Mead Kiwi
Description: Development engineer in Silicon Valley @ Chartio. Let's talk code, biohacking, nootropics, and sushi. All posts are my own personal opinion and do not represent those of my employer(s).
Last week, I implanted a SmartMX3 P71D321 secure element chip in an ultra-thin, biosafe-polymer-enclosed form factor as provided by the Dangerous Things flexSecure implant in my left arm. This microprocessor + radio provides onboard compute and a 13.56Mhz NFC radio, with the chip accepting 200kB worth of Java Card applets (extremely feature-restrictive/resource-minimal Java). While this technology is not new (Java Card SmartCards have been around since the late 90’s), this body-safe form factor is impressiv
The implantation was smooth but extremely painful as the planar form factor meant that rather than a plunger-based system, we instead used a 5mm diameter needle to open a 60mm deep pocket in my arm into which the chip was slipped. This was the first implant I was not holding the needle/scalpel for. That was bittersweet, but the depth, pain, and nerves made me glad I used a third-party body modification studio.
The chip is analogous (and in some cases, identical to) those in credit cards and smart passports, as well as being truly identical to the VivoKey Apex Flex , except that rather than having deployment keys managed by Visa (for credit cards) or the Fidesmo app ecosystem (for the Apex Flex), I maintain total control over my implant and decide which code runs on it.
Mead Kiwi