---
title: "Would You Receive Notifications In The Form of an Electrical Shock?"
description: "A new patent from Microsoft indicates the tech giant has contemplated using an electrical shock for wearable smartwatch alarms."
date: "2015-08-21"
modified: "2015-08-21"
authors:
  - name: "Kif Leswing"
    link: "https://futurism.com/authors/kif_leswing"
url: "https://futurism.com/would-you-recieve-notifications-in-the-form-of-electrical-shocks"
categories:
  - "Future Society"
---

# Would You Receive Notifications In The Form of an Electrical Shock?

![](<https://futurism.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/checkmylevel-41.jpg>)

- The patent's called "wearable computer having a skin-stimulating interface." Shocking a user wouldn't make much sense for a smartphone, but it could be an interesting idea for a smartwatch.
- Current smartwatches vibrate or make noises to alert the user. But a subtle shock might be the most discrete way to serve a notification. Would shocking work for wearables like Google Glass?
- Mike Brown over at the IB Times has [a good writeup](<http://www.ibtimes.com/microsofts-new-email-notification-technology-literally-shocking-2063283>) of the challenges this idea needs to solve before it becomes a commercial idea.