Mobile phone suits women's vanity

TOKYO, JAPAN: A mobile phone that monitors a user's skin condition, checking for blemishes and colour, was unveiled in beauty-conscious Japan on Thursday (29 November).

The Hada Memori (skin memory) program allows women to keep tabs on their complexion and track changes over time by storing records in the cloud.

Users can also share their data through social networking sites, said information technology giant Fujitsu, which plans to use the information to generate advertising of beauty products.

A spokesman said the skin system comes with a small card that has a 15 millimetre hole, which must be pressed to the cheek. The smartphone's camera then takes a picture of the skin and analyses the result.

The Hada Memori is the first of a series of devices that will measure users' stress levels, exercise habits and quality of sleep, helping the company gather a significant pool of health data which it can then sell.

"We will be able to offer the data to service providers eventually," said Hayuru Ito, senior manager of Fujitsu's strategic planning division.

Fujitsu is aiming to have at least a million users of the system within the next two years.

Source: AFP via I-Net Bridge