HotelChatter

One of these LCDs is already being used in the underground mall of Tokyo Station. It's supposed to be a sort of smell-enhanced advertising kiosk; CNET's Appliances and Gadgets Blog explained the idea:

The hope is that [passers-by] will be attracted by the scent, stop to watch a commercial, and then pick up a coupon book to use for the real version of the supposed deliciousness their nostrils had just encountered.

Uh, hmmm. The company behind the technology, NTT Communications, is still researching real-world business applications for the scented screens and we're wondering (worrying?) about how these are going to be used in hotels.

Here's an idea: how about an advertising kiosk (similar to the one in Tokyo) to replace those racks of local attractions brochures in the lobby? You know, the delightful fragrance of the local zoo, the lovely aroma of the stables that coordinate those sunset-on-the-beach horseback rides, the subtle smell of acetone from the local posh nail salon... yummy delicious.

You know what, hotels? Why can't you all just be like Doubletree and hand out cookies? Scents are always going to be hit or miss, but cookies will never fail you. For real. More cookies, less of this "scenting" crap.

Got a better hotel application for this new stinky-screen technology? Drop it in the comments below.

[Photo: NTT via CNET]