Tattoos & Electronic Pills to Replace Passwords?

As more and more of our lives is moving on the Internet, the need to protect our privacy with the help of unbreakable passwords is ever stronger. But what can you do to actually remember all the different passcodes you use for your different online operations and accounts?

Telecom company Motorola has a solution: using electronic pills and tattoos for authentication. And as strange as it sounds, it may actually work.

Motorola officials have already unveiled the tattoo at the California D11 conference. The tattoo contains flexible electronic circuits and is easily attached to the skin with a rubber stamp.

Developed by engineering company MC10, from Massachusetts, the electronic tattoo can replace passwords simply by being brought next to the user’s phone. The technology was first developed for medical purposes, but Motorola hopes to be able to use it for widespread authentication purposes.

At the D11 conference, Motorola officials also presented the idea of using a vitamin authentication pill. The device, developed by Proteus, has already been approved by the Food and Drug Administration and is currently used for various medical applications, including, for instance, to keep track of when medicine is taken.

The tablet contains an electronic chip powered by a battery. After being swallowed, the battery is activated by the user’s stomach acid, creating a unique signal similar to an ECG. This practically turns the user’s body into an access fob, allowing easy authentication simply by touching the device you want to log into.

The pill can reportedly be taken every day for up to a month. Motorola and Proteus have not yet signed any deal to work together on developing this pill for authentication purposes.

Motorola executives at the D11 conference insisted that both the tattoos and the pills would work, but they will not be available for sale to the general public anytime soon. As interesting as they are, it is uncertain these technologies may have any appeal with the masses. Some users might be put off by the idea of having a tattoo stamped on their skin or of logging into their smartphone through their stomach.

What do you think? Would you try to use an electronic tattoo or pill to log into your smartphone or tablet?

[Images via freshnessmag & Mashable]