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US vending machine firm plans employee chip implant scheme

50 have supposedly signed up for this

An American company is offering its hapless employees microchip implants as a substitute employee ID card.

Three Square Market of Wisconsin, USA, which makes vending machines (for some reason the firm impenetrably describes the crisps ‘n’ drinks dispensers as “micro markets”), says it will offer implantable RFID tags to its employees starting from next month.

“Employees will be implanted with a RFID chip allowing them to make purchases in their break room micro market, open doors, log in to computers, use the copy machine, etc,” says a press release on the company blog.

The firm’s vending machines run “in-house designed software” which is said to “automatically update”, which sounds a bit like technology for technology’s sake. Much like the RFID chip implant scheme, oddly enough.

“We see chip technology as the next evolution in payment systems, much like micro markets have steadily replaced vending machines,” burbled chief exec Todd Westby. It seems that sales reporting software in the "vending" systems is “32M”’s main offering.

“We'll hit pay with a credit card, and it's asking to swipe my proximity payment now. I'll hold my hand up, just like my cell phone, and it'll pay for my product,” Westby added to a local TV news station, KSTP. Each $300 grain-of-rice sized chip will be inserted between the thumb and forefinger.

Victims Employees will be chipped at a “chip party” taking place at the company’s HQ on 1 August. Westby claimed that 50 people had signed up for the wheeze. ®

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