If you think you can outsmart a casino, don't bet on it. An agreement has been struck between Gaming Partners International Corp. and Galaxy Resorts to supply over 600,000 RFID gaming chips to casinos that will be opening in Macau, China next year. (Didn't know they allowed gambling in China!) This is an example of an emerging trend whereby casino are using RFID to stop gamblers from cashing in counterfeit gaming chips and to stop cheaters at various table games.

Stories about the potential for a bird flu pandemic certainly has us all concerned about what steps will be taken to keep contain the virus and stop it from spreading. Smart-tek Solutions says it will be using it's RFID monitoring and surveillance technology in an attempt to limit the spread of bird flu in Asia. In this situation, they will use RFID tags to count and document birds and also track poultry movement as well as logging inspection dates. 

At this point, anything that can be done to contain the virus is a positive step. Paranoia is slowly creeping in and this is as good a time as any to leverage cutting-edge technology besides creating new gadgets and tracking boxes in warehouses. This seems a lot more important…

As I mentioned in an earlier post, the book Spychips has caused quite a bit of controversy in the RFID community. If you don't already know, authors Katherine Albrecht and Liz McIntyre make a case that RFID technology will be used by big corporations and the government to track our daily activities. Their book has drawn quite a bit of interest from privacy rights supporters to technophiles and everyone in between.

Nicholas Chavez, the president of RFID LTD., a supplier of RFID-enabled solutions to small- and medium-sized companies, has published a 24-page "rebuttal" to Spychips. Chavez has written a chapter-by-chapter treatise on why he thinks Albrecht and McIntyre are off-base.

Obviously, Chavez and his company have a vested interest in the growth of RFID technology, so you'd have to take his criticisms with a major grain of salt. As I have stated, I have not yet read Spychips, so I can't make the case for Albrecht and McIntyre, either. I have written the book's publishers requesting a review copy so I can see for myself what all the fuss is about. I invite others who have read the book to comment here, whether you agree with the authors or not.

The new book "Spychips" by Katherine Albrecht and Liz McIntyre has caused quite a stir in the RFID community because of the authors' claim that governments and corporations will leverage the technology to track people without their knowledge. A number of people who have read the book say that it's right on the money; others say it's farfetched. (Note: I have not yet read the book but I intend to read it soon and post my own thoughts on it.)

In the meantime, InformationWeek is featuring a podcast interview with Albrecht that sheds some light on why she feels RFID is dangerous to those who champion privacy rights and civil liberties. Whether you agree with her or not, she does make some interesting points.

The e-Port cashless payment terminal system from USA Technologies is being installed in about 500 beverage, snack, and sundry vending machines across New York City and Atlanta. The e-Port terminals have been enhanced with an RFID reader that accepts contactless payments from any credit or debit card carrying the MasterCard PayPass, American Express ExpressPay, Chase blink or Visa Contactless logo. Encrypted account data is passed between the e-Port RFID-enabled terminal and the payment card. The terminals are also being used in self-service laundries, as well as in kiosks where you can buy bus or train tickets as well as event tickets.

By next spring, the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey will be installing RFID readers in 13 train stations throughout the NY-NY metropolitan area. Similar to EZ Pass, commuters may soon be issued RFID cards in order to board trains which may signal the end of paper tickets or laminated passes. Will this make the trains run on time? Time will tell…

By October 2006, the U.S. State Department says all U.S. passports except emergency documents issued by U.S. embassies will be enabled with RFID chips. In December, the State Department will begin testing the new electronic passport programs with government employees who use official passports for work. The electronic passport's chip will include the name, nationality, sex, date of birth, place of birth, and digitized photograph of the holder, as well as the passport number, issue date, expiration date, and type.

The first phase of the deployment of an RFID system at McCarran International Airport in Las Vegas has been completed with three airlines fully participating in the process of placing RFID tags on checked baggage. The system works by having luggage sent throught an explosive-detection system whereby RFID readers identify each bag before it is routed to the right plane. If the detector finds contents considered "suspicious," it is sent to another security-screening station for closer inspection.

According to Swanson Rink, the engineering firm that put the system together, the accuracy rate is 99.5%, which translates into less congestion and an increase that the right luggage will be loaded on the right flight. However, the system is unlikely to be able to prove that it decreases the amount of lost luggage, since airlines don't like to publicize the amount of luggage they lose. (If only someone could build a system for THAT…) 

A new study from Infonetics Research says that organizations of all sizes across North America will increasingly turn to the deployment of wireless LANs over the next two years. The research firm says the growing availability of wireless VoIP handsets and voice-enabling wireless infrastructure are the prime drivers behind the expected increase from 10% of use to 31% by 2007.

Key findings from the report include:

• It is projected that 57% of small, 62% of medium, and 72% of large organizations in North America will deploy WLANs by 2009

• Intranet or VPN access and Internet access for guests top the list of applications implemented over WLANs

• Wired LAN backup and Asset and RFID tracking are as seen as emerging applications

• 42% of respondents have a wireless policy that defines how employees can use the WLAN and other wireless technologies

As part of a pilot program taking place at Boston's Massachusetts General Hospital dubbed ORF (operating Room of the Future), a computer system features high-speed data streams from hospital databases and various networks that synchronizes and time-stamps them for display onto a web portal to be transmitted on an Internet-connected PC in the OR. Some of that data includes a patient's name, weight, age, gender and the procedure he or she is undergoing.

One of the more controversial aspects of the project is the use of RFID tags for locating and tracking of medical staff and patients. The OR display is setup to show a complete list of staff expected for a surgery, and when a doctor or nurse enters the room the name will become brightly lit. According to hospital officials, doctors were at first reluctant to use the RFID tags because of concerns including if, during surgery, something went wrong at there was a question of a doctor's whereabouts, it could be grist for a lawsuit. Added to that is the "newness" of the technology and that the learning curve to adapt to the new system would be quite large. However, the hospital says that the doctors are beginning to accept the system.

If you've been following along with the progression of RFID, you already know that Wal-Mart is probably the largest retailer that is making practical use of the technology. And a new study from the University of Arkansas indicates that their customers are more likely to find the items they want in stores using RFID tags than in locations that do not. Key findings include out-of-stock items with RFID were replenished three times faster than items using standard bar-code technology, meaning fewer total out-of-stock items and fewer occurrences of empty shelves when the merchandise was in the backroom.

Wal-Mart says the successful application of RFID will lead them to equip over 1,000 of their stores, clubs, and distribution centers with the technology by the end of next year.

At an economic and development meeting held in Paris last week, an executive from Philips Semiconductors says the company is going to push the adoption of RFID technology to government regulators and policymakers worldwide. However, there has been concern that the privacy issues surrounding RFID are too hot for governments to touch, but Philips is going to stress the links to "machines, goods, and people" to help companies understand their customers and their wants and desires. In addition, Philips plans to promote RFID in combination with Bluetooth, WiFi, and Near-Field Communications technologies in hopes of developing capable products incorporating them.

I'm not exactly sure what the significance of this announcement means. Philips certainly is a giant in Europe, but how much weight can they throw around outside of their native country (The Netherlands) will be interesting to see.

There has been quite a bit of concern expressed by both industry types and consumers over the growth of RFID and the number of applications it will be deployed in. It won't be long before just about anything (or anybody) can be tracked, and privacy is the primary issue that people are worried about when it comes to RFID. However, there already is a code of ethics that requires consumers about the presence of RFID tags, and there already is work underway to help people deactivate tags when appropriate.

In any event, with progress comes questions. But these questions are being addressed and RFID continues to find use in the most everyday applications.

A new secure wireless network has been deployed in the Royal Group of Hospitals, consisting of four facilities located in Belfast, to speed up the treatment of patients and to keep tabs on supplies. According to hospital officials, access points have been installed throughout the buildings to track of supplies such as bandages and drugs. In addition, wireless scanning devices can send information on stock levels directly into the hospital's systems so more supplies can be ordered when necessary.

The group is also looking at a "bedhead" prescription service where doctors can send prescriptions straight to the pharmacy system through wireless tablets, as well as RFID tags to locate staff in the event of an emergency.

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