US body hacker turns people into cyborgs
Seattle start-up founder says implantable chip can 'open your doors, your cars and your computers' and has had chip in his left hand for 11 years
A growing community of amateur "body hackers" are using chips the size of a rice grain, injected into their hands and wrists, to unlock their computers, buzz in at work and open the doors to their homes. The one thing they have in common — aside from a desire to be among the first generation of cyborgs — is a small Seattle start-up called Dangerous Things.
Dangerous Things designs, sells and, in rare cases, installs its own line of implantable radio-frequency ID chips. It was founded by CEO Amal Graafstra , a man of some repute in the body-hacking world who rose to prominence in 2005 after implanting an RFID chip into his left hand — a chip he still uses to unlock the door to his house.
After installing his own chip, Graafstra said he fielded emails from other people interested in implanting themselves. Eventually, it got to the point where he thought he could make a real business out of sourcing and selling RFID chips, and in 2013, Dangerous Things was born.
"I needed a way to help people out who were contacting me and make it worth my while," said Graafstra. "Our premise here is to upgrade your life. Open your doors, your cars and your computers [with a chip]."
It sounds strange, and perhaps even a little dangerous, but RFID technology already surrounds us. RFID works by emitting radio waves to transmit information. It's how employees with key cards access their buildings and how retail stores track their inventories of clothing. Some RFID chips — like those inside U.S. passports — are passive, meaning they don't emit a signal unless they're near a receiver that accesses information stored on the chip.
Other RFID chips — like those inside the E-ZPass devices drivers use to bypass toll booths — are active, with internal batteries that transmit signals over several hundred feet.