Scientists investigate body area networks for mobile ads

Think advertising has gotten as invasive as it can. Guess again. Here's the skinny. Scientists at the Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute in Korea are developing a way to use what they call "body area networks" to connect a person to advertising using their skin and their cell phones. The scientists believe the ads will only be relevant to the person whose skin is being invaded. To get the information, a subject must walk up to an electronic poster and touch it. Information collected from the person's cell phone will be transmitted to decide which ads to show.

The idea, at least for advertisers, is that these networks will be incredibly effective at targeting their audiences, often hitting the bull's eye with information that outstrips anything that could be delivered by conventional posters and billboards. The good thing about the system--at least for those who want to avoid advertising at any cost--the only way to get the information is by touching the ads. So, if you don't like it, don't touch it.

For more:
- see this article [1]

Related stories:
Nokia to open mobile advertising [2] labs
Mobile advertising needs to up its game [3]