Can You Hear Me Now?

It seems Motorola has requested a patent for a Feng Shui phone. Please. I know from my own experience that when something is coined "Feng Shui" it means the colors have a zen-white or peaceful pastel shade. Or it could (operative word) make you feel centered just being around it, or just simply holding it, or just looking at it. On the initial glance, however, it would seem Motorola has done some homework on what a Feng Shui enthusiast might want to know.

One of the first features mentioned is that it has a digital camera (uh, guys, many phones have this already), but the difference here is that it can determine color saturation leading us to better balance in an environment. I guess we can’t get there with the other camera phones. It is also equipped with a compass to determine directions along with some version of an otherwise valid and scientific meter that measures electromagnetic fields.

It also has a GPS receiver to locate where you are and then it will run that information through a network to determine if you’re standing with your Feng Shui cell phone near any airports, landfills or factories. It is also equipped with an AM/FM radio which, through transmission clarity, can determine how close you might be to power lines. Finally, it has a microphone to measure noise levels in the environment.

The phone owner (this does not take a licensed Feng Shui consultant as you can probably figure out) takes some pictures of the surrounding areas, points the phone toward the main wall and presses a button. A "Ch'i Map" is presented measuring positive ch’i, neutral ch’i, and negative ch’i. I was unable to determine how to interpret the results, but let’s hope there’s a manual. I also didn’t know what we were supposed to do about anything that falls in the negative ch’i column.

Although some valuable information might be spewed out, without Feng Shui training, most people aren’t going to know what to do. Unfortunately, here’s a sad example of the cookie-cutter approach to an art and science that requires careful considerations, individual assessments, and room to implement extenuating circumstances. Maybe the best action to take is not buy the phone in the first place.