Microchip May Be Used for Purchases
Nov 26, 10:13 PM (ET)
NEW YORK (AP) - For the forgetful bionic man or woman in your life, here's a credit card they can't possibly leave home without: a microchip the size of a grain of rice implanted in the arm.
The VeriChip, which transmits a unique I.D. number by radio frequency to a scanner, actually has been implanted in more than 30 people for a variety of potential applications, including as a building I.D. "badge," medical "bracelet" and anti-kidnapping device.
Now the chip's creator, Applied Digital Solutions Inc. (ADSX) of Palm Beach, Fla., is pitching it as a digital wallet that could automatically make purchases in stores.
The device employs radio frequency identification technology, or RFID, which companies such as Wal-Mart Stores are testing for more mundane purposes such as tracking inventory and ringing up products at the register.
For example, a chip embedded in a product or its packaging can transmit signals informing the retailer that it has been removed from a shelf or purchased and needs replacing.
But how does one install such a chip in a human? Easy, says Applied Digital:
"The standard location of the microchip is in the triceps area between the elbow and the shoulder of the right arm. The brief outpatient 'chipping' procedure lasts just a few minutes and involves only local anesthetic followed by quick, painless insertion of the VeriChip. Once inserted just under the skin, the VeriChip is inconspicuous to the naked eye. A small amount of radio frequency energy passes from the scanner energizing the dormant VeriChip, which then emits a radio frequency signal transmitting the verification number."
So will muggers start carrying around scalpels to steal your wallet?