Articles

"Smart Label Revolution" from Discover Magazine, March 2004, Page 24.

Fascinating, but scary article regarding radio frequency identification technology (RFID), such as E-Z-Pass tags that is affixed to a car's windshield. The toll is deducted from your account as you go through a tollbooth without having to stop--I believe this is only in the Northeast as of this date.

The article points out that everything will come embedded with a chip that identifies itself to a receiver that passes by, as on a shopping cart in your favorite store. This means that someone could track not only what we buy, but even the objects we place in our shopping carts. The article calls it a "talking bar code."

"Smart Label Revolution" from Discover Magazine, March 2004, Page 25

The same article as above mentions an interesting fact in passing: "The powers that be already have a vast collection of tools available for spying on you--from your credit card purchases to your ATM withdrawals to onboard GPS systems to satellites that can read a license plate from Earth orbit."

Interested in how these labels work? Here's a well-known site, "How Stuff Works," that explains things in English.

There are some interesting facts that pose interesting questions in an article titled: "Ocean City to Install Security Cameras" The Washington Times page.

• England is the highest camera-per-capita area in the world. Security surveillance cameras, that is.
  
• There are surveillance cameras in Virginia Beach and Tampa Bay, Fl. that match faces in the crowd with photos of criminals

Clearly, the intent is to prevent crime, but it leaves you thinking that you're being watched while you're at these places. Just remember not to pick your nose or make weird faces.

Security Software

Your hard drive is your own, right? Nobody should come into your living room and leave a 6-inch man hiding behind the couch that will spy on you and report which type of ads you want to see or any other confidential information to, right?

Okay, the 6-inch man was a bit too much, but there is such a thing as adware, spyware and people who want to spy around your system or use it to send virus attacks to others. Here's my favorite site to get freebie 6-inch man exterminators. Do a search for the following software under "Downloads" once you get there.

PC World

If you really want to see how vulnerable your computer is, go to one of Gibson Research pages. Steve Gibson is a trusted name in behind-the-scenes stuff. This site has a lot to offer, but it's a bit on the techie site for some, even though things are explained.

At least go to the "Shields Up" section to test your computer for vulnerabilities (free).