E-tattoo: Information Technology Under Your Skin

Researched and Posted by Malinda Edwards — October 19, 2014

Read more at http://joeforamerica.com/2014/10/e-tattoo-information-technology-skin/

Your dog is probably microchipped in case he goes missing. Soon you’ll be tattooed with a tiny, highly sophisticated e-tattoo able to perform all kinds of tasks like storing and transmitting data. Sounds like a sci-fi fantasy, or an evil plot by the NSA?

A Korean tehcnology developer and an American company based in San Francisco are vying for the finish line for wearable nanomembranes. These devices are planted under the skin and can be used to detect tremors, dispense medication and they have other potential healthcare uses.

But maybe there is a sinister use in mind, too. Herding humans like cattle, perhaps, to keep the masses under control. Keep another Ferguson, MO from happening? That would be the ulitmate endeavor by governments bent on intruding on the lives of its citizens.

h/t: fromthegrapevine.com

First strip them of all means to fight back, then, by remote control, direct their every move. How far into the future are we talking? Here’s an update on the status of the technology and one of its designers.

They say consumer technology is a lot like surfing. You have to know the exact time to catch a wave, because before you know it, the next one is closing in.

The folks at NewDealDesign, a San Francisco-based design house that’s the creative brains behind the popular Fitbit fitness tracker, believe the next wave in wearable technology is not a smart watch, or a calorie counter, or a camera that looks like a small kaleidoscope. This time, they’re going beneath the surface.

As part of FastCompany’s Wearables Week, NewDealDesign unveiled its take on what wearable technology will look like in five years. They called their concept “Project Underskin.”

Yes, it’s exactly what it sounds like.

“Underskin is a vision for what could be for wearables,” NewDeal’s CEO, Gadi Amit, told From the Grapevine. “Implanted or tattooed devices are happening – it’s not a matter of if, but when – and with that, we wanted to create a more human look at what that near future looks like. Not dystopian, cold sci-fi, but ambient and personal.”

The backbone of Project Underskin is a sub-dermal tattoo that would be implanted into your hand and would interact with everything you touch. You’d be branded with the ability to unlock your door, track your health or exchange information with a handshake.

Before you start conjuring images of humans being herded like cattle to special high-tech tattoo parlors, consider the source.

Amit is a veritable superstar in the design world. Born in Israel, he graduated from the Bezalel School of Art and Design in Jerusalem. After a few years working for model makers and industrial design firms in his home country, he moved to Silicon Valley in the early 1990s. In 2000, he left his job at Frog Designs to start his own firm. He’s won more than 70 awards, including Designer of the Year by Fast Company in 2010. In addition to the popular activity tracker Fitbit, his company’s portfolio includes Google’s Project Ara smartphone, the Better Place electric vehicle charging station, and the Whistle, a smart dog collar. Last year, he was selected by First Lady Michelle Obama, a big Fitbit fan, to receive the National Design Award, which honors excellence, innovation and lasting achievement in design.

When Amit makes forecasts about industry tends and timelines, people tend to take notice. So although it sounds far-fetched and, frankly, a little terrifying, Amit and his team can say with a great deal of confidence that the world is, indeed, ready to tattoo themselves with data.

Now the question is will the tattooses reflect our personal tastes in art? Can we have a replica of the Virgin Mary signal our insulin drip?

Or how about a tattoo of our kids’ names to transfer money from our bank to theirs? How convenient. . .for them. And, as with all other electronics, we will be relying on our kids to help with any malfunctions.  How appropriate . . . that our kids get under our skin literally.

“The moment I saw this headline, I knew I had to see what was content, and context. As a Christian, and lifelong Bible Student, this announcement is informative, scary and exciting. I won’t expound any further. I prefer to have scripture, from Jesus’ Revelation, say it for me.”

Revelation 13:1 “And the dragon stood on the shore of the sea. And I saw a beast coming out of the sea. He had ten horns and seven heads, with ten crowns on his horns, and on each head a blasphemous name. 2 The beast I saw resembled a leopard, but had feet like those of a bear and a mouth like that of a lion. The dragon gave the beast his power and his throne and great authority. 3 One of the heads of the beast seemed to have had a fatal wound, but the fatal wound had been healed. The whole world was astonished and followed the beast. 4 Men worshiped the dragon because he had given authority to the beast, and they also worshiped the beast and asked, “Who is like the beast? Who can make war against him?”

5 The beast was given a mouth to utter proud words and blasphemies and to exercise his authority for forty-two months. 6 He opened his mouth to blaspheme God, and to slander his name and his dwelling place and those who live in heaven. 7 He was given power to make war against the saints and to conquer them. And he was given authority over every tribe, people, language and nation. 8 All inhabitants of the earth will worship the beast-all whose names have not been written in the book of life belonging to the Lamb that was slain from the creation of the world.  

9 He who has an ear, let him hear.
10 If anyone is to go into captivity,
into captivity he will go.
If anyone is to be killed with the sword,
with the sword he will be killed.

This calls for patient endurance and faithfulness on the part of the saints.

11 Then I saw another beast, coming out of the earth. He had two horns like a lamb, but he spoke like a dragon. 12 He exercised all the authority of the first beast on his behalf, and made the earth and its inhabitants worship the first beast, whose fatal wound had been healed. 13 And he performed great and miraculous signs, even causing fire to come down from heaven to earth in full view of men. 14 Because of the signs he was given power to do on behalf of the first beast, he deceived the inhabitants of the earth. He ordered them to set up an image in honor of the beast who was wounded by the sword and yet lived. 15 He was given power to give breath to the image of the first beast, so that it could speak and cause all who refused to worship the image to be killed. 16 He also forced everyone, small and great, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on his right hand or on his forehead, 17 so that no one could buy or sell unless he had the mark, which is the name of the beast or the number of his name.

18 This calls for wisdom. If anyone has insight, let him calculate the number of the beast, for it is man’s number. His number is 666.” (NIV)