Slashdot Mirror


RFID Tags on Mach3 Razorblades Snap Your Photo

peteo writes "Think RFID tags are harmless? Look at how they are being used in the UK: "At the Tesco Cambridge store, a camera trained on the Gillette blade shelf, and triggered by RFID tags, captures a photo of each customer who removes a Mach3 pack. Another photo is taken at the checkout and security staff compare the two images to ensure they always have a pair" According to the spokesman,"there are certainly not any privacy concerns" in relation to these tags. He adds that there is plenty of in-store signage indicating the supermarket's use of CCTV cameras. ""

27 of 579 comments (clear)

  1. Welcome back sir! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    Seeing as this is the fourth time this month you've purchased genital wart cream, perhaps you'd be better off moving up to Genwartrexol?

  2. Don't worry by SlashdotMakesMeKool · · Score: 5, Funny

    Just shave before the checkout and you won't get caught.

    --

  3. well... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    I, for one, welcome our new razor blade overlords!

  4. Re:Buh-wah? by Morologous · · Score: 5, Funny

    In my local grocery store they were such a frequently-stolen item that they had to be removed from the aisles. Now, if you want a pack of Mach3s you have to go up to the pharmacy and get them to hand them to you personally.

    That is, of course, after you show two forms of picture ID, at least one showing you with a beard. They then perform a cursory measurement of your existing stubble and review your past purchases of razor blades to determine whether you actually need the blades or not. Cap it all off with an American-as-apple-pie dirty look and you've got your shopping experience.

    -jason

  5. PILLAGE AND PLUNDER! by Dark+Lord+Seth · · Score: 3, Funny

    So, what would happen if we round up 30+ slashdotters and have all of them pillage the rack of razor blades, only to put them all back and pillage some more? You know, with a bunch of beach balls and a large amount of beer we could have a great time while pillaging razorblades!

  6. Re:Most stolen item in Britain by tomstdenis · · Score: 5, Funny

    Which is why us Canadians figured it out. We put the noname razors on shelves and the expensive super-uber-quality gilettes behind the counter. Whoa.

    Though I agree with another poster. It is just a scam. I mean you can buy 100x the weight in metal for the same price... there is a problem :-)

    Which is why people shouldn't shave. Too much hassle and really does it matter? Stop feeding stupi corporate three-razor extra-close super-smooth this bitch will fuck you if you use them razor companies.

    Tom

    --
    Someday, I'll have a real sig.
  7. Collecting RFID for further shopping by Erik_ · · Score: 5, Funny

    I'm now going to make sure I keep all RFID tags I find, and each time I go buy some new blades I'll take them along to swapping their sensors... ;-)

  8. A losing battle against facial hair... by hiryuu · · Score: 4, Funny
    I shave sometimes with a razor, sometimes with an electric shaver. The Mach3 blades cost something on the order of about 15 USD for five.

    All this for something that you're using to cut off a part of yourself that grows back in a short time.:P

    Before even taking into account physiological differences due to genetics, no matter how much you spend on the blades, you're going to have to shave again tomorrow (some men even sooner). Which is why I gave up the price battle and just use an electric razor for most times, and a pack of the cheap safety razors around for use other times. If my body is going to force me to spend money, I'll certainly make it as little as possible.

    --
    Karma: Excellent, but still won't get you laid.
    1. Re:A losing battle against facial hair... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

      Exactly why I eat nothing but hog feed.

  9. Re:Is this really so much worse... by TopShelf · · Score: 1, Funny

    Oh come on, this is /. - any technical innovation that actually helps companies prevent consumers from stealing their product is just another sign of corporate tyranny, dude...

    --
    Stop by my site where I write about ERP systems & more
  10. booyaa naked jet fighter pilot guy by kisrael · · Score: 2, Funny

    Karma Whoring, mirroring from this sadly defunct comedy site...but I did go and order his book already
    Right now, I want to be like the naked jet pilot, but I'm not like the naked jet pilot. He has three blades on his razor and I have only two.

    You know who I'm talking about? The naked jet pilot on the Gillette commercial? He's got a uniform and a plane and then -- whoah! -- it all disintegrates and suddenly he's standing naked on what looks like the set of Who Wants to be a Millionaire? tenderly caressing his face. That guy. The naked jet pilot.

    What a guy! I mean, he's lost it all: his uniform, his plane. What's he got left? A razor. Not even a can of shaving cream. But you can't keep him down. There he sits, rubbing his face. At least he got a smooth shave! He's looking on the bright side. Booyah naked jet pilot!

    There's something homoerotic about a naked man standing around fondling his face, but I don't think the naked jet pilot is gay. If he is gay, it's just because he's so heterosexual that he's spun the meter all the way around. He appears gay because he's hyper-heterosexual in a way the rest of us can't understand. That's assuming he's an air force pilot. If he's in the navy, he's probably gay.

    Gay or straight, he sure likes that razor! And why not? It's got three blades on it. Three! Check out the computer animated close-up: that'll take the hair off your face! I mean, the commercial implies that this razor disintegrated a state-of-the-art jet aircraft! That's a pretty good razor! They should drop planeloads of these things on Iraq! Even if they didn't destroy the Iraqi ability to make war at least Saddam Hussein could finally rid himself of that five-o'clock shadow he always seems to have.

    (Then again, maybe the razor isn't responsible for the guy's plane falling apart. Maybe his plane just routinely fell apart because he's in the Canadian air force.)

    Personally, I use the Gillette Sensor XL for my shaving needs. It can't destroy military equipment, but make no mistake -- it's a mighty razor. The top of the line in its day. You see, it has two blades. That's one to shave your face and another one, I guess, just to have. Plus, it has some kind of patented goop strip.

    Admittedly the MACH 3, the naked jet-fighter's razor, has a higher blade count, but I'm not planning to upgrade at this time. And I'll tell you why: first off, I'm sitting on a large Costco-size stockpile of Sensor XL blades. Secondly, although I don't consider myself a nervous flier, the fact that the MACH 3 may cause jet aircraft to suddenly disintegrate gives me pause. Thirdly, and most importantly, I'm holding out for the new, four-bladed Gillette product which must be just around the corner.

    Won't that be something! Four blades! One to shave your face, one just to have, one to be like the naked jet pilot, and a spare! That'll give you a smooth shave, I bet. Like, you'll really want to stand around naked caressing your face after using that thing!

    I'm sure Gillette's labs are working on it now. Still, they have to be careful. I mean, if a MACH 3 can rip off a jet pilot's clothes and blow up his airplane and still leave him with a smooth shave, imagine what four blades could do? The guy wouldn't be left with any skin! He'd just be a manly skeleton, standing around on the set of Who Wants to be a Millionaire?, smugly rubbing his mandible.

    --
    SO YOU'RE GOING TO DIE: The Comic for Dealing with Death
  11. Why is this relevent to the linux community? by peterprior · · Score: 4, Funny

    Everyone knows linux hackers and users don't shave, and the more hair the better.
    Also, simply using the Tesco Online Grocery Shopping system would get round the problem.

    :)

  12. Neck-beard UNIX guru by AndroidCat · · Score: 5, Funny
    I've always thought that if I could grow a reasonable looking beard that didn't irritate the hell out of me, it could be worth a few thousand more in the job market.

    A solid beard lets you look sage while stroking it and giving a measured Hmmm and a nod, while you try to figure out what the hell to do next.

    Alternately I could extend my moustache to a Fu Manchu and try out for the next Evil Overlord position that opens up. (I've got the laugh, but an extreme moustache is a job requirement, bastards.)

    --
    One line blog. I hear that they're called Twitters now.
    1. Re:Neck-beard UNIX guru by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

      I've debated growing a beard... The thing is that the hair on the top of my head is red. My facial hair, however, is blonde.

      So, my question is, do chicks dig mismatched hair?

    2. Re:Neck-beard UNIX guru by Anne+Thwacks · · Score: 2, Funny
      Gillette blades are highly valued because being clean shaven is clear evidence that you do not support Bin Laden and are not a Muslim Extremeist.

      Obviously, by using the RFID/Video technology, the FBI will be able to compile a database of all the clean-cut Americans that are not Muslim extremeists.

      So get down to Tescos and have your picture taken NOW, or you may be extradited to Guantanamo Bay in real quick time!

      --
      Sent from my ASR33 using ASCII
  13. You can "check out" any time you want! by Openadvocate · · Score: 2, Funny

    but you can never "leave"

    --
    my sig
    1. Re:You can "check out" any time you want! by Alsee · · Score: 3, Funny

      Welcome to the Hotel RFID.
      We are all just prisoners here of our own device.

      -

      --
      - - You can't take something off the Internet! That's like trying to take pee out of a swimming pool.
  14. Re:Most stolen item in Britain by Idarubicin · · Score: 2, Funny
    Stop feeding stupi corporate three-razor extra-close super-smooth this bitch will fuck you if you use them razor companies.

    It gets worse....

    --
    ~Idarubicin
  15. Re:Buh-wah? by WindBourne · · Score: 3, Funny

    Just another reason to switch to a straight razor.
    I did. Now I am sitting in this cell at the airport.

    --
    I prefer the "u" in honour as it seems to be missing these days.
  16. Re:I just want to know... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

    Homemade tin foil of course. You can't trust that store-bought stuff.

  17. Re:Scenario by roystgnr · · Score: 4, Funny

    If you read the article, you'd know the whole thing is supervised by human operators. It isn't a case that a machine automatically matches faces and raises an alarm.

    Well, even if you didn't read the article, you've got to realize that there will be a human in the loop somewhere. We aren't quite up to replacing security guards with ED-209 yet.

    Robot: "HALT. PRESENT RECEIPT. YOU HAVE TEN SECONDS TO COMPLY."
    Customer: "It's right here."
    Robot: "YOU NOW HAVE FIVE SECONDS TO COMPLY."
    Customer: "It... It's right here!"
    Robot: "3...2...1... I AM NOW AUTHORIZED TO PREVENT SHOPLIFTING WITH PHYSICAL FORCE." (gatling guns spin up)
    Customer: "Aaahhh!!!"

  18. Re:They are... by mike300zx · · Score: 2, Funny

    literally!

  19. Re:Is this really so much worse... by HBI · · Score: 3, Funny

    You'd be less afraid of this if you knew the horrid state most government computer systems are in.

    I imagine this theoretical database would be the most horrible conglomeration of utter shit you'd ever have seen. The chances of any useful searches being done on it would be nearly nil, considering what the average government dweeb is like.

    This doesn't scare me much actually, nor do I care if a store wants to film me while I buy things. I got accused of theft by some rent-a-cop back when I was about 18 - this would have assured that experience would have never happened. I still hope that guy develops a nasty case of genital warts nonetheless.

    --
    HBI's Law: Frequency of calling others Nazis is directly correlated with the likelihood of the accuser being Communist.
  20. Re:Could be the next Evil cheeto-bearded Linux dud by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

    BSD is undead!

  21. Re:The real reason! by God!+Awful+2 · · Score: 2, Funny


    Hmm quite a failed logic. Bin Laden and Co. don't shave because they believe it's against their religion. If they don't shave, why would they buy Gillete Mach 3s?

    That's why they need the cameras. If an unshaven guy who looks like a terrorist buys a razor then it must be for some nefarious purpose, such as sticking it in Halloween candy.

    -a

  22. Re:Is this really so much worse... by Registered+Coward+v2 · · Score: 2, Funny

    Around here, Kroger was the first to introduce these things.

    And to get it you HAVE to give them name, address, phone number, date of birth, sex, etc. Which they have of me, just not the correct ones ;)


    No, you have to give them a name,name, address, phone number, date of birth, sex,etc.

    After I went through the Great Dictators of History (tm) series (all of whom seemed to move to the US and by cheap beer at Krogers - except for the African ones, who buy expensive beer with the millions they have after people on the internet help get the cash out of Africa), I began on the dead Presidents series ( I often forget my card and get a new one at the store.)

    Their data collection, if users properly game the system, is more garbage in, garbage out.

    --
    I'm a consultant - I convert gibberish into cash-flow.
  23. Re:They are... by daveisoverlord · · Score: 2, Funny

    After using the Mach3, going back to ordinary razors just didn't cut it.

    I wish there was a +1 Rimshot mod. :)

    --
    The perception of reality is more important than reality itself.