What's New @ IEEE in Wireless, May 2006

2. NEW CLIPPED RFID TAG LESSENS SECURITY RISKS
In response to security concerns raised over placing wireless RFID tags on consumer goods, IBM is introducing a new kind tag called the Clipped Tag. Unlike normal RFID tags, which broadcast information up to 30 feet away, the new tag allows consumers to reduce that distance down to only two inches. It works by way of a tiny antennae, which is removed after the product has been purchased. The tags will still retain all the same tracking information, such as where the product was purchased, whose credit card it was purchased on, and even the number of the card, but the ability to intercept the information with a hacked remote sensor would now require information thieves to get right up next to the product. Read more:
http://www.wired.com/news/technology/0,70793-0.html

EDUCATIONAL GAMES TEACH ENGLISH WITH RFID TAGS
Game software that uses RFID tags embedded in toys to teach English to non-English-speaking children has been developed by a pair of students from Purdue University. Their game, Merlin's Magic Castle, comes with computer software, a scanner, and electronic tags which are embedded into appropriate objects. When a toy is run over the computer's scanner, the program registers the RFID, and a computer character on-screen says the toy's name or poses a question, which according to the developers, provides auditory, visual, and tactile stimulation that promotes better comprehension and retention of information in children. Read more:
http://www.primidi.com/2006/04/26.html

MOBILE PHONE MASTS PREDICT THE WEATHER
New research being conducted by scientists in Europe and the Middle East suggests that existing mobile phone masts can be used to predict the weather -- in some case more accurately than meteorological equipment. When bad weather such as rain or electromagnetic activity is about to appear, automatic systems in the mobile masts boost their signals to ensure calls stay connected. The signal data from one provider in Tel Aviv, Haifa and Jerusalem was matched against data collected from the country's meteorological equipment, and found to be a match. The mobile masts, however, proved to cover more ground than the meteorological equipment.
Researchers in the UK also used a similar method of collecting data from global positioning satellites to measure atmospheric humidity. Professor Hagit Messer-Yaron, of the University of Tel Aviv, says the information could be used to predict hurricanes and other catastrophic events before they happen. The next step would involve getting existing mobile service providers to hand over their mast's information on a regular basis. Meeser-Yaron also believes that with this knowledge, people will one day be able to use read their own cell phones' reception patterns and predict their local forecast. Read more:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/4974542.stm