We're still struggling to believe that these are real, but apparently ASUS really is going to sneak a few scented laptops out to the eight prospective buyers still willing to pull the trigger after thinking it through. After being announced among of a slew of other machines late last month, the FV6 series of Fragrance Notebooks is up for sale right now. $1,274.99 gets you the FV6-C1, which evidently smells just like the color blue. We're sure the TSA will just love your explanation for this.

[Via LaptopMag, thanks Rasmi]

Here's an interesting one. A group of US experts have discovered that a common form of skin cancer could one day be detected very early on by simply analyzing scents. More specifically, it was found that basal cell carcinomas give off an odor that is distinctly different than samples from healthy skin, which obviously opens up the possibility for "cheap and painless testing." In the future, researchers are hoping to create scent profiles for other types of skin cancer, including the infamous malignant melanoma. Believe it or not, a machine may be only one of the devices used to eventually sniff cancerous cells -- similar research is ongoing using canines and their remarkably sensitives schnozes.

We're not even going to front -- some seriously bizarre air conditioning-related gizmos have emerged from the great nation of Japan. The latest concoction to deal with heat wave side effects actually has nothing to do with keeping folks cool; rather, AOKI's deodorant suits are designed to keep businessmen suffering from Hyperhidrosis adequately fresh. Most of the details are lost in (machine) translation, but all you need to know is that these outfits "suck out the smell of sweat using a silver ion." Yeah, that's totally worth the ¥61,950 ($575) asking price.

[Via CrunchGear, image courtesy of ListVerse]

Apparently July is a hot month for ad trials in Japan, as just weeks after a number of 65-inch digital posters were installed in a Tokyo train station, in flies word that yet another consumer-luring installation is being tested. Recruit and NTT Communications are delivering Scent-emitting LCD Display Systems to an underground mall in the heart of Japan, each of which rely on a 42-inch LCD and a scent-sprayer that emits delightful odors to correspond with the on-screen imagery. The goal is to attract onlookers and get them to grab a nearby coupon book, but considering that the experiment shuts down on August 1st, you should probably get your nose down there in a hurry if you're looking to score some savings.

Virtually every smell-based tech that's come through the pipe has fizzled out in one way or another, but that checkered past isn't stopping Germany's ConVisual from partnering with the Institute of Sensory Analysis and Marketing on scent-delivery chips for cell phones. The partnership has been running for eight years and just received a patent on the tech, and the goal now is to start building the chips into phone within the next two years. The chip is initially supposed to have 100 different smells on it, and ConVisual says bad smells are a possibility as users will be able to reject certain messages. That's certainly interesting, but we've got to say, we're not all that keen on the idea of people having even more ways to emit odors -- we'll stick with the non-smelly cellys, thanks much.

[Via EE TImes]

We've seen wirelessly-enabled fish tanks, gardens and even sprinkler systems, so it's about time we saw a solution to blast out aromas in less-than-pleasant areas without having to wander in there with our poor nostrils exposed. Air Aroma's Arologic claims to be the world's first wireless scenting contraption, giving owners the ability to control a network of scent diffusers remotely. Within multiple "scent zones," scenters (that's what the cool kids are calling 'em these days) can "activate a scent, vary the intensity or even change the aroma." Regrettably, there's no pricing information to mull over just yet, but Arologic should be available in most of the firm's diffusers sometime in Q3.

We already knew that select scientists were working up an advanced electronic nose, but now a team at Rockefeller University has apparently figured out a way to actually see smells. Supposedly, these gurus closely investigated fly larvae and found that sensing odors "in stereo" enabled flies to navigate to smells much more effectively than when only one olfactory organ was used. As they studied said phenomenon, the researchers used a "novel spectroscopic technique that exploited infrared light to create environments where they could see, control and precisely quantify the distribution of these smells." Impressive though this may be, we still prefer the ole GPS method to locating our favorite fare, but beholding those delightful aromas could certainly help out in a pinch.

[Via Physorg, image courtesy of Noendo]

Creating minuscule devices that can mimic olfactory systems is nothing new, but an international team of researchers are reportedly working to improve an existing design by basing it on metal oxide nanowires. Granted, the actual technology is a bit above our noses, er, heads, but according to Dr. Andrei Kolmakov, the team's aim was to "demonstrate the excellent performance of a practical device made by combining bottom-up fabricated SnO2 nanowires / nanobelts as sensing elements with a multi-electrode KAMINA [e-nose] platform." More specifically, these gurus decided to implement a "completely new morphology of the sensing layer" composed of tin oxide nanowires rather than the traditional thin-film sensing element. Not surprisingly, those working on perfecting the device are hoping to one day have it installed in areas where intelligent sensor systems are used, but we wouldn't overlook the possibility of finding these things embedded in shirts of the future for those paranoid about their freshness.

[Via Coolest-Gadgets]

While ebooks have a lot going for them, it's hard to overcome losing the satisfaction that comes from handling a physical book -- the texture of the pages, the ability to flip around quickly, and yes, the smell. Other companies might be working on solutions to the harder problems, but ebook content provider CafeScribe is going pretty low-tech to give your laptop screen the same scent as a textbook: the company is shipping "musty-smelling" scratch-and-sniff stickers with every ebook order. The promotion comes in response to a survey showing that 43 percent of students identified smell as the thing they most liked about their favorite books, but we're not so sure -- we had some used textbooks in college that we're definitely not eager to smell again.

While not nearly as lavish as Debreu's Scent Drive, MICRODIA is delivering its own set of scented flash drives for those who just can't keep their USB storage away from those nostrils. Reportedly, the USB 2.0 Fruity Flash Keys will arrive in four different flavors, so those who tend to prefer strawberry, grape, green apple, or (Engadget's personal favorite) orange should be thrilled by the selection. Each drive will supposedly be available in sizes ranging from a mere 128MB to 4GB, and while pricing and availability details aren't yet available, we'll keep our nose to the ground for any future information.

[Via Gearlog]

As if the world this week needed any more odor-quelling USB flash drives to make their debut, Debreu is offering up a stylish, more sophisticated rendition to blast those smile eliciting fragrances out of your USB port. The aptly-named Scent Drive packs a shiny metal alloy enclosure, between 128MB and 1GB of storage capacity, USB 2.0 connectivity, and a vented top which emits the wondrous smells of "fragrance oils" that can be reloaded once your sour apple scent has run dry. Unfortunately, we're a bit miffed when it comes to where to actually purchase this thing, but fret not, as there's plenty of other stench covers available for your office if BO is that great of a problem.

[Via Everything USB]

Although having the boys in blue tracking you down based on your unique aroma fingerprints might seem frightening, just envision the terror that would ensue if an ultra-keen robot was onto your trail from miles away. Massimo Vergassola and and colleagues at the Pasteur Institute in Paris, France, have created an algorithm that can actually instruct a robot "how to move in order to gather as much olfactory information as possible." The mathematical formula allows a machine to home in on "even the faintest of scents" by analyzing which direction the smell is getting weaker or stronger in, the frequency of the whiffs, and eventually, it could even take into account disturbances such as wind gusts. After trialing the algorithm on computer-based robotic models searching for a scent, he found that the theoretical guinea pigs moved in "S-like patterns" to sniff things out, which is quite similar to the method used by moths (renowned for their sense of smell) when trying to discover the source of an odor. Researchers state that implementing the technique into an actual robot would be fairly "straightforward," and could also be used for other tasks that involve "searching with limited information" -- or alternatively, on bots who are already trained to chase down foes.

While we've already seen just how savvy dogs are at scouting out cellphones, researchers around the globe have teamed up to find out how pups distinguish the aromas that each individual emits, and the result is a highly influential electronic nose. Now if the boys in blue can't track you down via fingerprint, EEG signatures, or just looking at those guilt-filled eyes, it looks like your "aroma fingerprint" just might find you out anyway. The team has uncovered that each human has at least 44 chemical compounds in their odors that can be distinguished, and aside from assisting in identification, can be used in forensic studies to determine true causes behind crimes, deaths, or other misdemeanors. It's even stated that this new technique can assist officials in learning about one's "gender, lifestyle, whether or not they smoke, recent meals, and stress levels." Of course, criminals could be shaking in their boots, but until the scientists find a way to sniff through "deodorant and perfume," we can't exactly count on this being reliable.

[Via Spluch]

To continue our in-depth coverage of the blazing hot aromatic device market, we wanted to share this thoughtful product from iLuv that clearly taps into a niche market that had previously gone unsatisfied. Shiny Shiny got the scoop on this touchtone phone with an integrated pot pourri holder built into the base -- clearly a boon for those special nights when you leave the phone off the hook and need to freshen up the place for sexy time. You know, very few companies are interpreting the meaning of "convergence" quite like iLuv, and we can't help but applaud them. Just remember, kids -- this ain't the burning type of pot pourri, mkay?

We've secretly yearned for and yet simultaneously feared Smell-O-Vision for most of our waking life. The dual promise and threat of that kind of immersion into our entertainment is enough to drive a man wild, which is why we're glad they're taking some baby steps towards the future in Japan with the new "Aroma Geur" radio device. The USB-pluggin' sphere, due for launch in October, is designed to work with the Tokyo FM internet radio station, and has six oil-based scents which it can mix on demand. For extra wow-factor, the sphere lights up with random LED lights, and everything is synced up to the currently playing song for setting just the right mood. Of course, that mood will cost you 49,900 Yen (about $430 US), so it had better be some dang good mood.