Hristu símann þinn til að kanna batteríið

Cellphone users could soon tell when their handset is running low on juice or laden with new messages simply by reaching into their bag or pocket and giving it a quick shake.

A new system uses a phone's speaker and vibrator to make a device feel and sound like it contains liquid when it is running out of power. The same technique can be used to indicate when new messages have arrived, by simulating the sense of balls rattling around inside a box.

Similarly, Shoogle lets you "feel" the amount of battery power left in the cellphone, by having the phone simulate a reducing volume of liquid sloshing (.wav format) inside a virtual container.

A phone running the software knows when it is being shaken by using accelerometers to sense the handset's movement. The software has so far been tested on a PDA with accelerometers attached and on Nokia phones with the devices built in.