Modu is not my pet's name. Sounds like it? Never mind. Modu is your mini phone of the future. Yes futuristic, it sure is, as Modu is capable of moulding itself to fit into interchangeable jackets to grow into a bigger, smarter phone or any other gadget and connect them to the world wide web.

An Israeli startup has convinced wireless carriers in three countries to try the Modu concept.
It is in fact, poised for launch on Oct 1 with Telecom Italia Spa in Italy, OAA Vimpel Communications in Russia and Cellcom Israel Ltd.

Telecom Italia Mobile and Cellcom are the largest carriers in their respective countries, while VimpelCom is the second-largest in Russia.

Wondering about what the size of Modu is? It is slightly smaller than your current iPod Nano and weighs 1.5 ounces. A small color screen and a limited keypad allows it to work as a rudimentary cell phone on its own.

Wait, there are jackets accompanying it too though they look pretty much like cell phones, with standard numeric keypads and camera features. What is missing is the antenna and chips that communicate with a wireless network, which is where the Modu phone figures - it pops into a slot and turns the jacket into a fully functional phone.

Modu founder Dov Moran said in an interview that the Italian carrier is excited about the concept it is about turning the cell phone into a complete fashion statement, tempting consumers to update their looks every few months at no cost.

''This allows you to make a summer collection and a winter collection,'' Moran said.

''The carriers really are interested in having more and more customers coming through their stores, rather than signing up and coming every two years to sign a new contract and get a new phone,'' said Daniel Amir, a chip analyst at Lazard Capital Markets in San Francisco. He called the Modu a potential ''game changer'' in the cell-phone industry.