What would I need to build a radio frequency identification system that would calculate the race times, standings and status of runners in a cross-country track meet? —Name withheld ——— There's no need to build your own system, as there are companies that provide full...
What are the chief privacy concerns associated with radio frequency identification? —Name withheld ——— That depends on whether you are asking an informed or uniformed person. Some uniformed people have raised the possibility of tags being used to track individuals...
What would I need to build an RFID system that could record attendance numbers, and how should I go about doing so? —Name withheld ——— I'm not sure if you are taking attendance at a school or at an event with different sessions, but there are several ways you could go...
With regard to radio frequency identification tags, what is the average cost? —Name withheld ——— I answered this question back in May of this year (see How Much Do RFID Tags Cost?), but I'll add that we are working on a new report on how to choose the right RFID...
RFID received two nods in 2008, but none this year.
This time, readers correct an ill-informed blogger.
Will wrapping my credit cards in aluminum foil prevent the information they contain from being stolen by a nearby reader? I hate the idea of having to buy a special wallet to protect my credit cards from theft. —Peter (Robbinsville, NC) ——— Dear Peter, A lot of...
Is it mandated that passive ultrahigh-frequency RFID tags be CE-certified? —Name withheld ——— Good question. CE is an abbreviation for the French "Conformite Europeenne." A CE marking on a product indicates it has met the European Union's health, safety and...
What is the best place to follow news regarding the design of RFID tags? —Name withheld ——— RFID Journal often reports when vendors introduce a new type of tag, but I am unaware of any publication that focuses on publicizing every new tag design available. Indeed,...
Interested vendors can respond to a recently released request for proposal.
What type of RFID tag is embedded in current U.S. passports, and how can people protect themselves from unauthorized detection? —Name withheld ——— Current passports used in the United States utilize high-frequency (HF) RFID tags based on the ISO 14443 standard. The...
Do passive RFID tags provide high enough read rates when applied to personal computers, or are active tags necessary? —Name withheld ——— That depends on what you are trying to achieve. When I worked at a large media company, they undertook a big exercise of putting...