Be Afraid: Powder-Sized RFID Chips

[MA-Caver]

Be Afraid: Powder-Sized RFID Chips
Fri Feb 16, 2007 8:58AM EST
http://tech.yahoo.com/blogs/samiljan/4515/be-afraid-powder-sized-rfid-chips
Everyone's so paranoid about the RFID chips that are already in place in so many parts of our lives, so here's an item (via Engadget and Pink Tentacle) about Hitachi's new powder-sized RFID chips to make us even more scared of Big Brother (or little-Brother-ID thief). RFID chips are tiny microchips that use radio waves to do everything from conduct credit card transactions (as on those little key-fob-Paypass MasterCard thingies) and pay for tolls (EZ Pass and its ilk) to keeping track of your devices and travel (U.S. passports).
Hitachi plans to start marketing these new chips—seriously no bigger than a speck of dust at 0.05 x 0.05 mm—in two to three years. The company says this super-tiny chip can be used in paper, currency, gift certificates, and the like, but as some sites have pointed out, today's chips are already small enough for those uses. So, as Engadget cracked, does this mean we should be watching what we eat in case of some James-Bond-style pepper-shaker swap?

Maybe, but is the terror around RFID over-hyped? According to most proponents of the technology, and my own experiences paying with PayPass at my local drug store, you really need to physically tap the RFID chip to something for the transaction to go through. And yet, when I go through a toll booth, my RFID-enabled EZ Pass box is only about ten feet away from the sensor. So maybe it is time to watch what you eat, lest Big Brother starts to track you wirelessly (or you spill some RFID powder from which evil ID thieves can extract your vital stats!)

What do you think? Is RFID worth the convenience or is it setting up some dangerous privacy-invasion precedents?

For me if I were a criminal (murderer/molster/rapist type) then yeah I can understand having one of those things implanted or placed upon me so that they'd know where I'm at. Hell, I'd deserve it.
But as a non-violent (except when someone ****s with me) everyday average citizen... then no, nobody needs know where I'm at if I don't want 'em to know. I mean I thought that's (part of) what made this country great... the freedom to go to and from without any questions or hassels comrade.
As for tracking lost children then that's an sticky. Maybe the child could wear one until they're of age and then have it voluntarily removed. Or as in the case of some people who have senile parents that habitually wander off then again I give a reluctant ...oh-kay.
The article does state that at present everything involving the device(s) has to be voluntary... but eventually it may not always be thus. If they're that tiny they could be placed inconspicuously on clothing or even skin and volia your alibi's had better stick buddy.
One use I think they could use it for (as if), is to find terrorists by secretly implanting the ones in custody and then letting them go... if we're lucky they'll go running back to Osama or some other big-wig baddie.

 

[tellner]

Every response that comes to mind turns into asterisks when MT gets through with it :angry:

 

[Ceicei]

Every response that comes to mind turns into asterisks when MT gets through with it :angry:

Ahhh, go ahead and scatter those asterisks! That'll allow us all to use our imagination with what you might say while under the eyes of Big Brother!

- Ceicei

 

[tellner]

Hmm, okay. Everyone has a perfect job. There are cork soakers. There are coke sackers. There are sock tuckers. There are caulk sockers. Then there are **** smoking ****s, donkey **** humping pig *****ing Real McCoys, neonatal Nazis who go into orgasmic trance at the thought of stupid **** ****ed schemes to *****y rape us without even the common courtesy of a reach around and use the Constitution as a **** rag.

(OK. It ain't 'Change the Sacred Name of Arkansas' )

 

[Ceicei]

Hmm, okay. Everyone has a perfect jobs. There are cork soakers. There are coke sackers. There are sock tuckers. There are caulk sockers. Then there are **** smoking ****s donkey **** humping pig *****ing Real McCoys who dream up stupid **** ****ed schemes to *****y rape us without even the common courtesy of a reach around

Excellent!

 

[FearlessFreep]

Anyone read "The Stainless Steel Rat" series by Harry Harrison?

I sometimes wonder how close were are to the society described within

 

[MA-Caver]

Hmm, okay. Everyone has a perfect job. There are cork soakers. There are coke sackers. There are sock tuckers. There are caulk sockers. Then there are **** smoking ****s, donkey **** humping pig *****ing Real McCoys, neonatal Nazis who go into orgasmic trance at the thought of stupid **** ****ed schemes to *****y rape us without even the common courtesy of a reach around and use the Constitution as a **** rag.

(OK. It ain't 'Change the Sacred Name of Arkansas' )

So I take it this particular thread and article shouldn't be taken seriously at all then... ok.. my bad...
request to mods to move this to the locker room instead of the study...

 

[tellner]

Actually, my sentiments about them were completely serious.

 

[Xue Sheng]

Hmm, okay. Everyone has a perfect job. There are cork soakers. There are coke sackers. There are sock tuckers. There are caulk sockers. Then there are **** smoking ****s, donkey **** humping pig *****ing Real McCoys, neonatal Nazis who go into orgasmic trance at the thought of stupid **** ****ed schemes to *****y rape us without even the common courtesy of a reach around and use the Constitution as a **** rag.

(OK. It ain't 'Change the Sacred Name of Arkansas' )

:lfao:

All colorful metaphors, expletives, and maledictions aside, my thought on the Powder-Sized RFID Chips….. I don’t like it at all.

 

[DavidCC]

We were brain-storming ideas for applying technology to traing the other day and I came up with the idea of inserting and RFID chip into each student's belt, that way we could have automatic attendance records by setting up a scanner at the door.

But that would be expensive and there is very little ROI.

 

[Blindside]

We were brain-storming ideas for applying technology to traing the other day and I came up with the idea of inserting and RFID chip into each student's belt, that way we could have automatic attendance records by setting up a scanner at the door.

But that would be expensive and there is very little ROI.

I might have to "accidentally" microwave my belt on HIGH for about 30 seconds.

 

[JBrainard]

Quote:
Be Afraid: Powder-Sized RFID Chips
Fri Feb 16, 2007 8:58AM EST
http://tech.yahoo.com/blogs/samiljan...zed-rfid-chips

... is the terror around RFID over-hyped? According to most proponents of the technology, and my own experiences paying with PayPass at my local drug store, you really need to physically tap the RFID chip to something for the transaction to go through. And yet, when I go through a toll booth, my RFID-enabled EZ Pass box is only about ten feet away from the sensor. So maybe it is time to watch what you eat, lest Big Brother starts to track you wirelessly (or you spill some RFID powder from which evil ID thieves can extract your vital stats!)

What do you think? Is RFID worth the convenience or is it setting up some dangerous privacy-invasion precedents?

OK, I have been in the electronics industry for 10 years now and this is what I think (although I am far from being an expert). I believe that RFID technology is worth the convenience, and here's why: Now, needing to physically tap an item with an RFID chip to a sensor is necessary because the circuitry surrounding the RFID chip is small and has very little range. On the other hand, an RFID-enabled EZ Pass box in a car has a range of about ten feet from the sensor because the surrounding circuitry in the box is most likely larger and "amplifies" the effect. Should we be afraid? Well, I already admitted that I'm no expert, but I would say no. If an RFID chip were so small that you would have no clue that it was on you, you would have to be in the proximity of an extremely (let me say that again, extremely) powerful sensor for it to identify you. I would theorize that you do not have to worry unless you are bugged with something about half the size of a cell phone or larger.