RFID technology

TRDCorolla1

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Ever want to go to a grocery store, get whatever you want to buy and go out the door without the wait at the cashier's line (especially when the line is so long)? Watch out people this is a reality. THere are issues with privacy right now, but I just saw a video in class presented by IBM regarding the new RDIF radio tag technology. It manages inventory, access your personal account, etc.

It's like a Sci-fi show. I can't find the darn video anymore so I'll try to describe this the best as I can. You go to the store, pick up a couple bag of chips and dip for the football game starting in 30 minutes. With the product in your hands, you walk to the front of the store where you walk through a similar airport security scanner and out through the front door to your car. Freedom. When you walk through the scanner, it does a full scan of anything moving and picks up the new RDIF tags on the products (enhance barcode like tags) in which it charge the price to your account which you will pay automatically by debit or credit. The guy in the video walks through at a quick pace so it's a really fast scan. No cashier, no stopping. Oh, don't forget your reciept...

Think of Exxon and Mobile Speedpass technology for paying gasoline. It's similar.
 
Yup and they're experimenting with this stuff now in selected retail stores. It makes overall shopping easier, faster, and less hassle or hassle free in some cases. Inventories are no longer a problem so the item will always be there when you need it. I'm taking a TOM (Technology and Operations Management) class right now, (TOM301) and utilizing this technology, companies can save tons of money. THe're already doing it in warehousing and storage (Supply Chain management). Now, they want to bring it to the consumer level.

The new RDIF tags will replace the current UPC Barcode that we commonly see on products. Get this. It may increase price of everything by .50 cents to a dollar more to implement. It's not a cheap technology at the same time to implement.

Here's the current privacy issue found with this technology:

“When a consumer purchases a product with an EPC-compliant RFID tag, information about the consumer could be added to the database automatically. Additional information could be logged in the file as the consumer goes about her business… ‘Entered the Atlanta courthouse at 12:32.' ‘At Mobile Gas Station at 2:14pm.'”
 
the problem is that those items can be tracked outside of the store as well so if u buy a jacket then wear it around u can be tracked. It turns into an argument of how much are you comfortable with the gov knowing. I honestly dont want this new stuff to grab hold. Too much to worry about. Another funny thing is that aluminum foil will block the signals so it would be easy to steal sumthin.
 
We discussed that in class and yes, it would cost a lot at first to set it up. Even the items sold in the store would be marked up anywhere from .50 cents to a dollar more than usual because of the special RDIF tags implemented on the packaging. I think most of us can spare another .50cents. Everything's always going up in price anyways, (Cost of Living). In the long run, it will get cheaper to the point where you won't notice it anymore.
 
yeah. I was watching Back to the Future II movie (sooo good. I have all the Back to the Future movies) last night when Marty and the Doc was in the future. The Doc handed Marty a $50 bill to buy a Pepsi at a local 80's diner. Talk about inflation. In the future, everything will be more expensive and if they implement RFID, it will get that way too. But hopefully, it expense will be reduced overtime as the technology matures.
 
I dont like the government knowing anything about me, One reason I erase all my school records as soon as I find em.

If they plan on building it into items, No I dont think so. If it canceled its output as soon as you walk out of the door then thats a bit better

Personally, Im fine taking my product up, scanning the barcode into a scanner, putting my money in, and walking out. Simple as that
 
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