Abstract: Sensory output devices such as wearable items, three dimensional objects such as pebbles, ornaments, toy characters and the like, include controls responsive to the content of SMS messages or to recognition of spoken words or phrases in a telephone conversation to provide a response such as a thermal change, vibrational or other tactile response, colour change or olfactory output. The output may be intensified in dependence upon the number of times at which a particular word, phrase or emoticon is identified, the control means learning from identity information to associate a current call with an historic personality trait to maintain or adapt the response provided by the sensory output device.