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per unit analyzer writes: "C|Net is running an interesting article on Sun's recent affiliation with MIT's Auto-ID initiative. The article is a layman's intoduction to passive RF tag technology. The concept is to replace the ubiquitous UPC bar code with a 5-cent RF-tag. When hit with the right excitation signal, the tag emits its own RF signal encoded with a 96-bit number. The privacy concerns are obvious; items people buy could be tracked anywhere they happen to go. How would you like the security scanners at airports or even the local high school be able to generate a complete inventory of the consumer products carried by each person coming through the door? (OK Johnny, hand over that pr0n magazine in your backpack...) The Auto-ID ilk includes many of the major consumer product manufacturers and retailers. Incidently, the American Radio Relay League is also currently fighting an uphill battle to keep the RF-tag technology of Audo-ID Technology Board member Savi Technology out of the 70cm Amateur Radio band in the US." We have a couple of earlier stories about RFID tags.

ArticulateArne writes: "The holiest day of the year is upon the Amateur Radio community. Field Day is here once again. Field Day is a 24 hour period during which ham radio operators go out into fields and set up radios and antennas and see how many other stations they can talk to. The idea is to simulate an emergency situation, but it's a lot of fun anyway. Here is a decent explanation of the festivities, see also the official rules and other miscellaneous info. Our club, the CBCARC, W5CBC, will be out working as well, so say hi if you hear us." Combine this with geocaching, and a whole new sport is born ...

ArticulateArne writes: "The holiest day of the year is upon the Amateur Radio community. Field Day is here once again. Field Day is a 24 hour period during which ham radio operators go out into fields and set up radios and antennas and see how many other stations they can talk to. The idea is to simulate an emergency situation, but it's a lot of fun anyway. Here is a decent explanation of the festivities, see also the official rules and other miscellaneous info. Our club, the CBCARC, W5CBC, will be out working as well, so say hi if you hear us." Combine this with geocaching, and a whole new sport is born ...

ivi writes "Check out the story at the American Radio Relay League's web site." I thought this was interesting because it seems likely that QVC was sending out "bulk" threat letters to anyone with "QVC" in their domain name. This practice has become common, and there are even companies that specialize in providing this, uh, service. The domain owner handled it well, and QVC backed off - but there still seems to be something slimy about the act of sending out threats in that manner in the first place.

N2UX writes "The long awaited and much anticipated Amateur Radio Phase 3d satellite from AMSAT has been given a launch date of October 31. Space craft details are here"

Randy Rathbun writes "In a very bold (and IMHO, much needed) move, the FCC today released major changes to Part 97, which is the rules for the Amateur Radio Service. Among the changes are that there is only a 5 word per minute morse code exam from now on (getting rid of the 13 and 20 wpm exams), and reducing the number of license classes from six to three. The text of the changes can be read in this PDF document. You don't need to know morse code to get on the air on bands above 30 MHz, btw."