Modai concept phone wants to be your friend

(Credit: Julius Tarng)

Today's smartphones are already pretty smart, but New York-based designer Julius Tarng thinks they can be smarter.
Imagining a mobile device that's more human than machine, Tarng came up with a concept phone called the Modai that learns from your behavior and adapts itself to different environments.

The Modai can provide information based on your location.

(Credit: Julius Tarng)

For example, it would know when you're at work and when you're at play, and adjust the contents of your home screen accordingly to present the most relevant information at that time.
Tarng also sees the Modai giving contextual prompts based on location, so if you're at a bus stop or out grabbing lunch, the phone could help out by displaying a bus schedule or today's lunch specials while you wait.
With more use, the Modai learns more about you and can even try to fix your bad habits. Late for a meeting again? The Modai knows this and will set your alarm for earlier next time, so you're not tardy for the party.
The Modai has other cool party tricks up its sleeve. A muscle-wired Peelstand on the back of the phone enables it to move and alert you to new messages, calls, or alarms. When it needs more juice, the cover on the phone's charging port will automatically open, so you can connect to an outlet.
You can check out more of the Modai's functions on Tarng's Web site, as well as some of his other concepts. Tarng, a former intern at Nokia and Kodak, is currently a designer at Smart Design.
(Via Ubergizmo)