Two recent examples of RFID technology used to keep safe those things most precious:

In Tokyo, parents can use their children’s transit cards to keep track of them. The rechargeable, RFID-enabled Pasmo transportation card can be linked to readers located not just in train stations and buses, but also schools and even homes. When a card is scanned at a linked location, an email can be sent automatically to a parent, letting them know the card’s carrier has safely reached their destination.

But who is looking out for the beer? According to software producer Xterprise, around 300,000 kegs are lost annually in the U.S. alone, at a cost of $50 million to the country’s beer industry. As metal prices rise, the cost is increasing. To help remedy this horrifying situation, Xterpise has adapted its Clarity-RTI software system for use in beer barrels, allowing beer makers to monitor both outbound and returning beer kegs during distribution.

The software is linked to RFID tags produced by the Confidex group78, which are durable enough to withstand the rigorous travels of the average beer keg. According to an Xterprise representative, the tags can be scanned by readers on pallets and locator boards, brewery lines, warehouse portals, fork-lift devices and even at handheld level, depending on the brewer’s preferences.