A JAPANESE company has invented the world's first wristwatch phone which works by transforming the user's finger into an earpiece, New Scientist says in it's next issue, due out on Saturday.

The prototype gadget, Finger Whisper, consists of a wristband that converts digital signals into vibrations that are transmitted into the bones of the hand.

The user puts his finger into his ear for the vibrations to be picked up by the eardrum, which then transcribes them back into sound signals for the brain.

To respond, the user simply speaks into a microphone on the wristband.

By touching forefinger to thumb, the user starts or ends a call, and the device uses voice recognition technology to dial the number. There is no keypad.

Japanese telecommunications giant NTT DoCoMo is developing the idea, which is the brainchild of a research engineer, Masaaki Fukumoto

Which, of course, puts us nicely along the path to having a phone planted directly in your skull. Which means that your pals can call you at three in the morning and ring-a-ding your motherfucking brain.

The future kicks ass.