TheFeature :: It’s All About The Mobile Internet

“RFID technology is increasingly used to ensure that people remain under house arrest or as an extra security measure to ensure that prisoners do not escape. For example, a company called Alanco Technologies produces a system called PRISM. With it inmates wear RFID transmitters in a tamper-proof wristband which broadcasts a signal every two seconds to readers throughout the building. Everybody is identified and tracked by a unique signal which is managed by a central computer database. Now, in general the people do not give a hang about the freedoms of convicted felons but there are proposals to extend similar RFID systems to tourists or migrant workers visiting the United States to ensure that they do not over stay their visas.”

Savannah: Project Info - RFID C library

From the readme file:

“Supported Hardware  

Australian IT - Airlines to radio in lost trolleys (Kelly Mills, AUGUST 19, 2003)

“INTERNATIONAL airlines are looking at radio-frequency identification (RFID) technology to help them track food trolleys on flights. Trolleys cost about $US500 to $US1000 ($770 to $1500) each and airlines lose thousands, possibly hundreds of thousands, of dollars each year in lost or stolen trolleys. Airlines now have no way of keeping track of them. A spokesman for in-flight service provider eLSG.SkyChefs said the company was in discussions with worldwide carriers to install partner Scanpak’s Galley Equipment Tracking System (GETS). The RFID technology has been deployed by Air Canada at 138 North American locations in the past two years.”

Backers of RFID chips banking on Alien concept

“The funding brings Alien’s total venture funding to $128 million to date. Much of that has been used to build the existing Morgan Hill plant, which will make about 1 billion RFID chips this year, says Alien CEO Stavro E. Prodromou. The company also recently got some $35 million in loans and grants from municipalities connected with its plans to build a new factory in North Dakota which will have capacity to churn out 20 billion tags annually. That gives the company some $73 million to execute on its ambitious business plan.”

silicon.com - Gillette slams privacy concerns over RFID tracking

“But Gillette has hit back at the “misleading” claims, saying it only wants to use the RFID tags to improve the efficiency of its supply chain. The chips, when inserted into products, emit radio signals that allow them to be tracked. Gillette spokesman Paul Fox told silicon.com: “Our intention is very much pallet and case application within our supply chain. We have never nor do we have any intention to track, photograph or videotape consumers.””

I support Gillette’s move into item-level tagging, but I think we all know that Mr. Fox’s claim is untrue.  

RFID Journal - IP Unveils RFID Enabled Warehouse

“Aug. 14, 2003 - A lot of companies are talking about putting RFID in their warehouse. International Paper has done it. IP, the world’s largest paper and forest products company, announced today that it has gone live with a fully IP’s Texarkana paper mill automated RFID Warehouse Tracking System (WTS), which manages inventory at its Texarkana mill and warehouse.”

I have a special place in my heart for this project, as I was on location during its development in February of this year.  

FT.com / Industries / Information technology

“Gillette denied it had abandoned an earlier plan to use the technology in individual products on store shelves. But the company said it did not now expect RFID tags to be used to monitor individual products in stores for at least 10 years.”