World News for Students of English

11-03-2015 07:00

An office in Sweden is taking wearable technology to the next level by implanting microchips into its staff. Yes, that’s right; the newly opened Epicenter office complex in Stockholm is offering workers the chance to be chipped under the skin of their hands.

The radio frequency identification chip, which is about the size of a grain of rice, allows users to open doors, swap contact details, and use the photocopier.

“It felt pretty scary but at the same time it felt very modern, very 2015!”

The chipping is entirely voluntary and according to manufacturers, it’s completely safe.

“So some of the future areas of use, I think, like anything where you today would use a pin code or a key or card. So payments is I think is one area. I think also for healthcare reasons that you can sort of communicate with your doctor and you can get data on what you eat and sort of what your physical state is. You have your own identification code and you’re sending that to something else which you have to grant access to. So there’s no one else that can follow you on your ID, so to say. It’s you who decides who gets access to that ID.”

Difficult words: implant (to place inside the skin), microchip (a very small electronic part that normally goes inside computers and other electronics), chip (to put a microchip inside of something), voluntary (by your choice), manufacturer (a company that makes a product), healthcare reasons (about your health), physical state (how your body is), grant access (to allow someone to get something), ID (identification).

Source: www.ondemandnews.com