MP3 Phone

This would be a cracking good combination of technologies. The buttons and display are used to control both functions. The device would be of the 'hands free' variety, using earphones to deliver both music and phone calls.

If there is an incoming call while you are listening to music, you are alerted by a discrete tone superimposed on the music, and have the option to take the call, or not.

In addition to being a useful and convenient little gadget, this device will be a powerful weapon for the man in the street (or woman on the train) in the battle against corporate telephone tyrrany.

Imagine: you are cold called by an insurance or double-glazing company. At the touch of a button (or even, with deluxe voice recognition software, on the utterance af a key phrase, such as "I'll just put you on hold"), a secondary MP3 player kicks in, and plays an endless loop of corporate favourites down the line until the unwelcome caller hangs up. Meanwhile, you can get on with the important business of listening to the end of Mahler's 28th ("The Intolerable"). The MP3 Phone would come pre-loaded with a selection of corporate classics ("Simply The Best", "You're Gorgeous" and "Hangin' on the Telephone") copyright cleared and recorded at low quality to conserve memory.

A further hammer blow can be struck against pompous bank officials who inform you that your call is being recorded for some dubious purpose or other. You can reply crisply that you, too are recording the conversation (with the aid of the MP3 encoder) to form the basis of any potential litigation. That should keep them on their toes.