The therapeutic power of flowers takes a technological twist with a Japanese gadget that turns them into audio speakers, making the petals and leaves tremble with good vibrations.

　　The machine, called Ka-on, meaning "flower sound" in Japanese, consists of a donut-shaped magnet and coil at the base of a vase that hooks up to a CD player, stereo or TV.

　　Place the flowers into the vase, turn on Ka-on and the magnet and coil relay the sound vibrations up the stems through the plant's water tubes.

　　Bring your ear near a flower, and hear the music emanate from the petals like a decorative earphone. Touch a leaf, and feel it shake as though in a quiet dance.

　　Later this month, you'll be able to carry on a telephone conversation with a flower with a planned speaker phone model.

　　Unlike regular speakers, which send sound in one direction, Ka-on shoots sound in all directions, filling an entire room with music in a more natural ambiance.

　　Masumi Gotoh, president of Let's Corp, a Nagoya-based telecom equipment company that developed Ka-on, says the set up is ideal as gifts, flower table-arrangements at weddings, reception desks at hospitals and decoration at restaurants.

　　Ka-on vases and amplifiers come in various sizes, ranging in price from 5,000 yen (US$46) to 50,000 yen. There's a version that works with potted plants, and a wireless LAN version will be available soon.

　　About 3,000 of the 5,000 yen version, on sale via the Internet since July, have been sold, and some 10,000 orders have been received so far.

　　A poinsettia Ka-on will go on sale ahead of Christmas.

　　(The Associated Press)

　　编辑：趴趴