Subdermal Magnets Allow You To Wear an IPod Like a Watch

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Subdermal Magnets Allow You To Wear an IPod Like a Watch

Posted by samzenpus on Monday May 14, 2012 @02:48AM from the throw-away-the-band dept.

Okian Warrior writes "Tattoo artist Jersey from Dynasty Tattoo (in New Jersey) implanted sub-dermal magnets in his arm to wear his iPod touch like a watch. From the article: '“Those magnets are actually called micro-dermal anchors, and in body piercing they are very common. The tops are actually just 5 millimetre magnetic tops,” he said. “I took the ends of magnets and actually adhered them to the back of the iPod, and that’s how they click into my skin.” He added: “I can go for a run and it won’t come off. I’ve already taken it to the gym and jogged with it on.”'"

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Apple announces by Anonymous Coward · 2012-05-14 02:50 · Score: 5, Funny

New, even smaller, iPod. Users will need to buy new accessories, or new arms in this case.
1. Re:Apple announces by Anonymous Coward · 2012-05-14 03:00 · Score: 5, Funny
  
  Alternatively, "New, same sized, sub-dermal iPod! It really fucking hurts!"
2. Re:Apple announces by JaredOfEuropa · 2012-05-14 03:19 · Score: 4, Funny
  
  "Why is it called an eyePhone?"
  - "Ehm, I'll explain after I install it."
  
  --
  If construction was anything like programming, an incorrectly fitted lock would bring down the entire building...
3. Re:Apple announces by plover · 2012-05-14 03:54 · Score: 3, Informative
  
  "Surgery"? Body modders are not surgeons. They may (or may not) follow best practices around hygiene, sterilization, air filtration, infection control, etc. Their pain management is limited to over the counter medications and topical treatments such as ice. What they have in common with surgeons is they both take knives to skin.
  
  --
  John
4. Re:Apple announces by Hentes · 2012-05-14 04:14 · Score: 4, Funny
  
  You are holding it wrong.
5. Re:Apple announces by Thud457 · 2012-05-14 04:19 · Score: 4, Insightful
  
  if you check TFA and see the guys arm
  If you check the T S A, this guy doesn't fly anywhere.
  
  --
  the preceding comment is my own and in no way reflects the opinion of the Joint Chiefs of Staff
6. Re:Apple announces by Capt.DrumkenBum · 2012-05-14 05:11 · Score: 3, Funny
  
  "Why is it called an eyePhone?" - "Ehm, I'll explain after I install it."
  You think that's bad, wait 'til they install the earpiece...
  You don't want to know where the charger port goes.
  
  --
  If I were God, wouldn't I protect my churches from acts of me?
7. Re:Apple announces by michelcolman · 2012-05-14 06:20 · Score: 3, Insightful
  
  I was wondering why the magnets are protruding from his skin. Wouldn't it be way cooler to have them under the skin, invisible?
Magnets?! How to they %#^&^@# work? by TWX · 2012-05-14 02:51 · Score: 3, Interesting

Seriously, there was a day and age when "magnets = bad" was the mantra. What kind of problems should this guy actually see with his gear, long term, subjecting it to strong magnetism? Will this mess with the memory in the device? Will this accelerate problems like tin whiskers?

--
Do not look into laser with remaining eye.
1. Re:Magnets?! How to they %#^&^@# work? by NoNonAlphaCharsHere · 2012-05-14 03:00 · Score: 3, Insightful
  
  Fuck hemoglobin, I want to know how the implanted rare earth magnets might effect my iPod.
2. Re:Magnets?! How to they %#^&^@# work? by RobertLTux · 2012-05-14 03:01 · Score: 4, Informative
  
  and i would bet that at 90ish angles to a strong electrical field there is almost always a strong Magnetic field.
  
  --
  Any person using FTFY or editing my postings agrees to a US$50.00 charge
3. Re:Magnets?! How to they %#^&^@# work? by erroneus · 2012-05-14 03:02 · Score: 3, Interesting
  
  He will fall asleep with his iPod attached to his wrist and they'll have to cut something off eventually.
  I think he would be better off with a velcro band with a magnet on it...
  Anyway, the words "really" "bad" and "idea" come to mind here.
4. Re:Magnets?! How to they %#^&^@# work? by Damion · 2012-05-14 03:06 · Score: 5, Funny
  
  Only if the fields are changing. RTFMAXWELLEQUATIONS.
  
  --
  Common sense is what tells you the world is flat.
5. Re:Magnets?! How to they %#^&^@# work? by Nadaka · 2012-05-14 03:15 · Score: 3, Informative
  
  The problem isn't the magnet.
  The problem is that the skin compressed between two magnets will eventually die and rot away from the compression and he will have a hole in his arm.
6. Re:Magnets?! How to they %#^&^@# work? by K.+S.+Kyosuke · 2012-05-14 03:25 · Score: 3, Funny
  
  and i would bet that at 90ish angles to a strong electrical field there is almost always a strong Magnetic field.
  You must be an official Star Trek script writer.
  
  --
  Ezekiel 23:20
7. Re:Magnets?! How to they %#^&^@# work? by fuzzyfuzzyfungus · 2012-05-14 03:27 · Score: 5, Informative
  
  If I were in a betting mood, I'd imagine that the largest risk would be implant degradation. Rare earth magnets, in their raw or thin-layer-of-nickel-plate forms, are not biocompatible or stable under implant conditions. If the protective coating(the firmer flavors of silicone elastomer seem to be popular; but I'm sure that there are others) is breached he'll have to get out the potato peeler and dig out a nasty lump of putrifying magnet corrosion products. Hardly fatal; but neither fun nor scar-free.
  
  It didn't take too long for that to happen to the 'magnet in fingertip for 6th sense' guy, and I wouldn't be terribly optimistic here.
8. Re:Magnets?! How to they %#^&^@# work? by acedotcom · 2012-05-14 03:37 · Score: 4, Informative
  
  except thats not how these implants work. the actual magnets sit just above the skin like external mounts so the only tension on the skin is from the bases of the implants.
  
  the real problem having to get new implants to support next years model.
  
  --
  they say it is often more relevant then the comment above, all we know is its called the Sig!
9. Re:Magnets?! How to they %#^&^@# work? by StikyPad · 2012-05-14 03:45 · Score: 3, Insightful
  
  Maybe, if it's worn constantly, and only if the compression is high enough to prevent blood flow. Using sufficiently weak magnets would probably be no more restrictive to circulation than wearing a standard watch. And absent a serious opiate habit, pain would probably cause most people to remove a device long before there was real damage.
  
  --
  https://www.eff.org/https-everywhere
10. Re:Magnets?! How to they %#^&^@# work? by PPH · 2012-05-14 04:14 · Score: 3, Insightful
  
  Actually, if I understand the postings of those with similar implants: There is an inert, coated steel implant under the skin. Once the surgery has healed, thin, disc shaped magnets are placed on top of the skin (so they may be removed periodically) and the object (iPod) sticks to the other side of these magnets.
  Having things sticking through your skin (long term) is a great way to introduce infection into your body.
  
  --
  Have gnu, will travel.
Magnets in your body? That's nice. by maweki · 2012-05-14 02:53 · Score: 4, Insightful

It is nice but I rather be augmented sensewise than fashionwise by these magnets. I'd love one in my fingertip that induces a current whenever I am very near alternating current. Would give us the ability to feel electric energy or magnetic fields in general.
Regarding the iPod: Actually, my pocket works very good, Thank you!
1. Re:Magnets in your body? That's nice. by RobertLTux · 2012-05-14 02:58 · Score: 4, Interesting
  
  fingertip magents would be a very BAD idea.
  the way it works is you have current whenever you have motion in a magnetic field so you would have all sorts of problems
  (besides all you would need really is a small coil not a magnet)
  (for details look up Right Hand Rule (electronics) in Wikipedia)
  
  --
  Any person using FTFY or editing my postings agrees to a US$50.00 charge
2. Re:Magnets in your body? That's nice. by artor3 · 2012-05-14 02:59 · Score: 4, Informative
  
  Have fun getting an MRI.
3. Re:Magnets in your body? That's nice. by Damion · 2012-05-14 03:00 · Score: 5, Interesting
  
  It's pretty sweet. I've got one in my right thumb and index finger. I feel a buzz whenever there's a strong enough alternating field nearby, and a tug whenever I pass my hand near strong static magnets. I'll be walking down the street and feel sensors to detect the presence of cars, and I can feel the brakes in subway cars. Nothing particularly practical, but I figure I may get a couple of seconds warning before the shockwave if I ever feel an EMP.
  In terms of strength, I can basically pick up staples. Anything heavier falls off. Other magnets I can drag around on the table pretty easily, though it's uncomfortable to have them actually contact my fingers.
  
  --
  Common sense is what tells you the world is flat.
4. Re:Magnets in your body? That's nice. by Damion · 2012-05-14 03:07 · Score: 3
  
  Speaking as a guy with magnets in his fingertips, you're wrong. They're nowhere near strong enough to cause trouble.
  
  --
  Common sense is what tells you the world is flat.
5. Re:Magnets in your body? That's nice. by vlm · 2012-05-14 03:21 · Score: 4, Interesting
  
  Ah this old idea that pops up on /. every month or so.
  This is where I relate that you can get ALMOST the same experience temporarily with stretchy gloves and little magnets in the fingertips. Obviously buy gloves with fabric fingers just a little longer than your fingers. In the frozen north, in season, this is not much of a challenge... Florida /.ers are probably all like, gloves, what are those?
  It is fun for at least a couple hours. Try touching the body of a big motor or old fashioned xfrmr power supply. Variable speed AC/DC "universal" motors were not as much fun as I expected. Waving in front of a CRT screen is entertaining.
  You want gloves thick/strong enough to not tear, but not so thick as to lose sensation.
  GOOG for "magnetic wedding ring" and you'll find lots of crackpot "magnets cured mah arthritis" pure BS, but this is probably the ultimate in non-invasive experimentation. Unlike the Magnet-in-glove thing, I've not tried magnetic wedding rings.
  The biggest problem with "magnets/hands" is what happens when it inevitably cracks. Sharp little ceramic shards pinching slashed up tissue. So don't go giving steel plates a "high five".
  
  --
  "Science flies us to the moon. Religion flies us into buildings." - Victor Stenger
6. Re:Magnets in your body? That's nice. by Damion · 2012-05-14 03:30 · Score: 4, Interesting
  
  A week or two. Turn on a microwave--that should do it. Or go into a bookstore--you'll feel the scanners at the door.
  I live in NYC, where there are all kinds of things hidden behind walls and under the sidewalk. Maybe you're just in an area deficient in weirdness?
  
  --
  Common sense is what tells you the world is flat.
7. Re:Magnets in your body? That's nice. by Anonymous Coward · 2012-05-14 03:47 · Score: 4, Informative
  
  As another guy with fingertip magnets (one in each ring finger) I second this!
  Magnetic fields cause the tiny magnets to align to the field. You can feel the magnet inside the finger being attracted or repelled. In the case of alternating current, you have an oscillating electromagnetic field which causes the magnet to vibrate. There's no current being induced; you don't get shocked. If you want to try it without the implant, superglue a tiny rare earth magnet to your skin and go hunt some strong oscillating EM fields (AC adapters, some electric motors.) It's definitely a cool human augmentation, and kind of a comic book superpower. Sort of.
  In the case of the article, he's got subdermal anchors with magnets attached to the part that sticks out of the skin. I've been wondering if one could get the same magnetic sensory ability from this arrangement, feeling the vibrating magnet. You could switch it for different magnets, and the shaft sticking out of the skin would give the magnet more leverage in most alignments.
8. Re:Magnets in your body? That's nice. by MoonBuggy · 2012-05-14 04:30 · Score: 3, Informative
  
  Interesting. If anyone else cares, a somewhat enlightening bit of Googling on the subject seems to indicate that it varies from doctor to doctor, and that the main concern is the metal interfering with electrocauterisation equipment (in the case that something goes wrong during surgery, even if it wasn't intended to be used originally) and causing burns. It's a risk mitigation thing, and it appears that some places won't budge, whereas others will have you sign a release, with further variability based on the inherent risk of the type of surgery in question.
9. Re:Magnets in your body? That's nice. by wikdwarlock · 2012-05-14 05:55 · Score: 3, Funny
  
  STOPPPP! Don't high 5 or your hands will... Too late, now you're stuck like that. Forever.
  
  --
  
  "I must not fear. Fear is the mind killer." -Bene Gesserit Litany Against Fear
amateurs by circletimessquare · 2012-05-14 02:55 · Score: 5, Funny

i do that with my macbook, on my chest
"nice rack" they point and laugh
yeah, it is a nice rack server, over WiMAX, neanderthals

--
intellectual property law is philosophically incoherent. it is your moral duty to ignore it or sabotage it
FTFY: by DarkIye · 2012-05-14 02:57 · Score: 3, Insightful

"Subdermal Magnets Allow An Unusual Man To Wear an IPod Like a Watch"

--
To prevent this day from getting worse, I'll just read ERROR as GOOD TH
Re:Medical issues by scyph · 2012-05-14 03:19 · Score: 3, Informative

Of course, if I ever need an MRI, I'll need them taken out.
Not necessarily:
From: http://www.stevehaworth.com/wordpress/index.php/welcome-from-steve-haworth/magnetic-faq
'However, we now know of a few people who have the magnets have gone through MRIs and this did not happen. One person reported that the magnet just vibrated very strongly. Another person reported that the techs shielded his hand, as they would with someone who had shrapnel or other implants.'
You know... by nine-times · 2012-05-14 03:20 · Score: 3, Informative

You know what else would allow you to wear an iPod like a watch? A watchband.
Re:Doing this is not smart by MoonBuggy · 2012-05-14 03:27 · Score: 4, Informative

The anchors themselves are transdermal (through the skin), not subdermal (entirely under the skin) as the headline states. The magnetic caps sit on top of the steel which is protruding outside the skin, and the iPod then sits on them.
Allows You To Wear an IPod Like a Watch? by timeOday · 2012-05-14 03:33 · Score: 3, Insightful

Funny, all the watches I've seen have a strap that goes around your wrist to hold the watch on, which is not a bad idea if you think about it.
.
If I'm having something implanted, it should at least do some interesting sensing - blood cell count, oxidation, glucose level, or at least my pulse.
That, or covert I/O with an Internet-connected cognitive prosthesis.
Not new by evil_aaronm · 2012-05-14 03:33 · Score: 4, Interesting

I've had a magnet stuck to my head for about 15 years. It's called a cochlear implant. There's a metal plate embedded in my skull, but a moderately heavy-duty magnet holds the inductor coil in place. As far as I can tell, I haven't had any problems with this.
Re:Medical issues by X0563511 · 2012-05-14 03:39 · Score: 3, Informative

Wrong. The iron in hemoglobin is not magnetic.

--
For large sets, this will be our guide even unto death, for the LORD will work for each type of data it is applied to...