Technology for "stretchable" cellphones now on exhibit

At the On the website of the Museum of Modern Art in New York, Nokia is displaying

Morph is being shown as part of MOMA's "Design and the Elastic Mind" exhibit.

Now you may be wondering what the use is for a phone that from a form factor standpoint, sounds a bit like silly putty.

Let me assure you there is method to this madness. Researchers at Nokia and at the University of Cambridge say the utility in the flexible, stretchable design would be to enable shape adjustments specific to user preferences as well as to ease the possibility of self-cleaning surfaces.

Don't expect to see Morph at your Nokia-authorized dealer any time soon, though.

Nokia tells James Middleton of the online publication telecoms.com that elements of Morph might be integrated into handheld devices within seven years, though initially only at the high end.

"In the future however, the Finnish firm sees nanotechnology as one day leading to low cost manufacturing and the potential for integrating complex functionality at a low price," James adds.