BROOKE GLADSTONE: Today, the proliferation of cell phones ensures that everyone can reach out and touch us, whether we like it or not. Including the boss who wants to know why you're late to work, or the spouse who's wondering why you're not at your desk. And don't try lying about your location, because the background noise will betray you. The cell phone can't lie. Or can it? A German cell phone software company is now offering what it calls SounderCover --downloadable sound environments that act as high-tech alibis. Crafty callers can pretend that they're at the dentist, in the park, caught in traffic, stuck in a thunderstorm, near heavy machinery, or even boxed in by a circus parade. Liviu Tofan is the CEO of Simeda, the company that devised the wily technology, and he's on the line from Munich. Liviu, welcome to the show.

LIVIU TOFAN: Thank you very much for inviting me.

BROOKE GLADSTONE: Some of these backgrounds are more useful than others. I mean, how often does the circus really come to town?

LIVIU TOFAN: Well, I have a small daughter, so I'm --circus does mean something to me.

BROOKE GLADSTONE: But I mean can you really use it as a good alibi?

LIVIU TOFAN: Maybe the, the more unusual it is, the better the alibi. [LAUGHTER]

BROOKE GLADSTONE: This story is so unlikely, it must be true. So talk to me as if you're standing by a circus parade.

LIVIU TOFAN: [MUSIC, CROWD UNDER] It's very nice indeed, but-- traffic is blocked completely because of it and I, I can't, I can't move on. [LAUGHTER] I, I can't help it.

BROOKE GLADSTONE: Now, be honest here, Liviu -- all of this is really to make it easier to lie about where you are.

LIVIU TOFAN: Actually I was just reading about a study done in the USA that most lying is done by people on the phone. [LAUGHTER] We'll only help them stay polite and find a decent excuse.

BROOKE GLADSTONE: So what's the public response been to your product?

LIVIU TOFAN: We never expected such an avalanche of, of reaction. It showed something that is very close to human nature when it comes to, you know, as you say, lying or cheating or finding excuses.

BROOKE GLADSTONE:One of the "alibis," as you call them, that you offer, is a phone ringing 15 seconds into a conversation so you can get rid of an unwanted caller by telling them you have a call waiting on the other line.

LIVIU TOFAN: It's rude to tell somebody I don't want to talk to you right now. I don't feel like it. So you, you get out of this unpleasant situation by saying - look, sorry, I have to answer that call.

BROOKE GLADSTONE:To our producer, Derek, who helped put this together, your invention suggests that perhaps we live in a reality where modern lifestyle dilemmas continually force us to invent new technological solutions. In other words, if we didn't have all these cell phones able to get us anywhere we were, we wouldn't have to invent some kind of technological alibi to keep us, once again, out of reach.

LIVIU TOFAN: That's true. It makes life easier; it makes life more complicated at the same time. But like all inventions, it's just-- [PHONE RINGING] but as, as you, as you can hear-- [LAUGHTER] I, I have, I have my land line calling, and I, I really have to answer that phone. So--thank you-- bye, bye-- we'll talk another time.

BROOKE GLADSTONE: Liviu Tofan, CEO of Simeda, based in Munich, Germany. He's the founder of SounderCover Cell Phone Alibi. [PHONE RINGING] He's formerly news editor at Radio Free Europe. Thank you, Liviu... [SOUND OF TRAFFIC, HORNS] Liviu--? Hello--? [THEME MUSIC UP & UNDER]

BOB GARFIELD:That's it for this week's show. On the Media was directed by Katya Rogers and produced by Janeen Price, Megan Ryan and Tony Field, and edited-- by Brooke. Dylan Keefe is our technical director, and Rob Christiansen our engineer; we had help from Derek John. Our webmaster is Amy Pearl.

BROOKE GLADSTONE:Arun Rath is our senior producer and Dean Cappello our executive producer. Bassist/composer Ben Allison wrote our theme. You can listen to the program and get free transcripts and MP3 downloads at onthemedia.org, and email us at onthemedia@wnyc.org. This is On the Media, from NPR. I'm Brooke Gladstone.

BOB GARFIELD: And I'm Bob Garfield.