The list might be interested to hear of RFID being used here in the UK. I am not fully aware of the technology used but my understanding is that by using a tiny transmitter, items purchased from shops can be tracked a small distance (i think around 2km?) via radio frequency. The idea (the retailers say) is that they can a) more effectively monitor stock and b) combat theft. Perhaps there are other reasons I am not aware of. My thoughts are a) so whats wrong with the sales till? Need new stock control software?? and b) whats wrong with existing tags that are removed from items after the sale at the sales point?!
Gillette (razors, shaving equipment etc) has admitted that in some of their packages at Tesco and ASDA (big superstores here in the UK - ASDA is owned by Walmart), RFID devices have been inserted into the packaging without clearly notifying the public. Of course, if you bought something for your car then surely you can be tracked (albeit not accurate to GPS) for quite some time! I'm afraid i dont know all the details about this technology eg. how long can it transmit and over what distance but I was wondering if anyone had come across this before and indeed can fill in the blanks. The real link to this list is....they use a GIS to show where the items are on a local area map.... even when they have left the store. Presumably when the customer has thrown the packaging in the bin, the refuse truck can then tracked ;) Although would the radio signal be blocked in the back of the truck? Heres the link to the info I found: http://www.silicon.com/networks/mobile/0,39024665,10005065,00.htm Conspiracy thoughts for the weekend!! Cheers Doug -----Original Message----- From: Eric Gagnon [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: 07 November 2003 11:22 To: Simmonds, Ashley (PTB); 'Mapinfo List (E-mail)' Subject: Re: MI-L Coke GPS contest I could be possible.. Because we have this contest here "up in Canada" but it's with a beer company "Molson" As soon as you open your winning bottle, the Molson crew will appear in an helicopter to deliver a complete satellite, tv, dvd surround sound system. Eric At 23:36 06/11/2003, Simmonds, Ashley (PTB) wrote: >has anyone here been involved in or heard much about any of the coca-cola >GPS promotion? i don't listen to radio, so never heard of it until today. > >if you're not sure what i'm on about, coke in australia (not sure if >anywhere else) has 20 specially made bottles which have a GPS and ID >transmitter inside them, designed so that when you purchase the winning >bottle (which doesn't have coke in it), you activate it and within a couple >minutes it transmits your position to coca cola and they come and find you >to give you your prize. > >here's the promotion site... >http://www.coke.com.au/thrillseeker/ > >and here's an interesting article about it (copy paste together) >http://australianit.news.com.au/articles/0,7204,7758184%5e15321%5e%5enbv%5e 1 >5306,00.html > >who's got some thoughts on the issue? > >~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ >ashley simmonds >disclaimer: the views expressed in this email may be a health hazard >~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ > >--------------------------------------------------------------------- >List hosting provided by Directions Magazine | www.directionsmag.com | >To unsubscribe, e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] >For additional commands, e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] >Message number: 9066 -- Eric Gagnon,B.Sc., GIS Specialist [EMAIL PROTECTED] 47�02'57"N 67�44'11"W --------------------------------------------------------------------- List hosting provided by Directions Magazine | www.directionsmag.com | To unsubscribe, e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] For additional commands, e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Message number: 9071 --------------------------------------------------------------------- List hosting provided by Directions Magazine | www.directionsmag.com | To unsubscribe, e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] For additional commands, e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Message number: 9075
