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Even if they try to implement RFID some hacker(s) are going to find out how to disable it in about 2 weeks and the information is posted online. Free spread of information (like how to unlock the iPhone,etc) and, hackers, and OpenSource rulz!!!

As a marketing student I would totally see how this information would be used in the ways cited by the OP. Marketers are the scummiest most ruthless people in the world. They are pressured the most in any industry to perform so they will do anything to get workable data. Okay, scummiest and ruthless maybe not, they arent lawyers or insurance companies, nonetheless this information doenst benefit know who exactly buys what, but what group is buying what.

Marketers buy information from visa and mastercard all the time. Even Alberta sells its taxpayers buying habits to firms (this is all under the table of course). Fact is, RFID just makes it cheaper for marketers to collect information, but they wont get much more than they already have. Any transaction you make with plastic is tracked and sold by whatever corporation(s) provide that card.

In essense, its not that tracking people is something new, its only the method that is changing.

So, what does everyone think of beer infused with fruit flavours? (school project)

And what do you need for all that information to be usefull? Mainframes. And who makes mainframes? IBM

Depends on the definition of infused. If you mean some artificial stuff added into it, forget it. But if you mean a beer that was brewed using a fruit, then that's different. Some of the best beer I've ever tasted was in Appersville, Austria. They used apples in the mash to provide a unique flavor that was very good. After drinking about 4 or 5 liters of the beer (can't remember exactly, you know how that goes), I felt good and slept well that night. Didn't even have a hangover the next day.

who needs hackers to find a way to disable RFIDs? concerned about your underwear - microwave it. there. problem solved

Don't worry. Your cars are first. Here is the first step. Next your car will have them for top secret Government conspiracy tracking thingy majigs.

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news [...] L8vxb8FAM8

I should clear something up. RFID's dont have much range. Though possible to detect them at a somewhat usable distance they are about as effective at tracking people outside their range as using good ole fashioned eyesight. The main use is inventory check, the secondary is selling this information to marketers, who in tern will fee this to advertisers who will target you for a product their research indicates you may like (just like tivo records shows it thinks you might like). You wont need to hack them as your cell phone is a far FAR better way to track you than an RFID. Case and point. Would the police spent money to create a new way to find a person or would they call At&t and get your exact location for free?

Anyways, iPods and most gismo's and gadgets are a result of good marketing, not invention. As my teacher always said, there are no original ideas out there, just better ways to implement them (after all the iPod wasnt the first HDD mp3 player out there).

It would be exactly as you described, I was thinking about having the juice added post-beer production. And it would definately be all natural 100% juice. What would the rest of you think of that? Using a fruit to brew a new beer, or take an existing beer and added a fruit juice to it?

The slogan for the new world

Just nuke it!!!!

@ eric54 - very good point... RFID has extremely weak range. I think what people worry about is detectors in buildings. Then you can be tracked at every door you pass through. Kind of scary...

But they already do that. For key cards they use RFID's. It knows who went where and when. I don't condone the activity, but i'm just saying that a video camera is far more invasive (look at britain), at least in this circumstance its anonymous data (if everyone has one on). Given how the world currently is, would you agree that collecting anonymous data is better than Eric Hanson lives at XXX street in XX town. This can be a good thing if you look at it this way ->

All marketers want X info. X info is sold to marketers for *rediculous amounts of money*. X info contains all your personal files, credit cards, address, credit report, essentially your whole life on file. Now if X info can be gathered using a RFID that contains no actual info on said person but has the MOST coveted of coveted pieces of information which is accurate shopping habits. It really is the mother of all pieces of info, and it doesnt need to be specific, because they are really dealing with the macro aspect, not you specifically, so in the end people keep their privacy and marketers get what they want. Oh, and wal-mart can keep track of inventory (inventory control is a beyotch). Kind of a nifty developement could be checkout-free stores, where your credit card communicated via RFID with the "gate" and then charges whatever you have on you (or in your cart) to your card. All without waiting in lines. neat.