RFID all over again?
The Memory Spot team in HP's labs have developed a new chip capable of WiFi-like speeds while only being the size of a grain of rice.
The Memory Spot chip, which measures around 2mm x 4mm, has a built in antenna and up to 4 megabits (0.5MB) of storage. Its wireless technology functions at up to 10Mbps, just 1Mbps shy of the 802.11b WiFi standard, although a bit slower than the newer 802.11g 54Mbps standard.
If the words WiFi and grain-sized chip don't conjure up thoughts of RFID tags, what planet have you been living on for the last two years? Still, if you're worried about this chip's 0.5MB of storage finding its way onto your person, for whatever organisation or government to know far too much about you wherever you go, then worry not; it's no worse than RFID. HP's press release says that "the read-write device is positioned closely over the chip" for it to be sufficiently powered and operated. That means no long range use of this chip, then.
That said, HP have already thought up some uses. From their press release:
* Audio photo: Attach a chip to the prints of photographs and add music, commentary or ambient sound to enhance the enjoyment of viewing photos.
* Digital postcards: Send a traditional holiday postcard to family and friends with a chip containing digital pictures of a vacation, plus sounds and even video clips.
* Document notes: A Memory Spot chip attached to a paper document can include a history of all the corrections and additions made to the text, as well as voice notes and graphical images.
* Perfect photocopies: A Memory Spot chip attached to a cover sheet eliminates the need to copy the original document. Just read the perfect digital version into the photocopier and the result will be sharp output every time, no matter how many copies are needed, and avoiding any possibility of the originals jamming in the feeder.
* Security passes: Add a chip to an identity card or security pass for the best of both worlds --- a handy card with secure, relevant digital information included.
* Anti-counterfeit tags: Counterfeit drugs are a significant problem globally. Memory Spot chips can contain secure information about the manufacture and quality of pharmaceuticals. When added to a drug container, this can prove their authenticity. A similar process could be used to verify high-value engineering and aviation components.
Some interesting and potentially very useful applications of the Memory Spot there, but how many more sinister applications could there be? We'd like to hear whether you're pleased about HP's development, or donning your tin-foil hat...
