HP's Memory Spot Chip

Iddo Genuth writes, "HP Labs recently revealed a prototype of the Memory Spot Chip, a tiny wireless chip capable of storing and transmitting data. When it hits the market in about 2-3 years, the new chip will enable a variety of applications ranging from digital wristbands that store patient medical information to sound bytes on paper or printed pictures that can be accessed using a reader-equipped device. The article has an interview with Howard Taub of HP Labs and some photos of the prototype chip." The chip can only be read at a distance of 1 mm, so it avoids many of the privacy concerns of RFID. It has about 1000 times the storage capacity and 100-1000 times the data transfer rate of RFID.

Comments

No thanks

[LiquidCoooled]

I can only see 1 metre without my glasses,
But shockingly if I get a device to FOCUS the light I can see much further.

Do they make tiny pringles cans?

follow USB's lead

[User 956]

Or, possibly, they could do something like they did with USB. Call it "RFID 2.0", then rename regular RFID to "RFID 2.0 Full speed", and the real RFID 2.0 to "RFID 2.0 High Speed". That's not confusing at all.

If so close, then why even wireless?

[businessnerd]

The chip can only be read at a distance of 1 mm, so it avoids many of the privacy concerns of RFID.

If they are going to make it so that you have to be 1mm away to read the signal, then why not just make a contact point and do away with the wireless function all together. This would truly avoid the privacy concerns and would function just the same. What's 1 more milimeter of distance anyway?

It seems everything these days needs to be wireless in order to be considered a hot new item. This is like making a "contactless pen." Instead of having to press the pen against the paper to write, you can hover the pen less than 1mm away from the paper.

Re:If so close, then why even wireless?

[mcfuddlerucker]

>> This is like making a "contactless pen."

Kindly stop hoarding this technology to yourself, and let me know where I can purchase this device.

Re:If so close, then why even wireless?

[le0p]

Just a thought, maybe it's because contacts get dirty, scratched, corroded, and stop working? With extrememly close wireless, you achieve a "contact" point without the maintenance issues. You could be right that it's purely a hype creator, but it seems like there might be some merit to me.

Of course!

[morgan_greywolf]

HP had to develop such a tiny memory technology for their spy cameras! :)

How's this really better?

[jhfry]

The advantage of RFID is that it could be read from a distance... so that you could walk out of a store with a cart full of items and not need to scan each one individually. This removes this ability.

The security concern with RFID is that it could be read from a distance... so a marketing company could scan a cart full of items and not need to scan each one individually. this removes this ability.

OK so now it doesn't benifit you or the store at all... but it protects your security better! But the way I see it is it's no better than the current, cheap alternative of barcodes.

I think where TFA is off is in it's comparing this technology and it's applications to RFID. These technologies are certainly not targetting the same markets or applications. I wouldn't mind the new chip in my credit card (unlike RFID), but don't raise the price of my canned fruit by embedding one in the label.

This new technology is best suited in situations where large volumes of data need to be attached to an object and securely (relative, physical only) read very quickly and with minimal effort. Medical applications come to mind as well as banking, credit card processing, and identification (DL, VISA, Passport).