I Got Chipped: A Dispatch From The Frontier Of Wearable Tech #WearableWednesday #Chipped #RFID
A Wisconsin company is pushing the boundaries of implanted chip technology. Fast Company visited and got chipped!
I have an RFID, or radio frequency ID, microchip implanted in my hand. Now with a wave, I can unlock doors, fire off texts, login to my computer, and even make credit card payments.
There are others like me: The majority of employees at the Wisconsin tech company Three Square Market (or 32M) have RFID implants, too. Last summer, with the help of Andy “Gonzo” Whitehead, a local body piercer with 17 years of experience, the company hosted a “chipping party” for employees who’d volunteered to test the technology in the workplace.
A single RFID chip could feasibly let you board the subway without having to pull your phone out of your pocket or fumble with a paper pass, and, if loaded with information about allergies and blood type, could save EMTs some time and save your life in the case of a serious accident.
It’s been three months since I got chipped, and though I don’t use on a daily basis (yet), it is funny to think about how fast my views on the technology changed. In planning the trip to Wisconsin for Fast Company, I was adamant I wouldn’t leave the great Midwest with an implant. By lunchtime, I was revisiting that position and by around 4 p.m. I’d decided to live with it for a while.
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