The “You’re Very, Very Late” tattoo watch was designed by Julia Rothman, and it’s something funny that you can wear during the busy holiday season, or year-round if you’re perpetually late. It also makes a good stocking stuffer, or something that you can use in a gift exchange.

The tattoo watches come in a variety of colors and sell for $15 (USD) for a set of 8 or $5 for a set of 2. So the next time that you’re tardy, you’ve got a funny excuse to share with your family and friends.

As you can see, the iTat isn’t as bad as its name sounds. You also have the option of ordering a custom template, so you can truly personalize your phone. But as I mentioned above, a big drawback to this customization option is that the iTat is a DIY affair. Sirtified will only send you the vinyl pattern and a “Super Magical Etching Fluid” – which is acidic enough that a pair of latex gloves is also included in the DIY kit – and you’ll have to do the rest. Apply the sticker, then the solution. Let it sit for 3 minutes, then wipe it clean and remove the sticker. Afterwards, your iPhone’s glass will be etched with your design.

You can order the iTat iPhone Tattoo DIY kit from Sirtified for $15 (USD); you’ll have to pay an extra $5 for custom text. Replacement back glass not included.

[via TUAW]

Engineers John Rogers and Todd Coleman have developed this tech. EES has electrodes capable of measuring brain, heart, and muscle activity, just like an EEG. It can then transmit this data wirelessly. The circuits stick to skin because they are extremely thin, and will adhere thanks to molecular forces. These circuits have been integrated without any pain, suffering or surgery, which is pretty cool. The circuits are applied just like a temporary tattoo. The wires of the circuits are elastic, so they can move about without breaking.

Soon, you will be able to integrate transistors, LEDs, photodetectors, RFID tags, capacitors and more onto your skin. Once these circuits get sophisticated enough, it could make interfacing with computers and our other electronic gadgets a lot different than how we do today.

[io9 via DVice]

The tattoo was created by Paris-based tattoo artist Karl Marc. As the barcode tattoo was completed, it became the target for an augmented reality application. The whole thing was streamed live while he worked on his friend Marco’s chest for about four hours. Once finished, the tat resulted in a little augmented reality animation on the guys chest.

Click to View Embedded Video Clip

The only question that remains is what to do once you get tired of that little animation? Probably just tattoo something else over it. Or, you could just create a new animation, I suppose. Adding an interactive element is something that some people will enjoy. I wonder if someone will end up covering their whole body in augmented reality targets.

[via Make:]

The tattoo was created by Colby at Blue Flame Tattoo in Raleigh, NC and it doesn’t always work in bright light, but it works fine most of the time. The cool thing about the tattoo is that it actually makes sense, even when it’s viewed without the 3DS.

Click to View Embedded Video Clip

The tattoo is of one of the AR cards that the 3DS can recognize. It promptly renders CBZ’s Mii on his arm. While I can see a future for this type of tattooing, what will happen when the next generation of consoles comes out? A tattoo is forever, but the 3DS won’t last that long. A barcode or a QR code would be a lot cooler in my opinion, especially if there was a way to use those as AR markers.

[via I Heart Chaos]

This has to be one of the more unusual tattoos I’ve seen in a while. Is this girl really a steampunk cyborg, or does she just have a really good tattoo artist?

I can’t imagine how painful it was to have all those mechanical components installed – or to have a tattoo that large drawn on her body.

[via Digitalyn]

What happens next? Well, check out the video below – when a camera views the barcode, it’s transformed into a flying dragon.

Click to View Embedded Video Clip

The augmented reality tattoo was developed by the Buenos Aries based ThinkAnApp studio. They developed specialized software to recognize the AR barcode on a curved surface like an arm.

[via Designboom]

That’s a cigarette lighter, a simple hack made of a battery, duct tape, and a piece of wire. The picture is from temporaryservices.org. We already featured their book before, which is also about prison inventions. Next up we have a tattoo gun (image from TownNews). Obviously a portion of inmates don’t acquire their tats before or after their time in jail, but I doubt if prison officers would let them have real tattoo guns.

The tattoo gun pictured above is made of batteries, a small motor (perhaps the one that’s found in toy cars?), a needle, a pen casing, and some ink. I don’t have a tattoo and I’ve never seen a real tattoo gun, so I don’t know if this one inflicts more pain than the real thing. Anyone have an opinion on that?

And finally we have these inventions featured in Marc Steinmetz Photography, the necessity of which I don’t want to think about. The one on the left is a knuckleduster, made using a rasp (coarser version of a file, usually used in woodworking), some cloth and strings. It was found in a prison cell in Wolfenbüttel, Germany in 1993. The one on the right is from the ‘Santa Fu’ jail in Hamburg, Germany. It is what it is – a whip, and I don’t think I need to elaborate on what it’s made of and what it’s made for. Although I do agree with the sloshpot article writer that it’s more of a psych-out weapon, compared to the knuckleduster, which is more of a skin, flesh and bone-out weapon.

There are a few more inventions featured in the original article. What would you invent if you were in prison?

[via The Presurfer]

I’m not too disgusted with that USB tattoo, because well, it’s simply lame. I think if it was just a tiny mark I can let it slide, but the ginormity of the thing just kills it. Now this wall outlet tattoo is pure genius. Now the guy won’t have to worry about powering any gadget he may have tattooed on him. All he needs is a tattoo power cord and he’s good to go.

I saved the best – meaning the worst – for last: some guy tattooed the text that’s displayed on Microsoft’s infamous Blue Screen of Death. What do you think his point is? That his arm crashed and needs to be reset?

Maybe now he wishes he could reset the night. Or maybe he’s already gone ahead and had his arm tattooed blue to complete the picture. Check out the rest of the worst at PC World. To restore your faith in geeky tattoos, let me also point you to some video game-related tattoos that were posted on Kotaku. I especially like Mike Fahey’s Final Fantasy Wizard tattoo.

[via Everything USB]

While they won’t exactly pass for the real deal, they’re a fun way to show your Nintendo spirit without the pain and risk of infection. They’re just $1.25 each, so pick up a whole bunch and cover your whole body with ‘em.

The GR8 TaT2 Maker from Spin Master Toys lets tykes aspire to greatness with their own junior tattoo parlor. For just $14.99, little Billy and Bobby can pretend to scar themselves with an electric tattoo pen and set off on a course for a life on the edge. Antibiotics not included.

I’m looking forward to their next product “My Little Meth Lab”.

[via swissmiss]