Jack Schulze and Timo Arnall made this stunning video by using a specially-made LED wand, long-exposure photography, some animation, and a metric ton of patience. I, on the other hand, will be using the next few moments, my eyes, and an ounce or two of amazement to appreciate the supposedly paranoia-inducing beauty of RFID. [PopSci]

Basically, you can program certain controls or sounds into the paper radio. Say you're an artist who wants to bring attention to a local college radio station—you program that into the RFID chip, and then when the paper radio is draped on any speaker equipped with an RFID reader, it'll change the station to the one you picked. Or you can have it broadcast short messages; Matt suggests a particular environmentalist star of 30 Rock might program in warnings to turn off your lights when not in use. It's a very particular usage, but the radios themselves look so cool that we don't really care if they're 100% practical. [MocoLoco]

The film Nearness explores interacting without touching. With RFID it's proximity that matters, and actual contact isn't necessary. Much of Timo's work in the Touch project addresses the fictions and speculations in the technology. Here we play with the problems of invisibility and the magic of being close.

Nearness is interesting and everything, but it needs some personality. I mean, where are all the rolling balls and drinking birds? [Nearness via Boing Boing via Neatorama]

Basically, you wave a keycard to lock and unlock the data on the drive. That's great, but while I'm hesitant about RFID cards after lousy experiences with my Amex's ExpressPay chip, the Hard Drive Secure's specs made me weary for other reasons:

• Includes 2 security keycards (1 user keycard, 1 master keycard) in credit card format
  which will lock and unlock the drive for use.
• Controlled access using RFID technology (Radio Frequency Identification) for data security. The 2 included RFID keycards are AES encrypted.
• USB 2.0 interface – connects to any modern computer
• Reliable and fast data transfer
• High quality aluminium enclosure with optimal internal airflow management
• No cooling fan – no noise!
• Compact design, only 15.5 x 14.8 x 4.3 cm, saves space on your desk

The Hard Drive Secure is available now (though strangely sold out) with a steep $500 price tag. [Freecom via EverythingUSB via GadgetReview viakCrunchGear]

The fingerprint ID also, of course, can theoretically act as a security device so that only you can activate your phone. There's also haptic (physical) feedback when you're hitting things, as well as using the touchscreen as an RFID reader. None of the three are really mindblowing in themselves, on the surface, but if implemented intelligently might make for a big step forward in the iPhone product line. [Macrumors via Boy Genius]

And I'll be damned if it doesn't work perfectly. Alongside a static picture, this e-passport displays a rotating photographic avatar when placed near a power source. OLED-Info thinks the card is pulling power from an RFID reader, but given that the display is full-fledged 320x240, 260k color OLED panel that's playing video, I tend to think there's a more powerful type of inductive charging going on here. [OLED-Info—Thanks, Ron!]

It sounds a little sci-fi at first, but it's not: RFID tags are powered by electrical signals converted from electromagnetic waves emitted by a nearby sensor machine, which is exactly how this system is said to work. The thing is, the amount of electricity involved here is tiny, and Nokia's system won't even have a base station—it'll draw from ambient electromagnetic waves, meaning Wi-Fi, cell towers and TV antennae. Nokia hopes to harvest about 50 milliwatts—not quite enough to sustain a phone, but enough to mitigate drain, and slowly charge a handset that's been switched off.

Current prototypes only gather about 5 milliwatts, which is essentially useless, and scientists and industry experts just don't see the technology maturing to the point that Nokia wants it to, at least in the near future. But the company's researchers are standing strong:

I would say it is possible to put this into a product within three to four years.

If you believe them, this is pretty exciting: maybe not as a primary charging mechanism, but as a battery extender. [Technology Review—Image from Technology Review]

Essentially, the magazine hoped to bridge the gap between print and web media by using an RFID chip to link related online content. By using a USB RFID reader, the Violet mir:ror, I was able to scan the chip and access additional content through my browser.

The general effect? I'd be lying to say it was much more than a novelty, but that doesn't mean the idea is bad. Amusement linked about 5 pieces of online content, including media clips and even a flash game, through the RFID chip. This part works pretty well. Going instantly between a magazine and a playable game is pretty neat.

What didn't work for me was that the RFID signal isn't really tied to individual stories. You can't just flick a page and have related content pop up. You wave the chip by the mir:ror (I obviously ripped it out for convenience), then a link pops up. You wave it again, and another link pops up. There's not much rhyme or reason to it, which is probably more a limitation of the technology than a flaw with Amusement's design, but it made the experience ever so less futuristicy than I'd hoped.

Still, Amsuement is on to a decent idea here if publishers are able to iron out the kinks. And as for the magazine itself, I wish it were reprinted in English. The inspired layout and design more than rival my favorite gaming magazine, Edge. [Amusement and Violet]

Designed to be "so simple a two-year old can use it," this RFID Mirror—which comes with a mirror, two programmable micro-rabbits and three Ztamps RFID tags—is supposed to recognize different objects you show to it and also perform certain tasks you've assigned to the Ztamps via USB on your computer. For example, waving your umbrella over the mirror will make it tell you the weather, scanning your wallet in front of it will get your bank-statements e-mailed to you, or flashing that photo of you and that hot cheerleader will automatically send a text-message to your wife to let her know you'll be late for dinner. [ThinkGeek via i4u via Endgadget]

Essentially, you hold your iPhone in close proximity to a certain object, and that object tells your iPhone to play a particular preloaded clip. Endless potential children's toys that come to mind, but so do other applications, like pulling up a video maintenance manual when close to parts of your car, complete with clips showing you how to change a tire or jump start your engine based only on proximity...and maybe some level of curse detection. [The Touch Project via TUAW]

By simply pressing your card to the remote, you can make payment for VOD movies without the hassle of navigating an onscreen QWERTY.

How is all of this consumer magic possible? The remote contains an RFID reader, compatible with Japan's popular Edy cards—cards that are, incidentally, powered by Sony's FeliCa technology.

So it all comes full circle. You buy a Sony product to use your Sony card to buy Sony media that's easily purchased with Sony cards on Sony products. Genius. [Akihabara News]

Cruising through downtown San Francisco in his car with a $250 homebrew RFID reader setup consisting of a Symbol XR400 RFID reader and a Motorola AN400 patch antenna stuck to the side of his Volvo, he snagged the info off of two passports in just 20 minutes. The point, he says, is "mainly to defeat the argument that you can't do it in the real world, that there's no real-world attack here, that it's all theoretical." The range of his gear is about 30 feet, which is plenty of clearance.

He plans to release the source code of his software next month—not the first time he's tried to publicly discuss his methods and the dangers of RFID embedded in personal IDs. It also won't be the first time the government denies it's really an issue, either. [The Register via Gadget Lab]

Tiny RFID cards are attached to each card, and movements are monitored with four separate HD cameras, all running into a video encoder to create a live feed. A custom bit of software mixes the feeds with the data from the RFID chips, creating a live feed where the viewer can see exactly where each card is and what each player is doing. Even when in a full deck, the RFID chips are thin enough to stack properly, and the viewer would know when each card will be dealt.

Apparently the setup cost Milner about $7000 and three months to build, but it's very impressive for what it is. Why anybody would want to have this sort of thing outside a television studio doesn't make much sense to me, but Milner, a chairman of an IT company, loves the level of detail it brings to his games. [Giz AU]

Zipcar users will be familiar with the process: book any available car at any time, get its location via text or email, wave your RFID membership card by the door to unlock it. Inside you'll find iPod connections and GPS standard, with a variety of fleet options to choose from ranging from "Personal" to "Jet Set." Fees break down with a monthly contract commitment of $50 a month, with per-hour rates anywhere from $8.50 to $12 depending on your plan.

It's only starting in NYC this week (and also running in London and Paris), but expansion is in the cards, of course. The Hertz folks also say they're working on one-way rentals that allow you to drop off the car at your destination, which is something Zipcar can't do. [Hertz Connect]

This Sunday, the Dallas White Rock Marathon will implement a pretty cool feature for participants and their friends/families. While most modern marathons track runners with (RFID?) chips attached to their shoes, this marathon in Dallas will take that data and send it out, texting or emailing split times and finishing results to anyone who registers with a particular runner.

Neat stuff, though just writing this post has given me a nasty cramp. [Do It Sports via dallasnews]

It's a simple technology. A signal from the microchip will track their movements and this will be received by monitoring authorities.

Then, he says they plan to punish any HIV/AIDS patient who had infected a healthy person. For some reason, this joke of a human being thinks that using RFID technology to reduce people to cattle is the best way to stop the rampant HIV/AIDS spread in his province—which is 20 times the national average in Indonesia. Because, like everyone knows, punishing an ill person is always a better method to stop an infectious disease than actually attacking the source of the problem which, according to the usual international health watchers, is the poor education about AIDS and the lack of condoms in the province, coupled with ritual swinging in Papua tribes.

I wonder if his plan B is just putting them in camps or shoot them straight away. [Reuters]

Using the robot is easy enough. You push the touchscreen on its chest to select, say, tickets for an amusement park. Then you wave your FeliCa-enabled wallet phone (RFID device) over the robot's right hand to, as we can only assume, pay for your tickets and deactivate the robot's deadly laser security system.

Apparently the system could also incorporate facial recognition to identify frequent visitors, or recommend services based upon their age/gender. And while we know that this terminal is just a kiosk shaped like a robot, we can't help but to admire the sincere technoanthropomorphism. [IT Media via Pink Tentacle]

The RFID bit is in the little Ztamps you stick to your gear, and the magic all happens through Violet's new website. The mir:ror can recognize many objects right off the bat, with dedicated stamps, but through the site you can configure more of your stuff to work with it.
Tempted by a strange kind of gadget-driven augmented reality? Then it's out today for $70, though you only get the sensor, a skin for the sensor "puck", 2 nanotagz rabbits (looking like mini clones of Nabaztag himself) and 3 ztamps for that: you'll have to buy more RFID stickers for your other objects. [Dynamism via Technabob]

I implanted a RFID chip in my hand. I injected the chip myself from supplies bought on the internet. This tag is readable from up to 2 inches from my hand.

I am currently using it to open my handgun safe for instant access. I can have a gun in hand in one second in blackness without fumbling with buttons or codes.

If you are convinced that this is the "Mark of the Beast", then from one Christian to another I hope you read the Book of Revelation and apply more understanding to it that what you hear from those who only offer fear.

Get your Gideons/veterinary surgery kits out and check out Quethe's full posting at BoingBoing Gadgets or YouTube [BBG]

They've joined up with a lawsuit challenging the National Animal Identification system, which requires livestock to be tagged with an RFID chip. The government says the chips help them track livestock disease. The lawsuit says that the RFID chip is in fact a "Mark of the Beast," as foretold in the book of the Bible that set up one of Arnold's worst movies ever, End of Days:

"Use of a numbering system for their premises and/or electronic numbering system for their animals constitutes some form of a 'mark of the beast' and/or represents an infringement of their 'dominion over cattle and all living things' in violation of their fundamental religious beliefs."

It's a serious enough violation of their religious beliefs that, if enforced, many would not be able to farm, even though they maintain a bunch of heirloom crops and livestock—which they note could be genetically handy if disease or a terrorist attack seriously batters our food supply. Personally, I'm not quite ready for Armageddon, so maybe the government should back off, just in case. [Threat Level via Fark]

The company has an academic paper explaining how their tags work, for those of us more programming literate. Each 64 bit challenge-response duo is random and generated on demand. Pairs are then uploaded to a main database for authentication purposes. According to Verayo, even if information is copied onto a new chip, it'll have a different challenge and response. One possible point of attack already identified—if someone breaks into the main database and harvests all existing challenge-response information, what happens then? [Verayo via Slashdot]

If the service takes off and enough developers get involved with apps, another option for business owners would be to attach the tags to posters or advertisements that could interact with cellphones or other portable devices. The possibilities are endless. The service is set to go into a public beta on October 1st, with a 10 tag pack running about $50. Packs containing 25 tags will also be available sometime in the near future. [Tikitag via CNET]

How's it work? Well, people drop off their bikes at the garage, where a robotic arm reads their RFID card to identify it. It then brings the bike to its designated parking spot among thousands of other bikes. At the end of the day, a swipe of the card brings your bike back to the surface in about 10 seconds. All this for about $19 a month, and you don't need to buy a lock. Totally amazing. [Treehugger]

Yeah, so long as you're kidnapped while wearing your GPS transmitter fanny pack (and your attackers don't mind you keeping it), you'll be fine. I guess it might make sense if you're going to be alone in a seedy neighborhood late at night to go ahead and strap up, but still, at this price, it seems like Xega (who seem to be mysteriously without a website yes, here it is, thanks guys, it's Friday) is just capitalizing on people's fears with a bogus safety net. And successfully, too—the company claims they've sold the service to over 2,000 people. [Reuters, Image: Amal Graafstra's OG RFID implants]

[Trends in Japan]

At the time this article was written, agent 007 has the time to beat with an average transfer time of 1.88 days—but many others have yet to get on the board. I should also point out that the James Bond of snail messengers is named Sean—which fills me with a bizarre sort of pride. Hit the link if you would like to take your chances on one of these slimy snail messengers. [Real Snail Mail via Core77]

Initially, the assumption was that cloned chips would be spotted because their key codes would not match those stored in an international database. However, only 10 of the 45 countries participating in the e-passport program have signed up to for the Public Key Directory (PKD) code system, and only five are currently using it. On top of all that, the research also suggests that biometric data could also be manipulated and implemented into fake passports.

At this point, there has been no evidence to suggest that an e-passport has been successfully cloned and passed off as genuine in a real-life situation—but it is bound to happen unless every country buys into the PKD. Even then, I still have my doubts about long-term security. We all know that it's only a matter of time before someone figures out how to manipulate the system. [Times Online]

First off, people other than Olympics officials may figure out a way to read the information from the wireless cards, creating a huge breach of privacy. I personally wouldn't want to walk around with all that information embedded in a simple sporting even ticket, nor would I want the Chinese government to have possession of all my personal info forever after.

On the other side of the coin, some worry that the technical scanning of the tickets at the gates could make getting into events a slow, torturous affair. All this for only $720 a ticket!

If all that stuff about China squashing human rights and free speech didn't dissuade you from attending the games, however, I doubt this will change your mind. [Gadget Lab]

Smashing an RFID chip with a hammer surprisingly hides tampering pretty well when we're talking about flat applications like paper. While it certainly sounds destructive, on a object that's already been pummeled to a pulp (literally), a hammer can't do much damage. Other solutions that work (but aren't so pretty) include five seconds in the microwave, piercing the chip with a knife or cutting the line to its power supply. Now go hide. Because the boogie man is coming, but this time he wants a new pair of shoes. [instructables via boingboing] [image]

Developed by a team at Canada's Simon Fraser University, the bag, which uses RFID technology, also has LED icons on the side, which illuminate when the bag is missing an object, while a smiley emoticon lights up when you're ready to go. I think they left off the lipstick icon, though. [Ladybag via Talk2MyShirt]

The other features, like the in-dash computer with Sprint Mobile Broadband and Garmin GPS, are neat, but I'm not sure how much use they would get by their target audience. Maybe the Crew Chief setup, which mixes up Tool Link with GPS for crew chiefs to quickly determine the best gang for a job based on their gear and location.

CHICAGO, Feb. 6, 2008 — Ford is further expanding its 'smart' features for truck customers, announcing today a collection of industry-exclusive technologies for F-Series trucks and commercial E-Series vans that will help make business owners more productive and successful.

Ford Work Solutions delivers four innovative features:

* An in-dash computer developed with Magneti Marelli and powered by Microsoft Auto that provides full high-speed Internet access via the Sprint Mobile Broadband Network and navigation by Garmin. It's the first broadband-capable in-dash computer in production. This system allows customers to print invoices, check inventories and access documents stored on their home or office computer networks - right on the job site.
* Tool Link, a Radio-Frequency Identification (RFID) asset tracking system developed
in partnership with DEWALT, the industry leader in professional power tools, and ThingMagic, the industry expert on embedded RFID technology. This enables customers to maintain a detailed real-time inventory of the tools or equipment stored in the pickup box.
* Crew Chief, a fleet telematics and diagnostics system, which allows small fleet owners to efficiently manage their vehicles, quickly dispatch workers to job sites and keep detailed vehicle maintenance records.
* Cable Lock security system developed in partnership with Master Lock®, the industry-leading lock manufacturer, to discourage theft of expensive tools too large to fit in the cab.

"Our truck customers are smart - and they work hard," said Mark Fields, Ford's president of
The Americas. "Ford Work Solutions provides truck customers new technologies and tools
to help them work even smarter and further boost their productivity."

F-Series has been the best-selling truck in America for 31 years. Two out of every five commercial trucks sold in the U.S. wears a Ford oval.

For years, truck capability has been measured in maximum towing and payload ratings. The new 2009 Ford F-150 builds on that kind of industry-leading capability, offering the most 'smart' features that make towing and hauling more flexible, easier and safer. Ford Work Solutions adds still another dimension of capability for commercial truck owners.

"Ford Work Solutions takes productivity to a new level by bringing the office to the job site in
an integrated, seamless way that only Ford could deliver - with a strong network of industry-leading partners like DEWALT, Microsoft, Garmin, Master Lock®, Magneti Marelli and Sprint," said John Felice, general marketing manager, Ford Division.

Ford Work Solutions features were developed through hands-on research with contractors and skilled tradespeople in multiple markets around the U.S.

All four Ford Work Solutions will be available this fall on the new 2009 Ford F-150 XL, STX, XLT and FX4 trucks; F-Series Super Duty XL, XLT and FX4 trucks; and all 2009 E-Series vans. Transit Connect vans join the lineup in mid-2009. In time, several of the features will be available for dealer installation to upgrade Ford Trucks already in service.
Online On the Job Site

Ford is delivering fully integrated mobile office functionality into F-Series trucks on the job site - an industry first.

An in-dash computer, developed with Magneti Marelli, transforms the new 2009 F-150 or
F-Series Super Duty into true mobile offices, capable of linking into the business owner's main office computer network or a home computer via a cellular broadband connection.

Users can access existing files on an office computer miles from the job site, open a word processing document, a spread sheet or their business accounting program, make updates and print them in the truck on an available Ford-certified, on-board, Bluetooth-enabled, battery-powered inkjet printer.

Powered by Microsoft Auto, the system provides high-speed Internet access via the Sprint Mobile Broadband Network. It works with Bluetooth-enabled mobile phones, offering hands-free calling with push-to-talk voice recognition, access to user phonebooks and the ability to receive text messages.

The in-dash computer also includes navigation by Garmin, which comes standard with features like re-routing due to construction or traffic congestion and points of interest including local gas stations and their fuel prices, restaurants, Ford dealerships and Quick Lane Tire & Auto Centers.

The computer is integrated into the vehicle's center stack, filling the same space normally occupied by the standard radio. It is equipped with a 6.5-inch, high-resolution touch screen,
two gigabytes of memory, a secure digital slot for additional memory, a USB port and
includes a wireless keyboard and mouse. A stylus, stored next to the CD slot, is included for use on the touch screen.

The computer is 'Built Ford Tough' - designed and tested to the same stringent standards as the other parts on the truck.
Tracking Tools

Ford F-Series trucks offer customers the most flexible, most accessible pickup boxes in the industry, thanks to class-leading hauling capability, industry-exclusive features like tailgate
and box side steps - as well as a unique technology like Ford Work Solutions Tool Link.

Developed with DEWALT and ThingMagic, Tool Link offers owners the capability to mark and scan high-value tools, safety equipment, material inventories and other important assets using RFID tags. When the vehicle is running, a pair of RFID antennas, mounted in corrosion- and impact-resistant housings on the inside of the pickup box, scan the box for the items on a pre-programmed inventory list.

The data is transmitted to a reader mounted inside the cab and displayed on the in-dash computer screen, alerting the driver if any inventoried tools are not loaded on the truck.

"Tool Link increases productivity and saves money," said William Frykman, Ford Work Solutions product and business development manager. "It helps contractors and tradespeople guarantee they show up at the job site with the right tools for each job- and that they don't leave equipment behind."

Tool Link comes pre-loaded with several standard tool lists that are easily edited to reflect specific types of jobs. The system uses industry standard second-generation RFID tags that can be fastened to tools or other items and can read and catalogue hundreds of tools or assets in just seconds.
Manage the Crew

Fleet owners and managers often need to dispatch vehicles quickly for service calls. Ford Work Solutions Crew Chief provides them a telematics and diagnostics system that delivers real-time vehicle location and maintenance tracking, allowing them to quickly respond to calls and optimally deploy their fleets.

The data is linked to a web-based application, which can be used by a fleet administrator in an office or anywhere there is Internet access - including a Ford Work Solutions in-dash computer.

As an added benefit, Crew Chief interfaces with the vehicle's electrical architecture and can monitor numerous diagnostic functions, including tire pressure or check engine light codes.
It also can be programmed to identify user-set alerts, such as unauthorized use of a vehicle or excessive idling.

The system will also provide fuel calculations and fuel tax reporting, helping fleet managers and business owners manage costs more effectively.
Master Lock Keeps Cargo Secure

"Secure, lockable storage is important for all customers," said Frykman. "That's why we worked with Master Lock to deliver the Cable Lock, a convenient way to secure items such as toolboxes, air compressors, generators or large power tools that may need to be in the pickup box when the vehicle is parked."

The strong, eight-foot, 10 millimeter steel cable is wrapped in a protective plastic sheathing and is easily woven around toolbox handles or through and around items and then locked to the truck with a cuff-style clasp.

The clasp can be attached to any of the items in the box, any of the tie-down cleats, or simply clamped back onto the cable itself. The self-retractable cable is stored in a corrosion- and impact-resistant housing mounted to the inside wall at the rear of the pickup box. The unit is spring-loaded and uses a friction mechanism that will gently retract the cable when not in use. Cable Lock is easily installed on virtually any Ford pickup truck.

Since all the data encryption done in firmware and hardware it requires no special drivers, it should play nicely with both Macs and PCs via USB 2, and since it's bus-powered the only extra thing you need to carry around is one of its keys.

Like many others in its class it takes 2.5" SATA drives, so it's pocket-sized. It's probably pretty useful if you're carrying around sensitive company data and are worried about theft. Or you are a spy with a taste for Brando products, who will sell it to you for $56. [Brando]

Using a Phidget RFID Kit, a Kwikset Powerbolt 1000, relays, a PC board, wire, and some basic software, a couple of guys managed to piece together a unique new wireless door locking system. RFID locks are nothing new, but this lock can be controlled via an RFID key fob, laptop or even a cellphone. As you will see, the concept demonstrated has potential but it still needs some more tinkering to be truly practical.

For example, the RFID key fob needs to be awkwardly passed over the knob to unlock the door from the outside —and by the time the cellphone unlocked the door I could have used a regular key and already been inside drinking a beer. If the key fob were more powerful and the door could be unlocked with a single keystroke or two on a cellphone it would be truly interesting. Plus, you wouldn't even need to have a lock on the outside of the door. [Trossen Robotics via Hacked Gadgets]