We’ve been hearing about tattoos which work with phones for a while, and have even seen a few early examples in action, but here’s one you can actually buy. Provided you don’t mind having something that looks like a nasty skin condition on your arm.
The Digital Tattoo is made out of a thin, flexible material called eSkin, and it uses NFC to communicate with your phone. Here’s how it works. First, you take the little tattoo, which measures about 25mm in width, and stick it on your wrist. Then, tap your Moto X against it to sync up, and you’re good to go. Wake your phone, tap it against the tattoo, and as if by magic, it’ll unlock.
Unlike a real tattoo, VivoLnk’s Digital Tattoo isn’t for life. In fact, it’s only for five days, because that’s how long the adhesive used to stick it to your wrist will last. Once it drops off, you’ll need to slap on another one if you’ve got used to the additional minute or so of extra time in your day. It’s a good thing ViviLnk sell them in packs of ten, which should last you a month. They’re priced at a mere $10.
Currently, the Digital Tattoo is only listed to work with the Moto X, and comes in a single design called “vortex.” VivoLnk is open to developing the tattoo for other smartphones, and also says it has other designs in the pipeline. Let’s hope they look a little less like a massive boil.
