First cell phones were huge, awkward contraptions that were impossible to carry anywhere. They then got smaller. Internet connectivity was added to them and then cameras. Now people are listing to music on their cell phones and downloading videos. You would think that the cell phone now has everything. But that’s not so.

The Finnish manufacturer, Nokia, now wants to add a lightning detector system into their phones. This would be an attractive feature to many people as everyone is considered about safety. The invention would use radio frequency receivers in cell phones and GSM (global system for mobile communications) to pick up the radio waves that lightning produces. Typical lightning bolts emit frequencies between 10 Hz and 5 Ghz.

Although Nokia won’t comment on the new feature they’d like to add, they have applied for a U.S. Patent for the new software.

This special software program would analyze the signals, calculate the distance to the lightning, and warn users of the presence of lightning. What will they think of next?