We can always rely on our Japanese friends to introduce whacky inventions and they haven’t let us down in mobile phone department with MoPods.

These little things are the latest craze to have swept over from the Far East and look set to be a collector’s dream. There are seven, yes seven of these little things to get your hands on Puppy, Monster, i-Penguin, Kitten, Monkey, Devil, and the new Golden Penguin all of whom live encapsulated in their own transparent dome. Bless!

Now would you believe it but these things do actually have a purpose as well. When your mobile phone rings or receives a text within a metre of your MoPod then the little blighter will get in a tizz, spin round and round and a little light will flash wildly in reaction. The perfect visual warning if your phone is on silent or you are in a noisy bar.

Whether hung on your bag, clothes, keys or mobile, MoPods are a must-have, or as they say in Japan, a “hitsuyou”. Does that mean Kitsch?

They should work with most phones but I’m sorry to say all you on Three network will be disappointed they’re not compatible with your handsets.

RRP £4.95 - bargain !