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Japanese Researchers Unveil Humanoid Cell Phone

RENEE MONTAGNE, host:

Good morning. I'm Renee Montagne.

Japanese researchers at Osaka University have announced a new prototype cell phone. They say it will help users feel closer to those they're talking to. The Elfoid is shaped like a human and controlled by hidden buttons, and it has an outer coating that feels like human skin. Maybe it's just me, but that sounds more repulsive than attractive. And there's the question of how close you want to feel to the person on the other end of the line.

It's MORNING EDITION. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.