Japan: Schoolkids to be tagged with RFID chips – News & Technology – CNETAsia

Yikes! Japan and Disney World are starting to tag kids. Anybody who has lost a kid in a crowd, will understand the sentiment behind this. Anyone who imagines wearing one of these things and making their location information permanently available to anyone (parents, spouse, employer, retail stores, government, etc), can imagine how scary this could be.

Are there any rules or laws about tagging kids with electronic tracking devices? Can they get rid of them when they are 18? How would your life as a 16 year old have been different if you knew your parents could tell exactly where you were at all times?

On the other hand, are you more technology saavy than your 16 year old? How would parents get them to buy into this? Lock it to their ankle? Or only provide a cell phone that comes with tracking?

(Note, I know RFID isn’t up to universal tracking but the technology to do so is out there.)

Japan: Schoolkids to be tagged with RFID chips – News & Technology – CNETAsia

Teleporting becomes reality

Scientists are finally doing the impossible, teleporting, moving an object from point a to point b without actually moving the object, and yet they conclude by saying that teleporting a human is impossible. “I cannot imagine it. As far as I can see, it’s not going to happen.” You’re telling me that people that made the impossible, possible, think that further impossible things are unachievable? Thank goodness for science fiction which will never stop believing the impossible is part of our future.

Wireless at Texas Roadstops

When driving through Texas you will soon be able to check your email at any rest stop.

TxDOT News Release

Smart clothes

Researchers build what they envision as wearable computers

“In the future, such an outfit could diagnose diseases and deliver medications to the wearer, monitor heart rate or blood pressure, deliver interactive games and other forms of entertainment or function as a wearable computer. ” And you could download new colors and textures just as you download ring tones for your phone.

Virtual Real Estate

I’ve been reading a lot about online gaming. The worlds are so real to people that they not only spend hours playing but they spend real money buying objects, homes and even land in the virtual world. You can check out the exchange rate for the gaming currencies on Ebay. Money in Everquest or Sims Online is worth real US dollars!

This article in USAToday, Virtual real estate boom draws real dollars, talks about virtual land in Second Life that goes for $550/acre!

“Your Next Computer”, Phone or laptop?

In a recent post I talked about how I think tablet PCs and handhelds like Blackberries and iPods are going to merge. Some day in the future we’ll all carry around a small device that is our only computer/music player/organizer. This Newsweek article, Your Next Computer, theorizes that your cell phone will become your next computer.