Assuming a user is opening their phone around forty times a day (the average is thirty-nine), that works out to approximately two minutes per day. Okay, maybe that still isn’t all that much time. At least…not by traditional standards. I guess we’re just a bit more impatient these days than we used to be. Anyway, Motorola apparently thought that two minutes a day to access one’s smartphone is two minutes too many. Working together with Google’s advanced technology and projects group and VivaLnk Inc, they’ve developed a nickel-sized digital tattoo that can unlock a user’s Moto X simply by touching the phone to the adhesive design. Let me rephrase that, for you: Motorola, Google, and VivaLnk have together developed the world’s first smart tattoo.

Well, sort of. It’s not actually ink, The gadget has more in common with a rub-on tattoo, as the user doesn’t actually have to inject anything into their arm. Instead, it’s composed of an ultra-thin, highly flexible material, one which is capable of communicating wireless with a user’s phone. Each ‘tattoo’ can be worn up to five days, and is capable of withstanding “perspiration, water, and physical activity.” Each tattoo is synced specifically to its users phone, and functions similarly to the “smart chip” technology now found in many debit cards. Although the wearable tech is currently only available for the Moto X, the Vivalnk digital tattoo will come to other devices, with a particular focus on future versions of Android. A pack of ten tattoos can be purchased for $9.99 here.

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