Tiny IDs can track almost anything (a bug in underwear)

Wahington Times ^ | 06/09/03 | Audrey Hudson

[TigerLikesRooster]

Computer chips the size of grains of sand have become the latest trend among manufacturers seeking to track everything from automobiles to underwear to razor blades.

The new technology can fix the exact location of virtually any consumer product and the humans who wear and carry the items.

[TigerLikesRooster]

With bugs in billions of items, do we have enough bandwith to take care of them ? We may need more satellites, transmitters, and fiberoptic cables.

On the other hand, stripping these bugs will be a major growth business. Thieves want to get rid of them before stealing these goods. People want to eliminate from their everyday items these bugs planted without their knowledge.

All of us could end up spending a lot of time, spying on others or freeing ourselves from such pesky bugs.

[Rebelbase]

"Tiny IDs can track almost anything (a bug in underwear)"

No bug could survive in my underwear.

[DainBramage]

All roads lead to the landfill.

[BushCountry]

No bug could survive in my underwear.

Nope, just crabs. ROTFLMAO

[metesky]

It seems pretty easy to cut the tags out of clothing items but cars and things with embedded chips will be harder to deal with.

Between black boxes and embedded chips it sounds like used cars, etc. will be hot with folks who value privacy.

It really could be bad for some industies.

[laker_dad]

I see a big market for personal bug jammers...

[TigerLikesRooster]

I can see that bug jammers and bug sweepers become everyday necessities. Anything given to you could have bugs in it which could even contain a TV camera.

Things could get even more hectic when nanotech really takes off.

[kitkat]

***I see a big market for personal bug jammers...***

The bug jammers will be named DDT, Down Damned Tags.

[laker_dad]

Then the FCC will make jammers illegal, so whatchagonnado?

[TigerLikesRooster]

Crack-dealers will sell jammers instead of cracks.

[basil]

Whatachagonnado? The only thing I can think of is to buy everything I think I will need for the rest of my life right now, then get it all in the house--and never leave again--LOL!

[TigerLikesRooster]

RE #11

You know, your unbugged items could be sold for much higher price later. Bug-free underwears! Limited quantity! That would be your sales pitch.

[uglybiker]

So, is that a tracking device in your pants or are you just happy to see me?

[American in Israel]

"In the first Gulf war, they sent 20,000 containers and had to open 16,000 to find out what was inside," he said.

Perhaps they should try reading the lables on the boxes. When I see such obvious self-justification, it raises red flags for me. I am sure there will be a nice market for home brew bug sniffers and emp neutralizers.

I find it interesting that police have to get a warrent to plant a bug, but a manufacturer does not.

[TigerLikesRooster]

Re #13

You would never know.:)

[djf]

Nothing that about 4 seconds in the microwave can't handle.

[TigerLikesRooster]

RE #14

If Wal-Mart would do this on a national scale, police can argue that the fairness dictates that they should forgo warrants for bugs. Or police may sue Wal-Mart for the encroachment to their turf.

[Chemist_Geek]

With bugs in billions of items, do we have enough bandwith to take care of them ? We may need more satellites, transmitters, and fiberoptic cables.

No. Part 15 RFID tags are a threat to all sorts of radio services - their emissions will splatter all over the spectrum, and will interfere with the very consumer electronics they are meant to track.

ARRL comments on RFID tags.

[TigerLikesRooster]

RE #16

Or a small EMP generator as somebody in this thread suggested. Getting a new pair of underwear is getting complicated.

[TigerLikesRooster]

Re #18

Yeah. That is what I suspected. So they were not able to get around this problem yet.