The man who implanted magnets in his wrist to hold an iPod

New Jersey piercing artist Dave Hurban has a unique (and bloody) vision for a strapless smart-watch

Best Opinion:  Gizmodo, TIME

The video: Dave Hurban, a piercing artist by trade, wanted one of those coveted iPod nano watches, but didn't want to deal with the device's cumbersome straps. So he devised a clever (if inelegant) solution to his unique brand of first-world problems: With a needle, a pair of tweezers, and a towel to wipe away the blood, he implanted four tiny magnets directly into his left wrist. The result was something he calls the iDermal, which allows him to quickly clip on Apple's best-selling music player strap-free. (Watch the graphic video below.) "I can go for a run, and it won't come off," Hurban tells DigitalTrends. "I've already taken it to the gym and jogged with it on." But did the implants hurt? "It actually wasn't as bad as I thought. It definitely is not the worst piercing I've ever done to myself."

The reaction: The diminutive iPod Nano and its tiny touchscreen may have birthed an entire sub-industry of watch straps and cases, says Andrew Liszewski at Gizmodo, but none are as "creative or downright creepy" as Hurban's solution. One potential problem: Apple redesigns its products "nearly every single year." Even the smallest change in form factor could render the implants useless. Well, at least he wasn't trying to make a grand statement about society's overreliance on technology or anything, says Erik Hayden at TIME. When asked why he did it, Hurban simply responded: "I just thought it would look cool." That's honesty we can appreciate.

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