RFID Benefits

Radio frequency identification (RFID) technology can be applied at several levels, and it ensures improved communication and efficiency. It can be used to identify, follow, and spot known objects or people and can be utilized in catalog management, asset tracking, security and loss prevention, preservation, rental equipment, and operations.

RFID technology does not necessitate reading line-of-sight access. An RFID tag can activate security alarm systems, if removed from its proper location, and it is not orientation-sensitive. Also, it can hold more information than merely a unique product code, and, hence, each item can be independently labeled or tagged. Furthermore, RFID tag data is all-inclusive, distinctive or common in parts, and is compatible with data processing. With right technology, a plurality of tags can be read at the same time. An RFID tag has two types - read-only and read-write. Each RFID tag is distinct, and hence, these tags can act as a security feature if lost or stolen.

RFID technology has a very sophisticated level of data integrity in the form of character check sum encoding, and it provides an excellent security and product authentication. An RFID tag is more difficult to counterfeit than a barcode. Not only this, the supporting data infrastructure can facilitate data recovery and product tracking anywhere. RFID technology has the ability to monitor shelf life, which is especially advantageous in the pharmaceutical and food industries.

RFID is a robust technology and can be used in hostile surroundings. It has provisions for regular upgrading, for example, as a car goes through its life, its service record can be logged with the car by electronic means. A day-to-day example in which this technology can be useful is implanting it into a suit so that when it is sent to cleaners, it automatically finds the right cleaning method to be applied. There exists a program, called the RFID pilot program, which provides a low-risk approach for determining possible necessities, process changes, prices, profits, impact, and hazards of implementing RFID in a real-world customer environment.

RFID provides detailed information on RFID, RFID Tracking, RFID Tags, RFID Technology and more. RFID is affiliated with DNA Testing Services.

 

RFID: New Hampshire HB 203: Does it Have Teeth?

The New Hampshire House Commerce Committee has unanimously recommended passage of a consumer privacy protection bill, which has already been tagged as the model for future consumer privacy legislation.
 

It's encouraging to see the citizens of New Hampshire take an active role in crafting their own future. This bill's existence is a sign of increased consumer awareness of RFID and potential abuse of the technology.
 

I have listed the provisions of HB 203 in italics below, followed by my comments (non-italicized). If indeed future legislation will be modeled after HB 203, we must make sure that the bill truly protects and doesn't just pacify.
 

HB 203 includes the following provisions:
1. Stipulates that no consumer product or identification document (such as a credit card or ATM card) to which a tracking device has been affixed, may be sold without a label containing a universally accepted symbol. The requirement also applies to packaging of the product.
There are no stipulations about the location of the label on the product or package. Therefore, a label affixed to the product inside a package, or to an internal portion of the package itself would satisfy the labeling requirement, but be undetectable by the consumer. From the perspective of consumer notification, nothing would be accomplished.
 

2. Requires that identifying labels be affixed to the product or document or its packaging by the entity that implants the tracking device in the product or by the entity that imports products that contain tracking devices.
The earlier in the supply chain that a label is affixed, the easier it is to obscure the label from consumer view.
 

3. Prohibits anyone from implanting tracking devices into human beings without the informed consent of either the individual or a legal guardian.
Is this really the issue? I'm sure that some people are afraid of stealth implantation, but the larger issue is the potential curtailment-- of access, commerce, resources, transportation, and other freedoms-- for people who are unwilling to accept an implant. "The Such & Such Company is pleased to inform you that we are converting to RFID-based commerce for all of our consumer services. We regret that we will no longer be able to serve those of you techno-dinosaurs who elect not to receive an RFID implant, but we wish you good luck in finding a non-RFID-based gas & electric provider/ bank/ pharmacy/ grocery store/ hospital..." That's the real fear.
 

4. Prohibits the state or any of its political subdivisions from issuing any radio frequency devices to track individuals, with exceptions such as incarcerated prisoners or residents of nursing or assisted-living facilities.
'Exceptions such as'... what exactly does that mean? Is the tracking limited to incarcerated prisoners and residents of nursing or assisted-living facilities or not? If not, what are the other exceptions?
 

5. Establishes a commission on the use of tracking devices to study their usage in government and business and monitor their effect on the economy and society. That's broad and vague enough to ensure that not much of anything gets done. Study their usage and do what? Monitor their effect and do what? Who will conduct these studies and how will they be conducted? Who is going to oversee the commission? What are the limits of its authority? Etc.
 

Unflinching analysis of proposed legislation is necessary to ensure adequate and appropriate protection for all citizens

Sally Bacchetta - Freelance Writer/Sales Trainer

Sally Bacchetta is an award-winning sales trainer and freelance writer. She has published articles on a variety of topics, including selling skills, motivation, pharmaceutical sales, parenting and RFID.

You can contact her at sb14580@yahoo.com and visit her RFID blog for an exploration of the ethical and social considerations of RFID.

Wireless Shopping with RFID

So wireless networking has got rid of your network cables and your USB cables... what can it do next? Well, the answer might surprise you: wireless is going shopping. There is a small army of uses for this technology and many are in use at this very moment.

RFID: Electronic Barcodes

Yes, that's right: RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) is a replacement for the barcode, using wireless radio technology. But what's wrong with barcodes, you ask? Well, they need to be scanned, for a start. Supermarkets and other shops have small armies of staff in their stores, in fact, doing almost nothing but scanning barcodes and taking money.

RFID lets barcodes be replaced with radio signals, which can automatically be scanned. In theory, you could have a shopping cart full of RFID-labelled products, put it near an RFID scanner, and the things in your cart would be detected and their prices added up instantly.

Imagine being able to stop in front of a machine at the supermarket's exit, and do nothing but put your credit card in a machine before you leave (if your credit card is RFID-enabled too, you might not even need to do that). You can checkout in a matter of seconds! It's a win-win situation: it saves you time, and it saves the supermarket money. The only people who lose out are the ones getting paid to sit around scanning barcodes, but hey, that's technology for you.

How on Earth Does It Work?

Believe it or not, RFID tags contain tiny antennas, allowing them to transmit small amounts of data by radio. The majority of tags in use today do not have their own power supply (a power supply makes the tag larger and more expensive), which means that they must rely on power they receive through the air by radio. This is such a tiny amount of power that it is only just enough to transmit an ID number. This does work, however, from as much as five metres away.

For shopping use, tags that send numbers are sufficient -- a barcode is just a number in the form of lines, after all. These tags are now as cheap as 40 cents, and mass production means the price is only going to come down -- RFID is likely to become widespread in the next decade. The smallest RFID tags are already thin enough to be almost invisible.

Privacy and Other Uses of RFID

There are privacy concerns around the use of RFID, simply because it makes it so quick and easy to tag just about anything -- and the tags can be scanned without any human interaction. This, however, is also what makes the system very useful.

Pets are already implanted with RFID tags so that they can be identified if found, and the idea of humans being made to have RFID implants as a replacement for identity cards isn't as science fiction as it sounds -- it is possible today. As long ago as 1998, a professor was able to implant a tag in his arm. The technology is being considered for used on prisoners. In countries that already have ID cards or that will have them soon, RFID tracking probably won't be far behind.

If RFID shopping tags are left on things, then people could leave tags on their clothes or other products without realising it. This has all sorts of implications -- someone might be able to point an RFID scanner at your house and get a list of everything in it that still has a tag, for example.

RFID is already widely used in many industries. Warehouses use them to track pallets of goods, some libraries put them in books and airlines use them to track baggage. Usage is particularly common in building access control (the ID cards for employees that open the door automatically).

Travel is another growth area: many parts of the USA have the option of using RFID cards to pay at toll booth's, and the London Underground now uses RFID payment cards known as Oyster cards. There are even RFID car keys that can open the door while they're still in your pocket, without you doing a thing.

Environmental Concerns

As a footnote to all this, many people are concerned about the environmental impact RFID could have. Although they are small, using computer chips as a replacement for barcodes could lead to the equivalent of many thousands of computers being thrown away every year.

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National Archives Needs to Embed RFID Tags in Ink

Perhaps we should have printers with ink which has metallic properties which would simulate RFID Tags in pages scattered throughout the reports and papers of secret documents, then if one decides to do something unethical to steal the paper work then the report itself will trigger an alarm, even if one puts it in their socks or underwear, under a hat. As one leaves the building through a detector like at the bookstores, gotcha!!

These technologies are being developed now, so we may as well put them to good use. It is fascinating that we even have these problems with those instilled with the citizen trust to serve us, yet not so unpredictable, this could answer the problem of secret information leakage in FBI, Pentagon, CIA, National Archives, even DOE, Los Alamos, Defense Contractors and may as well apply it to library, especially for the two most books stolen: "The Bible" and "The Joy of Sex". Yes this is true, and it shows how clearly divided we are a species between morals and desires, guilt and honor, power and force, flesh and abstinence.

Certain books in libraries would be sprinkled with some type of odor smart dust, which would also prevent decay of the paper and set off an odor detector on the way out. There are mini odor detectors used now for nuclear material, explosives, bio-pathogens, anthrax and a multitude of other things, used for anti-terrorism, illegal immigration, drug trafficking, etc.

The National Archives are a national treasure and should be guarded as such. We need to put this technology to work to keep integrity of our system, our government and our leadership.

"Lance Winslow" - Online Think Tank forum board. If you have innovative thoughts and unique perspectives, come think with Lance; www.WorldThinkTank.net/. Lance is a guest writer for Our Spokane Magazine in Spokane, Washington