The Idea Factory
The Idea Factory: Google's electronic neck tattoo
Imagine a smartphone mic attached to your throat
Motorola Mobility, which is owned by Google, has filed for a patent titled "Coupling an Electronic Skin Tattoo to a Mobile Communication Device." Essentially, it's a Bluetooth headset "designed to be tattooed onto your throat," says Steve Dent at Engadget. The electronic tattoo's microphone and transceiver capture vibrations directly from your larynx, freeing up your hands. It's worth noting, though, that Motorola has a reputation for playing "fast and loose" with the definition of a tattoo, says Chris Velazco at TechCrunch. An "e-tattoo" described in 2011 was more of a sticker.