Smell-A-Phone coming--what could be bad?

According to a story by Scott Smith in Nextgov Magazine (Jan 24, 2014), the newest XBox controller almost had a smell feature. The device was called GameSkunk. That name, of course, stank up the joint and the thing was not used. (Was it the name--don't know--but that one is bad.)

Welcome to the world of "smellables." Smell is impossible to block--it's connected directly to the limbic system of memories and sensual reactions. Smell a perfume, remember who wore it. That sort of thing.

So now they are hawking a plug-in atomizer for smartphones--well, the Japanese are. Think about it--sushi smell in your pocket.

Or how about a puff of a scent every time your Facebook page gets a "like." Or when it's time to get up.

This thing--called Scentee--also has a grilled meat scent in case you can't afford grilled meat. Or baked potato. "Let me order in dinner...ha ha, just kidding." (That's the doohickey in the pix.)

Another biomedical engineer named David Edwards, is messing with the Ophone in his Paris-based studio. He is creating blends of different odors. "Meet me for coffee" could smell like java and pastry.

There is also a watch called the Scent Rhythm Watch, by Aisen Caro, which goes through the day sending you scents, espresso in the morning, camomile in the evening. What in the daytime? Toner? Bus exhaust?

One smell, Pop Dongle, a scent popcorn maker Pop Secret made a few devices to disperse as a promotion, was described as "queasy-making from the first puff."

A person can identify 10,000 scents, one expert said. Now that was interesting. That many?

I can see some drawbacks to this, can't you? Yes, a smell is evocative--but what if you don't want others to know what is it evoking?

Plus you won't be the only one in the room, office, or vehicle getting smexts. (I made that up--like it?)