Note 5 - Stockholders' Equity (Deficit) (Details) (USD $)	0 Months Ended	1 Months Ended			12 Months Ended					12 Months Ended		1 Months Ended		12 Months Ended		0 Months Ended			12 Months Ended	82 Months Ended	12 Months Ended	156 Months Ended		156 Months Ended		12 Months Ended	108 Months Ended		12 Months Ended		60 Months Ended		12 Months Ended		156 Months Ended
	May 03, 2012	May 31, 2012	Oct. 31, 2009	Jan. 31, 2008	Dec. 31, 2012		Dec. 31, 2011	Dec. 31, 2010	Dec. 31, 2011 Stock Options [Member] Chief Executive Officer [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 Stock Options [Member] Minimum [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 Stock Options [Member] Maximum [Member]	Oct. 31, 2009 Restricted Stock [Member]	Jan. 31, 2008 Restricted Stock [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 Restricted Stock [Member]	Dec. 31, 2011 Restricted Stock [Member]	Aug. 27, 2012 New CEO Employment Inducement [Member] Signing Bonus [Member]	Aug. 27, 2012 New CEO Employment Inducement [Member] Options Containing Performance Criteria [Member]	Aug. 27, 2012 New CEO Employment Inducement [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 New CEO Employment Inducement [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 Destron Fearing MAS Plan [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 1999 Flexible Plan [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 1999 Flexible Plan [Member]	Dec. 31, 1999 1999 Flexible Plan [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 1999 Employees' Stock Purchase Plan [Member]	Dec. 31, 1999 1999 Employees' Stock Purchase Plan [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 2003 Flexible Plan [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 2003 Flexible Plan [Member]	Dec. 31, 2003 2003 Flexible Plan [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 2003 Flexible Plan [Member] Minimum [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 2003 Flexible Plan [Member] Maximum [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 Digital Angel Transition Stock Option Plan [Member]	Dec. 31, 2007 Digital Angel Transition Stock Option Plan [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 Digital Angel Transition Stock Option Plan [Member] Minimum [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 Digital Angel Transition Stock Option Plan [Member] Maximum [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 Outside of Plans [Member]
Note 5 - Stockholders' Equity (Deficit) (Details) [Line Items]
Stock Issued During Period, Shares Per Consultant, Issued For Services		500,000
Number Of Consultants, Shares Issued To For Services		2
Stock Issued During Period, Shares, Issued for Services		1,000,000
Stock Issued During Period, Value, Issued for Services (in Dollars)		$ 40,000			$ 40,000
Share Price (in Dollars per share)		$ 0.04			$ 0.07
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Options, Grants in Period, Gross					10,380,000		0									2,000,000	8,000,000	10,000,000	10,000,000	0						400,000
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Options, Outstanding, Number					12,520,000	[1]	2,471,000	2,674,000	2,000,000											0	100,000	100,000		34,000		1,100,000	1,100,000				1,200,000				10,100,000
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Options, Outstanding, Weighted Average Remaining Contractual Term										6 years	10 years
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Number of Shares Authorized																							500,000		200,000			4,000,000				1,800,000
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Options, Grants in Period, Net of Forfeitures																						400,000		100,000			3,100,000				1,500,000				10,100,000
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Number of Shares Available for Grant					1,421,000		1,473,000														32,000	32,000		36,000		1,000,000	1,000,000				400,000
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Award Vesting Period																					5 years								3 years	10 years			3 years	9 years
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Options, Grants in Period, Weighted Average Grant Date Fair Value (in Dollars per share)					$ 0.04
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Fair Value Assumptions, Expected Term					10 years
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Fair Value Assumptions, Expected Volatility Rate					124.00%
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Fair Value Assumptions, Risk Free Interest Rate					2.35%
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Fair Value Assumptions, Expected Dividend Rate					0.00%
Allocated Share-based Compensation Expense (in Dollars)					100,000		100,000							5,000	100,000
Share-based Compensation Arrangements by Share-based Payment Award, Options, Grants in Period, Weighted Average Exercise Price (in Dollars per share)					$ 0.05													$ 0.05
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Options, Vested in Period, Fair Value (in Dollars)					200,000		300,000									100,000
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Options, Outstanding, Intrinsic Value (in Dollars)					150,000
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Options, Exercisable, Intrinsic Value (in Dollars)					30,000
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Options, Vested and Expected to Vest, Outstanding, Aggregate Intrinsic Value (in Dollars)					30,000
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Options, Exercisable, Weighted Average Remaining Contractual Term					6 years 219 days
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Options, Vested and Expected to Vest, Exercisable, Weighted Average Remaining Contractual Term					6 years 219 days
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Options, Forfeitures in Period (in Shares)	8,000,000
Employee Service Share-based Compensation, Nonvested Awards, Total Compensation Cost Not yet Recognized (in Dollars)					0									1,000
Stock Issued During Period, Shares, Restricted Stock Award, Gross			500,000	31,000
Stock Issued During Period, Value, Restricted Stock Award, Gross (in Dollars)			$ 500,000	$ 200,000
Employee Service Share-based Compensation, Nonvested Awards, Total Compensation Cost Not yet Recognized, Period for Recognition												3 years	5 years	36 days
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Equity Instruments Other than Options, Nonvested, Number					2,000		52,000							2,000

[1] 8,000,000 unvested options were forfeited on May 3, 2013, the effective date of the Amendment to Employment Agreement with Mr. Haller, under which Mr. Haller resigned as president, chief executive officer and director of the Company upon the closing of the sale of the mobile games division. The remaining 2,000,000 vested options expire if not exercised by July 2, 2013.