Health authorities in Japan think they might have the answer to tracking and blocking the spread of swine flu - keep an eye on the population through mobile phones. The idea is to track every individual on their phone's global positioning system (GPS). Then people can be warned if they have crossed paths with anyone diagnosed with a highly contagious illness. (more)
...and what about the tykes who carry germs but not cell phones?
Oh, never mind, they already thought of that!
Schoolchildren to be RFID-chipped
Japanese authorities decide tracking is best way to protect kids
School authorities in the Japanese city of Osaka have decided the benefits outweigh the disadvantages and will now be chipping children in one primary school. The tags will be read by readers installed in school gates and other key locations to track the kids' movements. (more)
Think this is hard to do?
Think again...
World's smallest and thinnest RFID tag is powder made by Hitachi.
No, that's last year's model on the fingertip. This year's model is 60 times smaller – 0.05 x 0.05 millimeters. Look at the microscope slide with the human hair laid across the middle.
The new RFID chips have a 128-bit ROM for storing a unique 38 digit number, like their predecessor. Hitachi used semiconductor miniaturization technology and electron beams to write data on the chip substrates to achieve the new, smaller size.
Hitachi's mu-chips are already in production; they were used to prevent ticket forgery at last year's Aichi International Technology Exposition. RFID 'powder,' on the other hand, is so much smaller that it can easily be incorporated into thin paper, like that used in paper currency and gift certificates. (more)
