RFID to track your every move...

[glade]

Seriously though... do you REALLY think that RFID chips in M&S sweaters is a real threat to your privacy? Surely thats only going to worry people over the age of 30? One day you'll have a washing machine that interrogates every load you put in, and stops the cycle if you've put a red sock in with your white shirts... sounds like a useful application.

You cite Gillette for having RFID chips in their razorblade packets... high value goods are commonly tagged with this system (take a look on the next CD or DVD you buy from HMV etc). I'm not sure i believe the camera conspiricy... clearly Gillette have far easier means of getting their customer profile - i'd happily tell them all about my shopping habits for even a 10% discount on my next pack of blades.

I use RFID in my factory to track inventory. Incoming material gets a sticker that contains an RFID chip and antenna. The WIP counter (Work in progress) is a bloke who wanders around the factory every day with a hand held scanner. Using both passive and active RFID systems, he can tell how much inventory we have on the shelves without using a forklift to get 400kg boxes down from the top of the racking... nothing too sinister there!

The reason I mention passive and active systems is that Passive RFID (a silicone chip with an antenna) only really works at close range... perhaps less than 3m. The scanner sends a signal, the radio waves pass through the antenna and induce a small current that powers the actual chip. This then sends a small signal back to the hand held unit. Passive systems only work at close range... not much good for tracking people's every move, but OK for stopping shoplifters from walking out of a 3m wide doorway.

Active systems require a power source. That could be a small battery inside the tag or a hard wired supply e.g. tax disc holders that contain a chip for congestion charging. When interrogated by the scanner an active chip can send it's information much further.

Information on the chips is encoded, but how secure that is i don't know. I imagine someone out there could crack the code.

TBH I'd be more worried about youths carrying knives and hanging around outside asda.

[northwind]

Originally Posted by Spiderman

For many years now Govts have been trying to find a way to give us all an RFID chip but have come up against some very strong resistance.

From firstly trying to secretly place them into Gillette shaving products

Hang on Spidey, are you implying that the Gillette thing is a government conspiracy? I think you're reaching a bit with the VIP bugs thing too, RFID does have those creepy big brother connotations but it's ace for that sort of thing. I'm looking forward to living in sci-fi with a credit card implanted in my wrist.

Oh, and the super secure RFID passports - that's already cracked - more than a year ago - http://www.guardian.co.uk/idcards/st...950226,00.html

If you don't have anything to hide, you still have EVERYTHING to fear.

Originally Posted by northwind

Hang on Spidey, are you implying that the Gillette thing is a government conspiracy? I think you're reaching a bit with the VIP bugs thing too, RFID does have those creepy big brother connotations but it's ace for that sort of thing. I'm looking forward to living in sci-fi with a credit card implanted in my wrist.

Are you absolutely sure about that?

Revelation 13: 16-17

He also forced everyone, small and great, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on his right hand or on his forehead, so that no one could buy or sell unless he had the mark, which is the name of the beast or the number of his name.

I've got an M&S RFID tag here right now*. They're in the little paper label with the price and size that's attached to the garment with a plastic tag. I don't know of anybody who doesn't remove the price label before wearing their clothes.

Are you just trying to wind us up here?


* I don't normally buy clothes in M&S, but yesterday I got a pair of their moleskin jeans. They're very comfortable, but I do feel sorry for the poor moles.

So are the RFID tags sewn into the garments as spidey says or are they just on the tags that you remove efter buying it?

[the_lone_wolf]

Originally Posted by Well Oiled

So are the RFID tags sewn into the garments as spidey says or are they just on the tags that you remove efter buying it?

you would notice if they were in your clothes, they're usually a couple of inches square in order to provide enough length of metal for the aerial to be functional

[northwind]

Originally Posted by Tildo

He also forced everyone, small and great, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on his right hand or on his forehead, so that no one could buy or sell unless he had the mark, which is the name of the beast or the number of his name.

Ah, outstanding. The Mark of VISA.

Originally Posted by the_lone_wolf

you would notice if they were in your clothes, they're usually a couple of inches square in order to provide enough length of metal for the aerial to be functional

So M&S, the secret branch of the government's secret unit for undercover survelliance of all UK citizens, get to know that I bought a nice cashmere sweater for £40 (Assuming I choose to pay with a card). My god - call everyone to arms - REVOLUTION !!

[the_lone_wolf]

Originally Posted by Well Oiled

My god - call everyone to arms - REVOLUTION !!

YES, throw out your money, credit cards, burn your cars, live off the land in montana and ride horses!!!