Items tagged with RFID
Researchers at Disney and Carnegie Mellon University have been toying around with radio frequency identification (RFID) tags, and we mean that in the literal sense. RFID tags are typically used for high tech inventory management in a variety of industries, but researchers concocted a way to make RFID technology feasible for interactive games using physical objects. Using a framework the researchers developed called RapID, they showed how inexpensive RFID tags can sense when a physical object is moved or touched in near real-time. The research team demonstrated a handful of use case scenarios. One included a tic-tac-toe board that mirrors the physical game on a computer monitor with added sound...
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As companies such as Apple, Samsung, and those associated with the Merchant Customer Exchange push near-field communication (NFC) payments forward, and radio-frequency identification (RFID) technology is used in important documents such as passports, digital pick pocketing is expected to increase as well. However, to help combat digital theft, security software developer Norton partnered with Betabrand to create jeans and a blazer designed to prevent digital pick pocketing. The articles of clothing features RFID-blocking fabric in two pockets that will prevent criminals from using RFID readers to steal information. This is a situation that security experts say is a growing...
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Dirty rotten laptop thieves may want to consider another way to make a quick buck, as there are forces in play that will hopefully render this business model obsolete. Intel has teamed up with Impinj, Technology Solutions UK Ltd. (TSL), and Burnside Digital to create an RFID solution called Wireless Credential Exchange (WCE) to track lost and stolen laptops. Intel's System-on-Chip (SoC) is a crucial component of the RFID system. The key is that it can read and write data to the Monza RFID chip that will be embedded into Intel SoC-powered devices. The chip can also be read and written to using an external TSL RFID reader, even when the system is powered down. Unique IDs, error logs, permissions,...
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Ever since the NSA's PRISM program came to light, there's been a heightened sense of privacy and personal security among technophiles and mainstream users alike. Nobody likes being spied on, and unfortunately, today's persistently connected world makes it all too easy for our personal electronics to reveals things we might not want disclosed, such as where we are at any particular time, our buying habits, and so forth. We bring all this up because Das Keyboard just dove into a new product category with the launch of highly secure, radio frequency blocking bags. They're called "HackShield" bags, which you can purchase in backpack or messenger bag form. Both types sport internal pockets lined with...
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The Northside Independent School District (NISD) in San Antonio sparked a controversy earlier this year when it rolled out its "Student Locator Project," an initiative that requires students to wear ID badges with embedded radio frequency identification (RFID) chips. NISD's website is down today, and a member of the hacking organization known as Anonymous reached out HotHardware to take credit for the outage. NISD said it wanted to expand the Student Locator Project to 112 Texas schools and around 100,000 students to curb truancy, apparently a major problem at the school district in question. It was reported that by improving attendance, NISD could receive as much as $20 million in additional...
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The Northside Independent School District (NISD) in San Antonio sparked a controversy when it rolled out its "Student Locator Project," which requires students to wear ID badges with embedded radio frequency identification (RFID) chips on a lanyard around their neck. Students are required to wear the tracking badges at all times during school hours and when attending certain school events, and those who refuse are reportedly being denied access to areas like the cafeteria or library. NISD's goal is to expand the project to 112 Texas schools and around 100,000 students as a means to combat against truancy, but it's already being met with resistance by some students and parents at John Jay High...
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Big Brother is about to take a dive into Cleveland, OH's waste material, in a manner of speaking. High-tech garbage bins will make sure that Clevelanders are recycling, at least some of the time. The way it will work is as follows: the recycling and garbage bins will be fitted with RFID tags. If a recycling bin hasn't been taken out for weeks, the city will have someone go through your trash for recyclables. It's unclear why garbage cans are monitored as well. Unless, if the garbage hasn't been put out for some weeks, they send out the police to make sure you're still alive, or at least not a candidate for one of those reality TV shows about hoarding. Anyone concerned about privacy should remember...
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