Slightly bigger than the size of a palm,it resembles a human being but its design is blurred so that it could be male or female,young or old. A speaker is installed in the head of the doll-like gadget and a light-emitting diode in its chest turns blue when the in use and red in standby mode.