Egotronic: Mood Ring Reincarnated

Remember when you could wear your emotions on your finger? Dark blue meant happy, amber equaled nervous, and black, stressed. The mood ring's soul lives on in these 21st-century gadgets. Do they work? Let your silly side decide.

Shoji Mood Lamp

The Device: The Symbiotic Hosting Online Jog Instrument (SHOJI) assesses the mood of an entire room by analyzing environmental data such as humidity, temperature, and the body heat and movement of people using five sensors and a microphone. The lamp, which looks like a giant beaker, expresses the incoming data as waves of color across 10 rows of lights. Created by GS Yuasa and the University of Tokyo.

In My Dreams: A monitor that suggests how to improve a room's mood (*flash* Sinatra *flash*).

Mobile Mood Phone

The Device: A flip phone with a twist that displays a speaker's mood via an LED light embedded in the back of the phone, which changes color and brightness based on the phone's analysis of voice patterns and tones. Created by Panasonic Japan and NTT DoCoMo.

In My Dreams: A phone that tells me the caller's mood before I answer.

Mood Artwork

The Device: A video screen that displays artwork and has its own camera and software to measure changes in a viewer's facial expression. The empathic paintings alter brushstroke and color based on feedback. Created by researchers at Boston University and the University of Bath.

In My Dreams: A one-of-a-kind work of art, based on my mood, pops into existence when I stare at a blank e-canvas.