GEORGE Orwell first coined the term, numerous sci-fi books and movies have delved into it, and now there’s also a reality show on TV: Big Brother fears are gradually becoming a real-world concern. Just look at Japan, where the schoolbags and uniforms of primary school kids are being tagged with microchips that can track their whereabouts on school grounds. All a Japanese kid has to do is to pass by readers that have been installed in the school gates and at other key locations, and his location will be captured and relayed to the school surveillance system.

In the Ross Correctional Facility in Chillicothe, Ohio, inmates are now part of a pilot project which requires them to wear wristwatch-sized devices that transmit radio signals to the readers and then to the prison computer, allowing authorities to determine their exact location. Tamper with the devices, and they will set off an alarm, allowing prison guards to easily track down the inmates.

These applications all stem from a not-so-new wireless technology called radio frequency identification (RFID). Its ultimate objective is to trace, identify and connect objects with objects, via radiowaves.

http://star-techcentral.com/tech/story.asp?file=/2004/8/24/corpit/8707845&sec=corpit


Source:
Aftermath News
Top Stories - August 26th, 2004