Surf and smell with Telewest

Broadband internet users could soon smell the sweet fragrance of fresh flowers while shopping at an online florist, according to Telewest.

The cable company is testing a new technology, called ScentMail, that lets you send and receive aromas while surfing the internet.

You plug a dome device into one of the serial ports of your PC, which has a disposable cartridge containing 20 aromas that can be mixed to create up to 60 different smells. You can send and receive codes to the domes, which spray the liquid smells into the air around the PC.

According to Telewest, ScentMail could create "wafts of fresh bread and fruit" as you make your way around an online supermarket or the smell of suntan lotion and the sea as you take a virtual tour on a holiday site.

Kate Fox, a social anthropologist, said: "Our sense of smell is directly connected to our emotions - smells trigger very powerful and deep-seated emotional responses, and this additional element to the internet will enhance users’ online experience by adding that crucial third dimension."

ScentMail, which Telewest is testing at its Woking headquarters, is expected to cost around £250 for the basic equipment plus £25 a month for the broadband connection fee.