While many of us might be satisfied with the low-end cellies that just handle the basics, there's apparently a hefty chunk of consumers on the other extreme, too. Joining D&G, Hulger, and Gresso (just to name a few) in the avant-garde phone realm, Prada is teaming up with LG Electronics to unveil a brand new (read: not rebranded) mobile in 2007. Although neither firm has leaked any prototype snapshots of the presumably pricey handset, we do know to expect a "unique, sophisticated and elegant phone" that'll sport an "advanced touch interface" to eliminate the traditional keypad. Moreover, the Prada touch doesn't end at the outside motif, as we'll see a dash of luxury in the packaging, software, user interface, music functionality, and overall design. As expected, this gem is slated to launch in Europe first ("early 2007"), while Asia / Korea should expect it shortly thereafter; unfortunately, there's no set date for an American release, but even we know it can't resist Hollywood for too long.

[Via Textually]

We may not know whether your phone is going to kill you, but we can tell you that it excites your brain. This, uh, exciting news comes to us from a team at Fatebenefratelli Hospital in Milan, which used transcranial magnetic stimulation to monitor brain activity during subjects' phone calls. More often than not, brain cells adjacent to the phone went into an "excited" state during the call, but returned to normal within 45 minutes. What this means for your long-term health we're not exactly sure -- and neither is the Italian group. They do note that it might be of special relevance to folks with epilepsy, since excited brain cells have been linked to the disease. "It should be argued that long-lasting and repeated exposure to EMFs (electromagnetic frequencies) linked with intense use of cellular phones in daily life might be harmful or beneficial in brain-diseased subjects," says their report. "Harmful or beneficial" -- thanks, guys; that really clears things up for us.

[Via I4U News]