US to run RFID implant trial

RFID chips are to be implanted in 280 patients of the Hackensack University Medical Centre in New Jersey to test the use of the technology for long-term conditions, reports e-Health Insider.

The volunteers will have RFID chips the size of a grain of rice implanted under the skin of their right arms. The passive chips will contain only a 16-digit number.

RFID scanners will use the number to link patients to their electronic patient record. In this way, the hospital will be able to identify patients and access their medical and family contact information the patients are unconscious.

The security division of 3M has announced the release of a new travel document authentication system using RFID technology following the completion of independent interoperability trials and quality assurance testing.

Security Document World says according to 3M, several countries have already begun installing the new ePassport Reader to read and authenticate the latest generation of international travel documents.

The company says border control authorities can focus their attention on travellers, while the device authenticates the document and checks the electronic data for tampering.

Britain`s Royal Mail service has begun trials using RFID technology to monitor the flow of post, to identify problem areas and improve delivery services.

The UK`s Computing publication says selected items will be given RFID tags and scanned by a reader when they reach their destinations to record the exact arrival time.

The trial is using semi-active RFID tags, which provide a better read rate than passive tags but do not send a continuous signal like active tags.

Burger King and Starbucks will be the first retailers to accept contactless payments in Turkey following the distribution of RFID-enabled "Tap & Go" cards to 25 000 customers of the country`s Garanti Bank, reports Silicon.com.

Bank customers can use the RFID cards to buy items worth less than $25 by placing the card over a card reader. It eliminates the need to sign for goods, enter a PIN or use cash.

The speed of the cards using MasterCard`s RFID-based PayPass system has led to rapid and wide adoption in Asia and the US, with seven million cards and devices deployed.

Mattel has announced a hybrid gaming system that uses CD ROM and RFID technology to combine collector card games and video games in a single system.

The Mercury News says players scan their cards over the HyperScan console using RFID technology and the characters come to life on the screen. During the game, players can scan their collectible game cards over the console to upgrade, modify and enhance both their character`s abilities.

Mattel says HyperScan gaming consoles and collectable character and extra power cards will be available towards the end of the year.