by Playfuls Staff |
9th January 2006
Chip implants were, up until recently, found just in the pages of SF novels or magazines. However, times have changed, and, as technology advances, it catches up with the imagination of the science fiction writers.[more]
This is exactly the case when it comes to RFID chips. But what are these devices? Well, according to the definition from Wikipedia, they represent “an automatic identification method, relying on storing and remotely retrieving data using devices called RFID tags or transponders. An RFID tag is a small object that can be attached to or incorporated into a product, animal, or person. RFID tags contain silicon chips and antennas to enable them to receive and respond to radio-frequency queries from an RFID transceiver”.
According to Reuters, Amal Graafstra, a 29-year-old entrepreneur based in Vancouver, has been fascinated with the huge potential offered by this technology, so he had a RFID chip implanted. Now he can open his house’s door or log onto his computer just by waving his hand.
"I just don't want to be without access to the things that I need to get access to. In the worst case scenario, if I'm in the alley naked, I want to still be able to get in (my house)," Graafstra said in an interview in New York, where he is promoting the technology. "RFID is for me."
The computer chips, which cost about $2, interact with a device installed in computers and other electronics. The chips are activated when they come within 3 inches of a so-called reader, which scans the data on the chips. The "reader" devices are available for as little as $50.
If you want to find out more Information on where to buy the chips and readers, visit the "tagged" forum, (http://tagged.kaos.gen.nz/) where enthusiasts of the technology chat and share information.
One advantage of the RFID chip, Graafstra said, is that it cannot get lost or stolen. And the chip can always be removed from a person's body, if the owner gets bored with it. However, this next-gen technology does have some problems, especially related to security, and that’s why it will probably be some time before it becomes mainstream. However, this is something that will happen, sooner or later, and at some point probably most people will be wearing this tiny chips.
