Modular Transforming Cell Phone

A company called Modu has come up with an innovative take on a mobile
phone. As the name suggests, Modu is a modular gadget that starts as a
cell phone, and can be inserted into multiple “jackets” that change
its function.

Slide it into a jacket with a 3½-inch screen, and the device turns
into a media player perfect for watching movies. Slip it into an
iPod-like sleeve, and Modu becomes a music player with dedicated
buttons and a screen for album art.

Now, rather than buying a new mobile phone every couple years, a
person can just slide a new “jacket,” or external casing, over the
core phone.

But much bigger plans for Modu are in the works. The company is
encouraging other manufacturers to create compatible devices — or
“mates” — that can use Modu’s data and applications.

The Modu phone module, which weighs only 1.3 ounces and is smaller
than a credit card, could conceivably serve as a sidekick to much more
than handheld devices. It could, for example, be slipped into a
bedstand alarm clock to display incoming text (SMS) messages.

Inserted in a car’s dashboard, Modu could allow for hands-free calling over the
stereo system or provide an address book for the car’s GPS navigation
system. Slipped into a laptop, Modu could provide mobile Internet
access. Philips Electronics has already shown interest in developing
compatible products for Modu.