OK, he sent you roses on Valentine’s Day, but does he really care about you? If you are a subscriber of South Korean cell phone company KTF, it will cost you just a buck and a half per month to discern the emotional state of the people you talk to. The communications company’s “Love Detector” service supposedly uses voice analysis technology to see if the person you are talking to is telling the truth and is showing real affection.
“We created this service because we thought people would want to know what others were feeling about them,” said Ahn Hee-jung, a KTF official.
Users who speak by pointing their mobile phones at themselves for video conferences can see a “love meter” bar on the screen of their handset during a conversation.
They later receive an analysis of the conversation delivered through text message that breaks down the amount of affection, surprise, concentration and honesty of the other speaker.
Imagine a telemarketing boiler room equipped with this technology… scary, if it really worked. Fortunately, this seems like a rather dubious gimmick. For KTF subscribers, though, these love-meter phones will no doubt lead to some interesting conversations and strained relationships. (Via The Experience Economist.)
