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Wisconsin Company to Microchip Employees

The tiny, implantable RFID chips will let employees make purchases in the company's break room mini market, open doors, login to their computers, use the copy machine, and more.

 & Angela Moscaritolo Managing Editor, Consumer Electronics

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Constantly misplacing your work badge? Workers at a Wisconsin company called Three Square Market (32M) may never have that problem again.

SecurityWatchBecause 32M, which sells vending kiosks for office break rooms, wants to implant microchips into its employees' bodies. The tiny, implantable RFID chips (which you can see above) use near-field communications—the same technology found in contactless credit cards and mobile payment systems—to let employees make purchases in the company's break room mini market, open doors, log in to their computers, use the copy machine, and more.

They'll be implanted underneath the skin in the space between the thumb and forefinger; the implantation procedure is over "within seconds," 32M said in a press release.

The program is optional, but 32M is expecting more than 50 staff members be "voluntarily chipped." The company is even planning a "chip party" at its River Falls, Wis. headquarters on August 1, during which employees will be able to get their implants.

In a statement, 32M CEO Todd Westby predicted that implantable chips will be used in the future to do everything from unlock your phone to share business cards and store your medical and health information.

"Eventually, this technology will become standardized allowing you to use this as your passport, public transit, all purchasing opportunities," and more, he predicted.

The company says it will be the first in the US to offer its employees implanted microchip technology. In Europe, 32M has partnered with a Swedish company called BioHax International, which has already started implanting microchips into its own employees, to make this a reality.

"When working with our operators over in Europe, we came across a company of chipped employees at BioHax International and the concept of using RFID with micro markets quickly grew," 32M's VP of International Sales Tony Danna said in a statement. "We see chip technology as the next evolution in payment systems."

About Our Expert

Angela Moscaritolo

Angela Moscaritolo

Managing Editor, Consumer Electronics

My Experience

I'm PCMag's managing editor for consumer electronics, overseeing an experienced team of analysts covering smart home, home entertainment, wearables, fitness and health tech, and various other product categories. I have been with PCMag for more than 10 years, and in that time have written more than 6,000 articles and reviews for the site. I previously served as an analyst focused on smart home and wearable devices, and before that I was a reporter covering consumer tech news. I'm also a yoga instructor, and have been actively teaching group and private classes for nearly a decade. 

Prior to joining PCMag, I was a reporter for SC Magazine, focusing on hackers and computer security. I earned a BS in journalism from West Virginia University, and started my career writing for newspapers in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia.

The Technology I Use

My little Florida beach bungalow is brimming with smart home tech. I have a smart speaker or display in every room, allowing me to control other connected devices by voice. The Nest Hub on my bedside table lets me set wake-up alarms, control my smart light bulbs, and set the temperature on my smart thermostat. I use the Amazon Echo Show 8 on my kitchen counter to browse recipes, reorder protein powder, check the weather, and watch the news while I do dishes. 

Because I suffer from allergies, air purifiers are essential. My favorite model is the Dyson Purifier Cool TP07, which doubles as a fan and continuously sends indoor pollution data to its companion mobile app. 

My pitbull Bradley sheds, so a good robot vacuum is a must. I currently use a premium Ecovacs Deebot that can both vacuum and mop, empty its own dustbin, and wash its own mop cloth. 

For fitness, I like to mix up my routine with cycling, indoor rowing, running, and strength training in addition to yoga. I take classes on the Tonal 2 smart strength training machine, I row indoors on an Aviron machine, and track my beach runs with an Apple Watch while listening to music on my Apple AirPods Pro. On the weekends, I love riding e-bikes like the rugged, beach-friendly Aventon Aventure for fun and fitness.

My job involves a lot of virtual meetings, so a quality webcam, microphone, and ring light are important. I use the Jabra PanaCast 20 webcam, the Elgato Wave: 3 microphone, and a Yesker tripod ring light. 

As for my preferred phone platform, I'm an iPhone person, but I've also extensively used Android for product testing.

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