Children get tagged

Trials of RFID tagging of schoolchildren has just begun at Hungerhill School in Doncaster, South Yorkshire, according to Tech Digest.

Ten kids have had microchips sewn into their uniforms, which allows the school computer to track them, to ensure they are in the correct classroom, provide information to supply teachers about troublemakers, and restrict them from various areas of the school.

But the system has received some criticism: "Tagging is what we do to criminals we let out of prison early," said David Cleater, from Leave Them Kids Alone.

Government is working on a proposal to use multi-application smart cards with unique IDs for citizens, explains The Times of India.

The home ministry already has a scheme for ID cards essentially meant to contain omnibus information which would meet security concerns.

The need for a multi-purpose national identity card has been felt for purposes as diverse as drawing benefits from government`s flagship schemes like NREGA or getting rations from PDS shops.

Artist Michele Pred`s new artwork utilises Semacode, a software program that allows cellphones to read 2D bar codes at an exhibition called "Code-switching", according to OpenPR.

Exhibition visitors are given an Internet-capable Nokia camera phone that will grant the viewer the opportunity to decode and read the artist customised bar code.

"Code-switching" is a Quorum San Francisco exhibition. Quorum San Francisco is a collective of San Francisco Bay Area artists, curators, writers, and art dealers dedicated to generating arts discourse, and transforming that dialogue into action.