In an increasingly paperless world, where information is shared at the touch of a button, traditional business cards are just sooo 2020. So a tech-savvy Dubai salon is taking Near Field Communication – the short-range wireless technology that makes smartphones, tablets, wearables, payment cards, and other devices even smarter – to the next level by incorporating it into their manicures.
Lanour Beauty Lounge at Duja Tower has unveiled the UAE’s first microchip manicure, which uses NFC to store and share data via a microchip placed under a coat of nail polish. Within seconds, information can be transferred when the finger is tapped by a phone, eliminating the need for business cards, pens or paper.
“I’m fascinated by both beauty and technology and love playing around with the realms of what’s possible’, says Nour Makarem, CEO of Lanour Beauty Lounge. ‘I got inspired when I saw attendees in a business meeting sharing their data via their phone, and I thought,˜What if we could do that through something as small as a fingernail?”
So how does the microchip manicure work? Easy! Lanour’s nail technicians place a tiny microchip on the chosen nail, topped off with a glitter coating. The wearer then has the option to customize which data they wish to store, from their WhatsApp number to their email, social media handle, and more. And there’s no issue about digital security either. As a passive device, the microchip cannot be tracked, and can only be read through close proximity of 1-2cm, removing the concerns about information being hacked or stolen.
“This is just the start for the chip,’ reveals Nour. ‘We’re hoping to continue developing it so eventually promoters are able to share information with customers, waiters can share menus and customers can pay for shopping, eliminating the need to remember phones and wallets.” Gives a whole new meaning to the term ‘Give me your digits’, right?
The Smart Nail starts at AED 250 for the first application, which lasts up to three weeks, and AED 150 thereafter, not including the manicure. An annual membership of AED 1000 is inclusive of 12 applications.
For more information, visit their Facebook page.
