About a month later, Holly turned up in her hometown of West Palm Beach after somehow traveling approximately 200 miles from where she was lost. The Richters say that when Holly was recovered by another family who lived in their hometown, she was weak and thin after her 200-mile trek. Holly’s owners had an identification chip embedded inside their pet.

Holly’s owners say that the feline isn’t an adventurous animal so they are very surprised that she attempted the 200-mile journey home. The kitty was also an indoor cat that had never spent time outside raising the question of how exactly Holly took care of herself on the road home. The Richters and Holly were brought together again when the people who found the cat took her to the veterinarian.

That vet read the information off the RFID chip the cat had and called the animal’s owners. Apparently, Holly has learned her lesson. Her people say that she is happy to be home and hasn’t tried to escape again. 200 miles is a long way to walk for a cat.

[via Science Recorder]

Just as in the classic SNES racing game, different items around the track have different effects on the go-cart. Get a mushroom, for instance, and the speed of the Mario Kart is boosted for five seconds, having been artificially limited to 75-percent of full throttle.

However, the RFID-tagged plastic bananas cause the pneumatics to automatically lock up one side of the steering for three seconds, causing the go-cart to swerve uncontrollably. Since all of the carts are hooked up wirelessly, some items can apply a penalty to all the other drivers when collected, for instance automatically slamming on their brakes.

A 120psi cannon on the side of each of the carts can be used to blast other drivers, again causing their brakes to lock or their steering to go wonky. Unfortunately, the Mario Kart race track Waterloo Labs set up was only temporary, but the team has released the source code in case you have the space and inclination to build your own.

[via MAKE]

Karotz smart rabbit robot uses Facebook is written by Chris Davies & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 - 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved. ]]> http://www.slashgear.com/karotz-smart-rabbit-robot-uses-facebook-10208120/feed/ 0 http://www.slashgear.com/asahi-kasei-rfid-device-stores-medical-data-and-uses-felica-tech-08170172/ http://www.slashgear.com/asahi-kasei-rfid-device-stores-medical-data-and-uses-felica-tech-08170172/#comments Mon, 08 Aug 2011 10:24:44 +0000 Shane McGlaun http://www.slashgear.com/?p=170172 Read The Full Story]]> When it comes to emergencies, where a life hangs in the balance accessing information about the patient seconds faster could mean the difference between life and death. When people with severe medical issues or allergies are in an accident where they are unable to communicate with responders the special needs that doctors and paramedics don’t know about can make a huge difference in treatment and the outcome for the person.

A Japanese company called Asahi Kasei has debuted a little RFID product that is a small white square that can be attached to a phone or other object the person keeps with them. In an emergency the paramedics or doctors can press another RFID enabled device that uses the same FeliCa technology to the white square to retrieve the medical records on the square.

The little device can store all sorts of medical records and can provide a link on the screen of the smartphone or computer that the medical pro is using to other files stored on servier off the card like x-rays and test reports. The little square measures 3x3cm and would sell for about $25 per unit. The FeliCa technology is used by a number of companies including Sony. We have also seen credit card readers that make use of the FeliCa technology.

[via TechCrunch]

The three major retailers are working towards using item level UHF RFID tags that will allow the workers to know at a glance at the computer what is in stock. ABI Research says that these passive UHF RFID ILT (item level tagging) tags will help push RFID use in the commercial market to three quarters of a billion in use on the market.

The RFID tags can also be used for security as well to help stop theft. RFID in shoes is nice, but I will really get excited when a grocery store can tag everything so my cart is totaled as soon as I walk up to the register. “RFID systems allow apparel retailers to get a better handle on inventory, reducing costs and preventing out of stock situations that result in loss of sales,” says ABI Research principal analyst Bill Arnold. “The growth in retail item-level tagging is huge, both in shipments and in total spending. The average growth rate is close to 60% for the next three years. In fact, the number of tags that will be used for retail ILT in apparel alone is likely to exceed the total number consumed over the past five years for all RFID markets combined.”

Among the required areas of knowledge for these jobs is RFID, which s a type of near-field communication (NFC). Essentially Apple is looking for a hardware developer to help turn the iPhone into an “e-wallet” for transactions.

These job listings line up pretty well with recent rumor that Apple is readying an “e-wallet” strategy for both the iPhone 5 and second generation iPad. Some strategists even believe that Apple could have its own mobile payment service up and running as early as mid-2011 which is the expected launch date for the next iPhone.

As to how Apple might implement such a system, rumors are circulating around payments going through its iTunes payment service. Hopefully we will see more of this develop as we near the announcement of the second generation iPad and iPhone 5.

Job listings: [1] [2]

[Via AppleInsider]

Inside this lovely new phone were features such as support for interaction with NFC enhanced devices and RFID tags. You know what that means? It means that when you get your Nexus S, you may very well be on your way to buying coffee with your phone instead of your wallet. The future or money is possibly in your electronic pocket. This is the same sort of tech that in recent times there’s been some speculation for Apple to attain – looks like Google got there first? Schmidt noted that he believed this sort of interaction (phone to money to product or service) will be the one to replace the credit card.

Schmidt also noted that Gingerbread (aka Android 2.3) will be rolling itself out in the next few weeks, but for which devices he did not say. On the other hand, since it is loaded here on the Nexus S (carried by T-Mobile), maybe that’s an alert on a certain release date for a certain phone?

The Google CEO did call the phone an “unannounced phone” from an “announced manufacturer,” possibly saying so since the T-Mobile logo was prevalent in the upper right hand corner of the display during the demo. Then he dropped a challenge / declaration of excellence, all up in the Apple face, right after a compliment: “There’s a set of things that the iPhone did a brilliant job of doing on a closed system… but that the next real focus is on the application layer. You have to establish volume first, which is what we’ve done…We think Android will be a leading platform, if not the leading platform.”

[Via AndroidCommunity]

EpicMix is a program that automatically tracks different characteristics of a single person. It manages this by using an RF tag located on season passes and PEAKS lift tickets. This RF logo will transmit data as you ride certain chair lifts, travel down mountains, as well as when you ride slopes. It will also track how high you’ve gone. All of this information is then translated onto EpicMix’s site, and then displayed there. If you manage to do enough to warrant the unlocking of an Achievement, it will show there on the site. Mobile versions of the site are currently in development.

The first to get the EpicMix treatment will be Keystone, which is scheduled to open on November 5th. The other Vail Resorts that will be getting the Achievements will be Beaver Creek, Breckenridge, Keystone, Vail, and Heavenly. Frequent users of the slopes will not only be able to receive Achievements, but also gain levels, and earn points. To make it better, Vail Resorts says that gaining enough points and reaching certain levels will unlock “unique rewards and benefits.”

[via Kotaku]

Some credit cards might not be secure allowing hackers to access the data stored on the RFID chips inside without ever touching the card owner. A company called Kena Kai is launching a new line of patent leather wallets that have RF shielding to block anyone from accessing the RFID chip on the credit card.

According to the company, researchers at MIT have proven that card information theft can be done by hackers from up to 20 feet away. The RF shielding prevents the data from being accessible. The wallet sells for $70 and will come in five colors with gold zippers and contrasting accents.

The Reading team had grabbed headlines by demonstrating how an RFID chip – similar to those used to tag pets – could be infected with a virus, and then used to infect mobile devices and door-entry systems as it passed through.  Problem is, Cluley points out, “The fact is that that code would not be read until an RFID reader came into contact with the affected RFID chip and even then the software connected with the RFID reader would need to have a vulnerability that would allow the code to be run.”

Moreover, the only reason they bothered implanting the chip into researcher Dr. Mark Gasson, he suggests, is that they know doing so – while irrelevant to whatever security issues might be present – will be enough to secure them media attention.  ”In other words,” Cluley concludes, “we haven’t really learnt anything.”

The device uses NFC-RFID tech to allow mobile phones that are capable of reading NFC data to get images and text that they can enjoy as the visit the graveside. The device is a palm-size stone tablet or a coin-size stick-on polymer tag called a Data Tag. The Data Tag sticks directly to the headstone and text and photos associated with the tag can be uploaded and managed by the buyer directly to an archive site included with the purchase.

The company also provides a system for handsets that aren’t NFC compatible that provides a URL with a specific site just for the gave they are visiting. The same text and images can be offered there. The prices for the devices range from $12.99 to $225.

The new Wireless Dynamics iCarte accessory plugs into the charge and sync port of the iPhone and allows the device to read RFID and NFC. A smart chip embedded in the device allows the iPhone to become an electronic wallet to support contactless payments.

The accessory can also transmit the NFC or RFID data to enterprise databases in real-time over WiFi or 3G connections. The iCarte operates at 13.56MHz and supports ISO14443A/B and ISO15693 tags including NXP MIFARE and I-CODE SLI. The device works with the iPhone 3G and 3GS running OS 3.0 or higher. The iCarte also as a miniUSB port built-in that allows the iPhone to charge without unplugging the reader.

Video demo after the cut

Usually the display is blank (hence the need for a normal picture, as not everywhere will have an RFID reader) but when held close to the scanner it powers up and automatically shows the video.  Apparently the AMOLED itself, as well as being flexible, has a 10,000:1 contrast ratio and can display 260k colors.

Of course, as well as showing more detail regarding the legitimate card-holder, it also makes the whole thing more difficult to counterfeit.  There’s still no word on when - or even if – this concept will go into production, but you can bet there are security-obsessed government departments all over the world looking on with great interest. 

Video demo after the cut

Violet also provide two mini Nabaztag rabbits, now called Nano:ztags, which have RFID stamps built into their bottoms.  As with the sticky tags, they can be associated with various apps, macros and functions; in the demo video below, one of the bunnies triggers a playlist when sat on the Mir:ror, the music ending when the Nano:ztag is lifted.

Overall, it works reasonably well, though the software proved to be a little glitchy.  Sometimes programmed tags would simply stop working, or trap themselves in a loop and attempt to force-feed you weather information 24/7.  Having to tether it via USB to a computer also limits the usability; after all, if you’re near your PC then you could probably bring up the same information with just a few key-presses.  Still, for $49.99 it’s a reasonable price to play with automation and RFID.

The Mir:ror comes with RFID stickers called Ztamps that you can stick on things you own. When these items are then scanned, it can cause a reaction on your computer. So, you could scan your umbrella and a weather update will pop up on your computer.

You connect the Mir:ror to your computer by means of a USB cable and can use it to read four RFID tags at once. Featuring an LED light ring, this gadget is stylish and practical. You can get the Mir:ror now for under $50 with two Nano:ztag Micro-Rabbits included.

Video demo after the cut

The car computer – an Alix-1, which is fast enough to run Linux and share a 3G internet connection over multiple WiFi clients, but low-power enough to run for prolonged periods from a battery – is connected to the RX-8′s OBD-II interface, so has access to the speed, RPM, intake manifold air temperature, engine load, fuel level and more.  It can then send that to a remote computer.

More impressively, though, the car can be remotely started or stopped by the iPod touch, together with operating the locks; Jon can unlock the car completely key-free, using an RFID tag that he’s had surgically implanted in his left arm via an RFID reader mounted on one of the windows.  More details at Jon’s project log.

[via Nowhere Else]

 
With the Mir:ror, you can connect all of your non-digital items to the digital world. So, you’d put RFID tags on all of your belongings and then use the Mir:ror to interface them with your computer. This device is a small round gadget that plugs in via USB port.

Let’s say you put an RFID tag on your shirt. Wave the shirt over the Mir:ror and the computer will recognize it in some way you deem fit. You could set it to take you to your favorite clothing retailer or something like that. You can connect anything in anyway you want. The Mir:ror features several built-in RFID tags, and you can assign many yourself as well. This device is expected to be released today in the U.S. and will set you back $69.99 for the starter kit.

[via SlipperyBrick]

If ever actually produced, this technology could be the future of how our many gadgets talk to one another. But it’s not just limited to gadgets. Tiny RF transmitter-receivers would be placed into just about anything and could interact with just about anything around it.

These “smart” devices could ID themselves and transmit data over the long range like WiMax and 3G and the short range like WiFi. All of this would be automated. So your iPod could be plugged into your shirt. Your shoes could talk to your phone. Everything could talk to everything, making for a personal area network all around you. Pretty neat idea. Don’t know if it would ever happen, but seems to have some potential real-world applications.

[via Gizmodo]

Tikitag is boasted as a system that will “build the Internet of things,” and that assertion is pretty close to the truth. In fact, it will allow you to add an RFID tag to just about anything in the world around you. Once tagged, you can then add a website address or an application to the tag. So, you could tag a business card to lead to your website.

And come October 1st, you can get the Tikitag for yourself for $50. Ten tikitags come with it, as well. You can purchase boxes of 25 tikitags, if you’d like to really go on a tagging spree.

[via Engadget]

You could even open a door by just stepping on the rug in front of it or touching the door handle as you go to open it, depending on how you rig up the readers. I’d say that it could be used with your vehicle, but proximity unlocking/starting key fobs are old hack so not much of an advancement there.

Its not as insecure as RFID, but it works along the same lines and offers similar conveniences. NTT says they even picture it being used in doctor’s offices to transmit patient data as the doctor or nurse examine you, meaning it could be transferred to another device via another human, just imaging exchanging digital business cards by simply shaking hands, god knows CES would have been a lot easier if that had been the case.

[via Gizmodo]

The bot is capable of “managing” 1000 square feet of space and uses 16 cameras, 6 laser range finders, and 9 RFID tags to monitor a moving crowd and determine if they are lost. Once it determines you are lost, it determines your location with in a few centimeters and then moves over to you and I assume offers to help you find the place you are looking for.

It can monitor up to 20 people at a time right now, so it would be good for a slower hallway in your local mall or maybe a small store. If you are still capable of replying your intended destination, this little dude can hook you up with directions to the store.

[via geekologie]

It all works off of RFID and each Loc8tor comes with a few miniature RFID homing tags that you put on or in whatever you don’t want to lose. Some recommendations would be your wallet, cell phone, or other high end electronics that you take with you on the go.

Personally, I’d probably attach it to the TV remote, my Xbox 360 Media Center Remote (I am always losing that damned thing), and then I have a couple of RC flying vehicles that it would be nifty to have something to help me find their remnants when I crash and burn. All in, it seems like a very useful device, and it will only cost you $80 for one of the new Lite sets, probably less for the original model.

[via ubergizmo]

This kit will attach to a SATA hard drive and connect to your computer; it comes with a keychain RFID transmitter that stores the drives key. By scanning the transmitter over the drive you can unlock it and retrieve your information. The only downfall to this that comes to mind is that you’d be SOL if you lost the keychain.

The STSEN E08 is easily upgraded and the best part of it that if it’s ever separated from the kit it’ll automatically reformat itself. This device only cost $56, which is not bad in my book.

PICO EO8 RFID Security 2.5” HDD Enclosure [via Everything USB]

So what makes Nokia think they can do something different enough to make it work better? Personally I don’t think they can, I am all about making the contents of my pocket fewer and fewer and simplifying the payment process, but I am also totally against RFID except for the tracking of cargo, items in a business, applications where tracking people, and attaching the tech to money are not combined because I’ve read about the extreme lack of security regarding RFID.

Clearly Nokia thinks they are above this, and at least the three have been smart enough to not directly attach the RFID tag to a bank account, but instead its more like a rechargeable gift card, so you likely won’t have much money to lose through this program, but any money lost is more than I want to lose. I guess they figured that it works so well in Japan and South Korea, why not in the UK, and they have a good point, but you’ll never catch me carrying around a phone with an RFID tag in it, at least not until they secure the technology more.

New Nokia’s just the ticket [via T3]

The biggest difference between this unit, and others, is that this unit costs $995, where currently, similarly functioning devices are made for large industrial implementations and thusly cost a small fortune. So if you were looking for a tracking solution for your gear, whether you are a small business, a field team, or maybe just for your house, RF Code has you covered.

Mobile RFID Unit Tracks Gear [via PCWorld]

If you’re paranoid about Big Brother tracking your every move at the event (that is if you’re planning on attending) you do have the option of checking a box to not have one in your badge. I’m going to have one in mine, I doubt that we’ll actually even notice that anything is going on with it, as it’s just going to track overall info for the show management.

Instead of credit cards as they are now – unresponsive windows into debt and misery (can you tell I just got my latest statement?) – Jacob’s concept is an RFID linked mini-display that not only indicated how much you have in each linked account but, should you spend some of it, gives you a visual forecast on how that might effect your future economic status. 

There’s also a fingerprint scanner to make sure it’s really you using the card.  Personally I’d like that scanner to be able to give me electric shocks when it senses that I’m buying something ridiculous that I don’t need.

Yanko Design [via Coolest Gadgets]

$99.99 gets you more than a dozen different RFID chips, each pre-programmed with a unique HEX code and just desperate to be scanned by the USB reader.  Software to actually turn that information into something useful is available to download, so now it’s all too easy to set up a “no ice cream after 6pm” freezer.

Among the chips is a bio-implantable one which ThinkGeek are keen to point out should not be actually rammed under your skin because it hasn’t been surgically sterilised.  We all know that such a warning won’t stop at least a few people from trying it, however, so keep watching out for reports on BoingBoing about geeks using their gangrenous arms to unlock their front door.

The kit is currently out of stock, but should be available sometime toward the end of March.

ThinkGeek [via OhGizmo!]

The RFID Digital Door Lock will lock and unlock itself with the wave of your fob, card, or tag infront of its card reader. So, although you still have to carry with you that fob, card, or tag, it is much lighter than your traditional metal key and will fit in your wallet. But should you lose or forget that fob, card, or tag, much the same way you did your keys, the door lock can still be operated via its key pad with your secure PIN. Worry not about the batteries going dead, as it has emergency supply and probably some alerting feature. And it is so secure that theives will be forced to break through your windows instead. Priced at $300 at ThinkGeek.

RFID Digital Door Lock [Via: Coolest Gadgets]

Now imagine an interactive system that connects to your TV but also uses a broad and expandable range of characters and power-ups that you can collect just like Top Trump cards. Since we’ve been dragged squealing into the 21st century, barcodes just won’t cut it anymore – instead picture RFID-enabled cards that register with mere proximity across a swipe sensor. You’re getting close to the incredible gaming concept of Mattel’s HyperScan.

HyperScan consists of a console, lightweight and foldable for ease of transport and storage, that not only runs games on CD-ROM but also interacts with re-writable RFID token cards (which Mattel calls Intellicards). A software title such as Marvel X-Men would run primary gameplay from the CD, but during that a player can pause the action and swipe one or more of their Intellicards to upgrade, modify and enhance both their offensive and defensive battle abilities, such as extra strength, armour and special moves. At the end of the game the Intellicards can be swiped again, this time uploading details of their winning powers so that they can be invoked in future games.

Mattel see HyperScan as a bridging system for children eight and above, fitting in-between simplistic plug & play games and high-end consoles like the PS2 and XBox 360 which can often feature mature content. It hybridises traditional button-bashing with the perennially popular collector cards concept, game packs selling with a CD-ROM and six game cards, with subsequent booster packs of game cards available to introduce new skills and features. A single game features around 100 corresponding Intellicards: 10 to 20 characters, each with between 20 and 40 hours of gameplay, and in excess of 80 modification cards.