Talk to the hand

O2 turns old mobile phones into £1,000 Bluetooth gloves

UK MOBILE OPERATOR O2 unveiled a pair of gloves on Wednesday called "Talk to the Hand" that double as a mobile phone, clearly aimed at people with more money than sense.

Yes, O2 has actually launched gloves that you can talk into when making phone calls, which are a steal at just £1,000 a pair.

O2 has partnered with artist Sean Miles to create this unnecessary product, which apparently will pair with any smartphone over Bluetooth so you can talk into your hand rather than your phone. We don't really see the benefit here, as you'll still have to raise your hand to your face, and you'll probably get some really weird looks on the street.

Still, O2 thinks it and Miles have done a good job. Speaking about the product, which is the latest addition to O2's Recycle scheme, the network said that there are speaker units embedded in the thumbs of the gloves and microphones built into the little fingers.

Miles, who designed the gloves, said, "I hope that my Talk to the Hand project will get people to think again about the waste created by not recycling gadgets. While these might not be for everyone, there are hundreds of other uses that old phones can be put to - from being reconditioned and used again to being mined for their components.

"If a few more people recycle their gadgets rather than send them to landfill, I think this project will have fulfilled its aim."

Mile also said he is now working on combining phones with handbags, "so people don't spend time rummaging around in their bags to find a phone when it rings."

We cannot contain our excitement.