June 12, 2007
15 Surprising Ways RFID Will Affect Your Life in 2007
If you're an RFID fanatic, you know how RFID (Radio Frequency IDentification) will affect your life this year. In fact, you may dream about how this technology will change the world within the next decade - either in positive or negative ways. But, for those who haven't a clue about RFID proliferation and how these chips and their readers will modify your lifestyle, then the following list might surprise you. In fact, it may help you change your life today and become tech-savvy for 2008.
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Cooking with Robotics: Mother's Day just ended, but you can purchase her gift for 2008 now. Vita Craft Robotic Cookware implants an RFID computer chip into each pan handle to communicate with a special cook top to monitor each cooking step and to reproduce the most difficult recipes. The should worry.
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Get on the Bus, Gus: MARTA (Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority) started their Breezecard system in May. Soon you may see these RFID passes applied to your local public transportation system as well. This system uses two different RFID passes: one is comprised of coated paper wrapped around the RFID antenna, a disposable ticket for visitors and light users; the card is for those that who use public transportation frequently and need to load time-based passes.
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Porta-Toilet Alert: RFID was in the installed toilet two years ago, but Adco Dienste Holding recently put RFID into tens of thousands of portable toilets across Europe. The RFID won't alert the company to your activity within the portable lavatory, but it will detail the location and condition of each unit. The "Toi-Track", which was tested and rolled out in 2000, has saved the company money and a return on investment within one year. You may see these "Toi-Toi's" at a construction site or concert venue in the near future. Too late for Woodstock, alas.
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Nightclubbing: Barcelona's exclusive VIP Baja Beach Club embeds RFID chips into their patrons' arms for admittance and to use as a debit account from which they can pay for drinks. Will this trend catch on in the states? Would Andy Warhol do it if he were still alive? Probably, and most likely. But, beware...Reuters reported last year that two hackers, Newitz and Westhues, showed that they could clone the RFID signal from a human implanted RFID chip.
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Wild West New World Order Passport: Need a new passport? Be prepared. You'll probably get one with an embedded RFID chip and a warning to be careful with the "sensitive electronics" it contains. You'll also view a quote by former president Lyndon B. Johnson that suggests something about a New World Order. This quote overlays a painting that portrays Caucasian cowboys as they round up longhorn cattle. Get along little doggie get along, I'm headed for that last round-up...
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New Passport Protection Industry: Although the U.S. government has gone to the trouble of fitting its passports with a layer of foil that interferes with skimming attempts when the document is closed, you can go one step further and support a new industry that plays on fears about identity theft. Stronghold represents just one of many companies that produce protective envelopes and wallets for passports, credit cards, and other sensitive documents that are embedded with RFID chips. Another new development is the RFID Guardian, essentially a firewall that can prevent or allow RFID queries, and can do so on a per-tag basis. National Envelope has also developed its Smart Card Guard™ that prevents personal data in the smart card’s embedded integrated circuit from being transmitted via radio frequency (RF) waves to any nearby smart card reading device.
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Credit Card Choices: You probably know that many credit cards are now embedded with RFID chips rather than with the traditional magnetic strip. But, did you know that your bank or credit card company could embed that chip in your new card without your knowledge? Or, that you can opt out of the RFID wave and continue to carry a card with the magnetic strip? Take charge of your life. Make a choice.
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Kill Tags Snafu: This bit of information may or may not surprise you...although the European Union has taken a tougher line on personal privacy when using RFID, the U.S. continues to refuse to protect consumers. EPCGlobal wants retailers to obtain consent from individuals where RFID is used and to "provide information to those on whom data is collected, including the presence and location of RFID tags and readers, what sort of data is being collected and how it is being used." The U.S., on the other hand, will allow companies that make and use RFID technology to regulate themselves regarding consumer privacy.
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Students Remain Off-Limits: Despite the U.S. government's unwillingness to protect consumers, the Senate is all over the ability to track students through the use of implantation or RFID cards. Under a new law, all schools would be prohibited from tracking students until 2011, when the practice would be reconsidered.
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Hotel Tagging: No, this isn't a game, but you may participate this year if you stay in hotels like The Great Wolf Lodge at Paramount's Kings Island in Mason, Ohio. The guests at this resort use RFID-enabled wristbands for identification and point-of-sale purchases. The "Smart Band" wristbands provide guests with hotel room keyless entry, cashless payment options, automated arcade token dispensers, and more. Ironically, the theme of the hotel is a natural woodsy environment complete with a wolf mascot and an indoor water park - hardly the backdrop for high tech. Is the Smart Band [PDF]? Yes.
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You'll Never Lose Your Pet: Even if you want to rid yourself of that pit bull or psychotic cat, you may be out of luck if you embed a chip into that animal. While some pet owners might revel in this development (life would be different if they found Little Sheba in "Come Back Little Sheba"), other owners might need to remember to remove the chip if the animal is slated to move on to another family or to another world altogether.
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Confused about Drugs? So is the U.S. Senate. The Senate passed a bill this month that includes an amendment calling for drug authentication technologies to help improve the safety of pharmaceuticals sold on the Internet. However, some confusion exists as to exactly which types of technologies, if passed, the amendment would require. While the debate continues over whether to use holograms, microdots, or RFID, you can expect to see RFID tagging of products by manufacturers, wholesalers, and retailers if the U.S. Federal Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has its way. According to the FDA, RFID appears to be the most promising approach to reliable product tracking and tracing, and this organization promises that adoption and common use of "reliable" RFID technology is feasible for implementation this year.
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You'll Always Have Access to New DVD's: Best Buy, for example, reported 18% higher DVD sales in the stores that are part of its RFID test project. The stores can examine quickly which movies are sold out and replenish them quickly, rather than wait for staff to provide inventory. This technology applies to just about any other consumer item contained within RFID environments. In, within two years, you'll be able to replenish your fridge like the stores replenish their shelves if you buy into Samsung's RFID-enabled Smart Refrigerator and stock it with RFID-tagged food items.
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Dressing Room Magic: Tired of retail dressing rooms that seem to resemble a neglected closet? You might encounter a "Smart Mirror" in that dressing room by the end of this year. The mirror will display rich, user-centric information when a tagged piece of apparel is brought within range, including brand messaging from the apparel maker (yes, advertising), a description of the item, size and color availability of the item within the store, and even suggestions on what other apparel items would complement your choice. The magic mirror can include a feature that allows customers to touch the mirror to request salesperson assistance, eliminating the need for customers to leave the dressing room when they have a question or request.
- Get a Job: With the proliferation of RFID technologies and uses, it stands to reason that you might find a job within this industry. RFID Recruiters suggests there will be a growing need for scientists and technicians, but you can also train for other positions that don't require a master's or doctoral degree at OTI.
If the list above isn't enough to satisfy your appetite for changes wrought by RFID this year, just wait another year or two. Japan is setting up a 'wireless island,' where they will test how wireless implants affect how doctors remotely monitor the health of the elderly. Consumers will also benefit as they determine where market vegetables are grown from tagged food items. Expect the uses that work on this island to spread into your hometown before this decade ends.
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