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Skin-Based Display Screens From Nanotech Tattoos

destinyland writes "Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in New York is developing flexible nanotubes inserted under the skin to create a handheld display — inside your hand. They wirelessly receive data and display reminders and text messages, and the concept has also been broadened to suggest endlessly programmable digital tattoos, while Netherlands-based Royal Philips Electronics is also exploring the concept of the body as 'a platform for electronics and interactive skin technologies'." That middle link is quite old, but is still loaded with interesting links.

14 of 200 comments (clear)

  1. Ohhh... can you imagine the hack possibilities by Opportunist · · Score: 4, Insightful

    If you thought fun with programmable road signs was something, wait 'til tatoo hacks become the new fad!

    --
    We used to have a Bill of Rights. Now, with the rights gone, all we have left is the bill.
  2. Ray Bradbury will be delighted by kubitus · · Score: 3, Insightful

    The Illustrated Man coming alive!

  3. Re:Camouflage by blargfellow · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Or the enemy sends you a virus, and you end up with a bullseye on your forehead.

  4. Re:well........ by thannine · · Score: 2, Insightful

    Well, I don't know about you but I usually use only one hand...

  5. Good luck at the airport by KlaymenDK · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Good luck with that the next time you're at the security check at the airport. Pacemakers they know about, but with people getting withheld due to t-shirts with *images* of electronics, this thing is just asking for trouble.

  6. I'll wait... by Capt+James+McCarthy · · Score: 4, Insightful

    It all sounds cool...for a movie or a fad. The next thing you know you have to keep your virus defs up to date or your tatoo will be throwing up all kinds of unwanted pop-ups. If it can be 'reprogrammed,' that is just a freq that manipulates the nano devices, then it can be maliciously altered as well. I still don't understand the fascination with putting electronics in the body (medical reasons notwithstanding). And there is already an issue with people being tracked and watched. They tie the screen to your vitals and it will glow green if you are telling the truth or red if you are lying. It will tell folks your current medical status. _IF_ that is what you want.

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    There are no loopholes. It's either legal or it's not.
    1. Re:I'll wait... by Aladrin · · Score: 2, Insightful

      "I still don't understand the fascination with putting electronics in the body (medical reasons notwithstanding). And there is already an issue with people being tracked and watched."

      Not everyone is as paranoid about the government spying on them as you. Don't get me wrong, your paranoia helps the rest of us by keeping the government straight... But we don't also need to be paranoid for that to work.

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      "If you make people think they're thinking, they'll love you; But if you really make them think, they'll hate you." - DM
    2. Re:I'll wait... by Aqualung812 · · Score: 2, Insightful

      Why not? I've noticed I've seen fewer ads for things that I won't EVER buy for myself (Tampons, etc), and more for things I will buy (cycling gear, xbox games).
      Can you let me know what the problem is?

      --
      Grammer Nazis - I mod you "troll" unless you actually add something on-topic. Yes, I know I have mispellings in my sig.
  7. Re:Allright!! by xouumalperxe · · Score: 2, Insightful

    I guess it helps that you can just blindly reject everything in the original post that resembles html, and then only generate the html you explicitly allow from the BBCode. That way you're preventing some funky attacks. Of course, implementations might or might not produce further errors...

  8. If this becomes mainstream... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Insightful

    ...then somebody is going to try to put DRM on it. I'd love to see that court case...

  9. Re:Camouflage by bentcd · · Score: 4, Insightful

    What's the point in that? He'd either have to carry both desert and urban camo (for middle-east incursions at least), and swap half way through, or they'd have to be butt-naked all the time.

    If they can put this in skin they can probably put it in clothes too.

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    sigs are hazardous to your health
  10. Re:Camouflage by Tom · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Because in war it's such a bright idea to have much skin exposed?

    Sorry, some camouflage make-up applied to the parts of the face you can't hide seems like a lot simpler, cheaper, more reliable and simply superior in all other aspects.

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    Assorted stuff I do sometimes: Lemuria.org
  11. Re:OCtattoos ! by zrq · · Score: 2, Insightful

    Would be really neat to have this in our lifetime.

    Therin lies a problem ... the human lifetime as compared to the rate IT technology is changing. Whatever you got implanted today would be out of date within a year. You either have to continually upgrade (which would probably involve more surgery, because the latest implants would not be backwards compatible with yours), or you get stuck with the equivalent of a 800x600 display tattooed into your arm when everyone else has 1920x1200 HD and surround sound. In the age of iPhone and Android, nothing says 'old fart' like having a clunky old phone that doesn't have a camera or net access, but at least you can upgrade to a new model without involving surgery.

  12. Re:Camouflage by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Insightful

    Except when you encounter a colorblind enemy, since most forms of camouflage look as visible as an elephant in the middle of the street for colorblind people, you need almost a perfect match in colors/texture to fool us.