NTT Docomo's cases make smartphones smarter

Your smartphone just got smarter courtesy Japan's biggest mobile carrier NTT Docomo. NTT Docomo has come out with some nifty smartphone add-ons, the most notable of these being special cases the company developed to offer extra protection plus unique functions to the handsets they plan to come with.

With the covers, smartphones can double as dosimeters and three of them to boot - one to measure radiation, another to keep track of the user's body fat and muscle bulk and the third for measuring the alcohol content in the user's body (plus bad breath).

According to NTT Docomo, the sensors built into the cases do the actual job, and the smartphone serves as the interface and displays the results. And, of course, all data can be saved for future reference. According to the company, the cases would be on display at the CEATEC Japan 2011 exhibition next month.

Besides, the company's jackets also have been designed to collect data such as UV light. Also, a special jacket has been developed for high-speed battery charging.

In a further expansion on the theme, NTT also has developed a smartphone-ready device that can measure acetone in your breath, which is an indication of your hunger level and fat burning, and can be used to tell the best times to eat or exercise.

NTT's food photo application allows users to count calories of their meals, by analysing users' images and checking them against a pre-existing database. It would then give users the calorie count for the meal, for a standard size portion.