Science Fiction
Dictionary Latest By
"I don't know why I write science fiction. The voices in my head told me to!"
|
Injectable or implantable transmitters have a variety of uses; a recent radio frequency identification (RFID) product called VeriChip is now being used in a controversial pilot program in Mexico to help identify missing children. There is increasing interest in RFID technology in business and industry; many practical applications are being developed.
However, Stephenson has his own take on this kind of technology in 1995. It's clear that people who love to shop just don't think about the implications of a device like this for privacy. However, I don't think I would want to broadcast my Visa card number everywhere I went.
Of course, you could probably get the same effect today if you swallowed a SpeedPass (a small cylinder you can attach to your keyring). Speedpass transactions use a unique radio frequency identification code. An electronic system located in the Speedpass reader "talks" with a transponder in your Speedpass.
The VeriChip was introduced by Applied Digital Solutions in May of 2002; it is a rice-sized tracker with a frightening tagline - "Get Chipped!" The VeriChip puts out a 125-kHz RF signal that transmits a person's unique ID number to a scanner, which then accesses a database containing a file on that person.
Be sure to see the news story Veripay Credit-Card Implant (from 11/27/2003).
See the two-way version: take a look at implanted transceiver - hands-free phone from The Godmakers by Frank Herbert.
Find out more about RFID:
Comment/Join this discussion ( 2 ) | RSS/XML | Blog This | Additional
resources: Implanted Credit Card-related
news articles:
Want to Contribute an
Item?
It's easy:
|
Science Fiction
Timeline
Can A Human Land A SpaceX Rocket On Its Tail?
'If she starts to roll sideways — blooey! The underjets only hold you up when they’re pointing down, you know.'
Robot Snakes No Longer Stopped By Stairs
'...she dropped her hands from the wheel, took the robot snake from his box.'
We Need To Build Anti-Drone Systems For Civilian Spaces
'the real border was defended by ...a swarm of quasi-independent aerostats...'
FlexRAM Liquid Metal RAM And One Particular SF Movie Robot
'Its lines wavered, flowed, and then painfully reformed.'
|
Home | Glossary
| Science Fiction Timeline | Category | New | Contact
Us | FAQ | Advertise | Technovelgy.com - where science meets fiction™ Copyright© Technovelgy LLC; all rights reserved. |
||