Friday, September 30, 2005

Good grief!

RFID?

Bill St. Clair has been in Vegas for the past few days, and likes the fact that you can check out via the TV, though the "Intimacy Kit" appears to be RFID tagged:
The Rio, where I stayed in Las Vegas, has a TV-based checkout facility. Very nice. Press a few buttons on the remote control, and you can review your bill, and check out. Type your email address on the provided IR keyboard, and they email your receipt. I went to check out yesterday morning, and saw a $10 "refreshment" charge on the TV screen. I didn't remember taking any refreshments, so I called the desk. The lady asked if I had looked at the Intimacy Kit. I said that I had, but that I had put it back. She said there was a sensor that noticed I had taken it and automatically billed me, but she would remove the charge from my bill. She did. I checked out. I received my receipt via email. RFID?

The hotels in Vegas are full of technology, and are likely the most advanced in the country if not the world. The use of RFID is interesting, albeit mildly disturbing. Wow.