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Wal-Mart Cancels RFID Trial
EABird writes "CNet is reporting that Wal-mart has announced that they have canceled the RFID trial they were planning. Unfortunately, it looks like they are canceling it to focus on the use of the same technology in the warehouses and distribution centers instead, and waiting for the cost to come down before using the RFIDs in the stores."
I wanted to get a bunch of RFID tags and use them to track my pets.
Oh well, is Tesco still going to use them?
now, can i have one attached to keys, watch, my glasses. Would make a perfect Rememberall for us muggles.
Siggy Say, Siggy Do
Imagine, for instance, walking down the sidewalk and having a high-tech sexy girl humanoid flash her breasts at you because it recognized the hotdog in your pants.
Now That's the kind of future I'd like to see. Go RFID!
An Indian-American Hindu committed to non-violent thought/speech/action alarmed by the global explosion of radical Islam
It's only a matter of time before they start implanting RFIDs into Anonymous Cowards...
Note: if the tool itself also contains an RFID marker, you may need to buy two...
I know that sounds kind of far fetched, but aren't there steps that can be taken to effectively neutralize any threats to privacy resulting from RFID tags? Don't you think it would be fun for some big chain to throw lots of money into some technology like that to find that it can be trivialized easily by customers exercising their rights.
In practice, it's not such a big deal if you can disable the RFID tags after purchsing the product. There's no guarantee the store will do this (it may be in their best interests *not* to do this) and telling people how to do this themselves will probably violate DMCA, not to mention state and local laws.
Why does it feel as though if I stare at someone the wrong way, I may be violating the DMCA?
Is it just me?
http://use.perl.org
It'll be a while before RFIDs are cheap enough to attach to candy bars. By the time they are, you can bet this problem will be licked, or people will have to shop naked to avoid having to constantly repurchase their pants. :-)
Won't anyone think of the privacy rights of the poor cats and dogs?? This is outrageous!!!!!!!
Random is the New Order.
Why do you guys even leave the house?
;)
Telecommuting is a wonderful thing
It is more productive to voice thoughtful opinions (reply) than to judge (moderate) others.
Have you ever been to a turkish prison?
Won't anyone think of the privacy rights of the poor cats and dogs?? This is outrageous!!!!!!!
Can a dog be in violation of the DCMA for chewing the tag off?
http://use.perl.org
Funny you mention that. Mine isn't completely anonymous, but was given to me by my mother when I went off to college. So, the grocery store in question believes a menopausal woman living in a rich neighborhood has been buying nothing but alcohol, red bull, and top raman for the past few years.
Messing with their data is much more fun than simply being anonymous.
It's nothing but crumpled porno and Ayn Rand.
Let me choke down my own disdain for the RFID tags and day dream up some benefits. Remind me to flame myself later:
1)Theft: If goods are registered to your name, it makes their return that much easier in the event they are stollen. Suppose someone steals my underwear. When the cops bust the smuggling ring, my boxers can be quickly returned to me since they will be registered in my name.
2)Ease of checkout: Picture this: your at Wal-Mart, it's 4 pm and 40000000 are standing in line waiting for the 2 cashiers to ring them up. With this system, it may be possible to just walk past a terminal and it will scan and catalogue every item you have (including the ones your trying to steal) and then you just swipe your card and your out of there! Whats more, if you just bought the new "maxim" but you don't want people to think your some kind of knuckle dragging mouth-breathing missing link, they will be none the wiser to your purchasing habits. (though Uncle Walton will know)
3)Cost/efficency: Since store inventory is tracked in real time, they can place orders before items are out of stock so you will always get the items you want. Also, since it will be harder to steal from the store, prices are likely to go down a little bit since the employees will find it much harder to give 5 finger discounts to friends.
4)Fun with HERF guns: If you have built your HERF gun, you can use it to set peoples' underwear on fire as the EMP causes the RFID tags to become white hot. Imagine the fun!
On Wall Street they say "buy low, sell high" On the pad we say, "buy high, sell high" Isn't that somehow better?
A private company choosing not to sell something is NOT censorship. My local Best Buy doesn't carry german sheisse porn either.
Didn't you get the memo? You can trust individuals, but not Evil Corporations(TM).
They word is "spay", past tense "spayed". To spade a pet would be to beat it with a shovel.