next time you're screening calls, make sure it's not your plant on the line. if you're lacking a green thumb, you can now use your cell phone to save your fave plants who will call you when in need of feeding. we'll just call it botanicalls. but that's actually what a group of NYU grad students have coined it.

the idea sprung after students complained about not having enough time to "stop and smell the flowers." their goal was to bring plants and people together by turning normal plant cries for help (droopiness, brown spots, dropped leaves) into phone calls and voicemails. (you heard correctly.) here's the dealio: a moisture sensor in the soil measures when there's too much or too little water for that plant type. this info is then sent wirelessly through a local radio network and activates the message specific for each plant through an open phone system called asterisk. (still with us?) after the call is sent, an audio file is played of the plant demanding its needs. call types include requests for water, cease and desist (too much water), an SOS if it's really dry, and even a thanks for watering. (now that's love.)

the team graduates this spring and is discussing post-grad plans for their botanicalls project. requests are rolling in, and the grad students are taking names. as in fern, spider plant, and cuban oregano. 'cause it'll be a while before they sell this product to the public.

our suggestion? send them your own personal SOS.


www.botanicalls.com





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