Worried about big brother?
Discussion
3 of us pitched this to Sainsburys almost 10 years ago.
The idea was to leave the build transponders in the cars after they left the production line rather than take them off and reusing them.
The idea was that they have gantries which pick up the transponder and then geo-dem their customer base based on the car they drive.
They didnt go for it but they did mention at the time that there was a move to embed transponders in larger items to expedite the checkout process. You just walked through and then swiped without human involvement.
The army have been using them for some time to keep track of weaponry on the battlefield.
The idea was to leave the build transponders in the cars after they left the production line rather than take them off and reusing them.
The idea was that they have gantries which pick up the transponder and then geo-dem their customer base based on the car they drive.
They didnt go for it but they did mention at the time that there was a move to embed transponders in larger items to expedite the checkout process. You just walked through and then swiped without human involvement.
The army have been using them for some time to keep track of weaponry on the battlefield.
Plotloss said:This sounds like a great idea! You could do your shopping and bag it up as you go along, then no queueing at checkouts etc.
They didnt go for it but they did mention at the time that there was a move to embed transponders in larger items to expedite the checkout process. You just walked through and then swiped without human involvement.
it's only a step further from store detectives carrying around a transponder that, when activated, enables the store cameras to follow them around when they are trailling a suspect.
The benefits of RFID technilogy are potentially huge, I do feel that there needs to be some guidelines set up pronto to define acceptable use.
Of course this won't happen as the (any) govy will want to incorporate them in ID cards. Then it will be law that ID cards will be carried at any time. Next step will be RFID readers everywhere.........
Of course it would need a pretty robust IT infrastructure to deliver that so we will be safe for a while
The benefits of RFID technilogy are potentially huge, I do feel that there needs to be some guidelines set up pronto to define acceptable use.
Of course this won't happen as the (any) govy will want to incorporate them in ID cards. Then it will be law that ID cards will be carried at any time. Next step will be RFID readers everywhere.........
Of course it would need a pretty robust IT infrastructure to deliver that so we will be safe for a while
I fail to see what's so disturbing about this.
I've worked on new tech projects for retailers for years. What about the scanning devices at shelf level that track your eye movements. Or the (for want of a technical term) special paint that allows retailers to track footfall around the store. Or the shelf edge labels that change the prices of products dynamically based on who is walking past. None of this is unusual, and certainly tracking products via RF has been around for donkeys years.
I've worked on new tech projects for retailers for years. What about the scanning devices at shelf level that track your eye movements. Or the (for want of a technical term) special paint that allows retailers to track footfall around the store. Or the shelf edge labels that change the prices of products dynamically based on who is walking past. None of this is unusual, and certainly tracking products via RF has been around for donkeys years.
bga said:Don't be silly! The gov't will go off half-baked, the crims will spot a loophole and get around it, and innocent people will be charged/fined/taxed first, then have to PROVE their innocence because the "computer says guilty"!
Of course it would need a pretty robust IT infrastructure to deliver that so we will be safe for a while
Complete load of bollocks - so what if they're doing that? Who cares? It should make life easier...it's hardly spying now is it.
The only people who should be worried about this are shoplifters IMHO.
Another example of 'rebels' looking desperately for something/one to rebel against without really knowing why.
The only people who should be worried about this are shoplifters IMHO.
Another example of 'rebels' looking desperately for something/one to rebel against without really knowing why.
KITT said:
They didnt go for it but they did mention at the time that there was a move to embed transponders in larger items to expedite the checkout process. You just walked through and then swiped without human involvement.
This sounds like a great idea! You could do your shopping and bag it up as you go along, then no queueing at checkouts etc.
the nearest to this is being able to scan your own shopping as you go, sainsburys do this, you just pay at the checkout rather than have to unpack and repack your trolly
And we all know computers never make mistakes - especially government ones.
Reported in Taxation (the journal of the Institute of Taxation)yesterday - the Inland Revenue admit that, because of computer problems, £37 million was paid in error to Tax Credits claimants in the first year of the system. They have stated that they will not be asking for this money back from the recipients.
That "error" was so small, it never made the national news.
Reported in Taxation (the journal of the Institute of Taxation)yesterday - the Inland Revenue admit that, because of computer problems, £37 million was paid in error to Tax Credits claimants in the first year of the system. They have stated that they will not be asking for this money back from the recipients.
That "error" was so small, it never made the national news.
bga said:
Of course it would need a pretty robust IT infrastructure to deliver that so we will be safe for a while
I wouldn't bet on it, all you have to do is not base it on Windoze and you can have as reliable a system as you want. Example from pre-2000 is Kellogs automated warehousing and despatch, robotic carts and all, never rebooted in 7 and a half years working 24/7/365, now that is reliable.
There are enough spam emails trying to sell me things I don't want. I really don't want to walk into a shop and have lots of purchases suggested.
And if I want Viagra then I'll order it online, rather than walking into Boots and some machine asking if I want some more
(Not that I need it, of course)
And if I want Viagra then I'll order it online, rather than walking into Boots and some machine asking if I want some more
(Not that I need it, of course)
What a load of luddite hot air.
What? Like that's not already the case? How does your mobile phone work, then? How does your edition of "lintilists monthly" get to your radio?
Er, that's the whole point. Fantastic for stock control and store security.
And people would do this why exactly? And why would you care anyway?
To achieve this, they'd need a complete inventory of every RFID protected product sold by every manufacturer and store in the world. Hardly a productive use of somebody's time, even if it were logistically possible.
Presumably the savings due to more efficient stock control and (hopefully) reduced shoplifting will offset or negate the investment. I can't see any other reason why a retailer such as Tesco would throw money at such a scheme otherwise. I imagine that the trials have gethered enough evidence to support this, hence the investment.
All the examples they cite are to do with "big corporation puts small retailers out of business" - hardly relevant to the issue at hand, I'd say!
Campaign said:
In such a world, we and our children would be continually bombarded with electromagnetic energy.
What? Like that's not already the case? How does your mobile phone work, then? How does your edition of "lintilists monthly" get to your radio?
Campaign said:
With bar code technology, every can of Coke has the same UPC or bar code number (a can of Coke in Toronto has the same number as a can of Coke Topeka). With RFID, each individual can of Coke would have a unique ID number
Er, that's the whole point. Fantastic for stock control and store security.
Campaign said:
Imagine walking through a doorway and having a hidden reader device identify the books in your briefcase and the brand of your underwear.
And people would do this why exactly? And why would you care anyway?
To achieve this, they'd need a complete inventory of every RFID protected product sold by every manufacturer and store in the world. Hardly a productive use of somebody's time, even if it were logistically possible.
Campaign said:
Who will pay for this expensive investment? Tesco shoppers.
Presumably the savings due to more efficient stock control and (hopefully) reduced shoplifting will offset or negate the investment. I can't see any other reason why a retailer such as Tesco would throw money at such a scheme otherwise. I imagine that the trials have gethered enough evidence to support this, hence the investment.
Campaign said:
Other organizations have also spoken out against Tesco.
blah blah blah
All the examples they cite are to do with "big corporation puts small retailers out of business" - hardly relevant to the issue at hand, I'd say! TeamD said:
Of course it would need a pretty robust IT infrastructure to deliver that so we will be safe for a while
I wouldn't bet on it, all you have to do is not base it on Windoze and you can have as reliable a system as you want. Example from pre-2000 is Kellogs automated warehousing and despatch, robotic carts and all, never rebooted in 7 and a half years working 24/7/365, now that is reliable.
Of course we know that, but have you ever worked on any large scale Public Sector IT projects?
They can't even get basic apps to work through mis-speccing and being mis-sold stuff
havoc said:
Of course it would need a pretty robust IT infrastructure to deliver that so we will be safe for a while
Don't be silly! The gov't will go off half-baked, the crims will spot a loophole and get around it, and innocent people will be charged/fined/taxed first, then have to PROVE their innocence because the "computer says guilty"!
good point
TeamD said:
Example from pre-2000 is Kellogs automated warehousing and despatch, robotic carts and all, never rebooted in 7 and a half years working 24/7/365, now that is reliable.
Yeah, we've got some systems like that, daren't reboot them in case they don't come back. Heaven help us if we have a power cut!
havoc said:
bga said:
Of course it would need a pretty robust IT infrastructure to deliver that so we will be safe for a while
Don't be silly! The gov't will go off half-baked, the crims will spot a loophole and get around it, and innocent people will be charged/fined/taxed first, then have to PROVE their innocence because the "computer says guilty"!
Er, don't we already have these systems in place?
To wit: Scameras, Kengestion charging etc...
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