New Technology

kmguru

kmguru

Staff member
There are tons of new technology show up everyday. What interests me the most (today) is:

"A lot is riding on cutting-edge technology to thwart the counterfeiting of money, gift vouchers, passports, and other documents. But as quickly as scientists can develop special inks, labels, or holograms, crooks manage to up the ante. Now, Hitachi Ltd., a top Japanese chipmaker, says it has a minuscule integrated circuit that could really make things hard for counterfeiters.

Hitachi's so-called meu-chips measure just 0.4 millimeters on each side--small enough to be embedded in currency and most other cloth or paper documents. The chips' read-only memory can store 128 bits' worth of identifying code, which could be used for any kind of digital serial number or a user I.D. The chips also contain wireless communications circuitry that will let them talk to a reading device up to 12 in. away over a 2.45-gigahertz band. Hitachi plans to market the first batch of meu-chips next spring. "

The link is: http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/01_30/c3742112.htm#B3742115

This technology could also be used to tag anything including Humans. Your thoughts?
 
This aligns with the Digital Angel thread. While not being the same technology the results are the same as far as being used for a digital bloodhound. Except from the sound of things the Digital Angel has better range. I still would not want a digital bloodhound hooked up to me!

I stilll have the feeling that I am being treated like a crook every time I go to Walmart and have to see my money checked with this anticounterfeiting pen to see if the bank gave me "real money" and then have to submit to a bag search after paying for my purchases but before I can leave the store. I truely resent this!
 
The Walmart does not do that in my neck of the woods. Which means it depends on the demographics of the area where you go for shopping. They probably had a rash of counterfeit currency copied on a color laser that the redneck clerks could not distinguish (hee...hee...hee). They do that in Boston too. Now checkout works different way. They are looking for accomplishes of checkers who can scan over (no record) and put it in the bag. Employee theft in this country (or anywhere else) is a lot more that teenage shoplifting.

This does not prevent the professional, organized shoplifting. But those people only hit the same store may be once a year.
 
Tagging Humans

Looks to me like we are fast approaching the "Demolition Man" era where everyone gets lojacked and their locations are constantly tracked by computers. Kind of scary.

Shadow
 
Hmm, don't think you wanna tag humans...

Eventhough technology Integrated Circuits especially are getting smaller every year, I don't think that "meu-chip" has any current way of tagging a human. For starters the chip is so small that it couldn't' support any present transmitter. Even if a transmitter was built that small, the signal would extend a foot at the most. You want something that will transmit a few hundred feet, so that you can follow in secret.

As for a "1984" or "Demolition Man" scenario there's little value in Lojacking every citizen. Most people, believe it or not, don't commit crimes. We could do this to criminals though, because I believe you have to get a permit to bug, and or follow a criminal or person for that matter. This could keep us a bit safer.

My only concern is that this tagging technology could be abused. A cop could find out where say a congressman was going, i.e. some intern's house and blackmail him. Anyways it would be extremely expensive, and bothersome tracking hundreds of thousands or even millions of people. Don't worry we'll be safe.
 
Advances in technology have a way of ruining the best laid plans. For now turns into tomarrow and then all bets are off.
 
The meu-chip type technology could be integrated into a ring, watch or neckless and used as passport in lieu of your wallet or smartcard (which still requires a wallet).

Then it is a matter of time when people start missplacing their stuff to embedd it under the skin. Now you have hormone tubes under the skin, so ....

It will happen in 5 years - the ring that is. I will wear one. Do you know how many passwords I have to remember to access different programs in my company and my clients? This way I do not have to.
 
Ring sounds intersting...

Yeah an ID ring sound interesting. But just the reason I don't have the same password for scifourms and my homepage is because of redundancy. If someone got hold of my password here, I don't want them to have access to everything else. That would be like making your social security number your, password for the internet, your PIN number, and your house alarm code. If you find just one the whole system will have been compromised. I'm just saying ONE ring is too dangerous, then again who wants to look like Liberachi?
 
It will not be a password, it will be a physical authentication device. You have to steal the ring and a code word to make it work. Once the ring is stolen, you can deactivate it by logging in to a system or calling a toll-free line. Any highly secure areas can be a combination of the ring, your pin, and a constantly rotating number like in "SecurID". Today your ATM works by a static number and your PIN. It is the same principle.
 
The SecurID is an interesting concept that seems to work well. I have one available but do not use it. It does indeed provide access to the authorized while leaving the door closed on stealing the password and so being able to access denied info.
 
There are many methods to access your data coming down the tubes. Among them are fingerprint scans, retinal scans, facial recognition, and speach recognition. How we do it at present is low tech and widely available. Certainly not foolproof yet.

To me it seems likely that there will come a time when phermone recognition might be possible. Just be in the area and you will be identified as the rightful user. Another possibility is tissue recognition. We shed dead skin constantly. It is one of the leading sources of dust within your house. (just thought I'd throw that in). If any of these come to be common the use of passwords will end. So will identification to purchase products that require you to be a certain age. Instantly verifiable.
 
For starters the chip is so small that it couldn't' support any present transmitter. Even if a transmitter was built that small, the signal would extend a foot at the most
Click to expand...

What if it was used as a passive transmitter? Blanket the area with hidden transmitters and receivers. They send out a constant energy stream and the embedded chip vibrates at a specific frequency, a different one for each person, picked up by the receivers.
Still, you are correct on cost, but, like computers, it will come down in time.

Shadow
 
The last company I worked had a neat finger print technology. It not only will check your fingerprint but will take a thermal scan of your finger where the ridges and valleys have different temp differentials. So that you can not fake it by artificial means or cut off somebody's finger to do evil deeds...

Soon embeded chips will find its way to department stores when shoplifting is a problem. Someone will sure find other use for it. The price will be about ten cents per item.
 
There is already anti theft devices within stores. One requires the purchase be scanned just like the product is scanned for price. This tells the upright sensor that you walk through when leaving that it is no longer on the shelf but is going out the door as a bought item. It has to run through a network of some kind; if the store has more than one exit door then the customer could go through any door. And they do.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top