American Tim Cannon is a "biohacker". That unsightly bulge on his arm there is where he stuck a giant computer chip beneath his skin, which transmits his biometric data to Android devices. Which will be interesting data and all but oh God just look at those stitches.


The chip is kept safe because it's sealed inside a protective case. The device is powered via a battery, which can be charged wirelessly, so hey, at least Tim doesn't have to plug his arm in to give it juice.

The craziest part about all this is that, as he explains in an interview with Motherboard, no certified doctor could ever perform the operation required to get the chip inside his arm. Because it's nuts. So he instead had to get help from "body modification enthusiasts", the type of people who put stuff like horns under their foreheads.


The guy who ended up doing the job was one such enthusiast by the name of Steve Haworth. Because Steve isn't a medical professional, he wasn't licensed to use anesthetics. So, yeah. Ungh.

Using open source code, this kind of device - called a Circadia - is hoping to be on sale sometime towards the end of next year. Installation price not included.

UPDATE - A spokesperson from Grindhouse Wetwork, the group behind the chip, contacted us to give more specifics on just why a medical doctor can't perform the operation.

"The reason that doctors are not permitted to implant the device is because the AMA states that alteration of the physical form can only be done in pursuit of beauty, which is why body modification experts exist, including ear piercers."


The DIY Cyborg [Motherboard]