Radio Tag Debut Set for This Week: Wired.com

[Ivan Seeking]

A consortium of retailers and consumer goods companies plan to unveil the replacement for the bar code next week. The upgrade will use a controversial radio technology that critics say will significantly expand the powers of retailers to track the whereabouts of their goods and the people who buy them.

http://www.wired.com/news/privacy/0,1848,60408,00.html

 

[megashawn]

How did we let this happen? Does this not seem, uhh, criminal? I know that people really want to know how much toilet paper I go through in a week.

Seriously though, what is the need in tracking a product after point of sale? (POS) I've even heard other futuristic predictions about this technology that would allow your milk to reorder automatically when it reaches a certain point. Other benefits are that every store bought item would have one of these RFID's and would provide proof of ownership in the event of theft.

But how much more difficult would it be to add a microphone, or camera even and use these RFID's to replace phone taps and such?

Is there any information on the frequency these things operate on? Seems a method could be devised to block this signal.

 

[Ivan Seeking]

Originally posted by megashawn
Seems a method could be devised to block this signal.

Sounds like a business! I will wager 5 twinkies that blocking this signal will be made illegal...if it's not already by FCC law.

 

[megashawn]

Well, I had heard of a type of building material that would prevent cell phones from receiving a signal. The intended target was for resturaunts and such that wish to ban cell phones use.

Seems the same type of material could be used as well. I'd take your bet, but upon accepting reality, I'd say you should up it to an entire box of twinkies.

If we'd not be allowed to block the signal, could we destroy the tag somehow? Perhaps a strong magnetic field or uhh, i don't know microwaving it? Mmm Microwaved deodorant.