h a l f b a k e r yExpensive, difficult, slightly dangerous, not particularly effective... I'm on a roll.
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As intelligent clothing, personal area networks, RFID and HUDs become commonplace (in the parallel nerdverse future I and Kevin Warwick inhabit) it will become possible to instantly show the contents of all bags, pockets and other receptacles about one's person, thus doing away with the traditional pocket-slappy
dance and repeated rummaging required to find one's missing bus pass.
Two alternate and/or complementary systems will evolve.
The first uses an RFID sensor embedded in each pocket to report its current contents every few seconds to the personal area network manager. The PAN manager then compiles an indexed and searchable list, which can be displayed on the HUD.
LEFT SHOULDER HOLSTER[br]
Current contents:[br]
iPod[br]
Glock 9mm[br]
50g Skittles Peanut, unopened.
WHERE IS:>bus pass[br]
All areas concession bus pass 28/7/06:[br]
REAR LEFT PANTS POCKET
The second system incorporates a tiny video camera and LED in each pocket/bag. The HUD can display an image of the insides of any storage area, or cycle through images from each camera.
Wireless data links extend the network to your car's glove box, boot (trunk), your sock drawer etc.
Personal Area Networks.
http://en.wikipedia...rsonal_area_network
[BunsenHoneydew, Jul 28 2006]
RFID
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RFID
"Non-silicon tags made from polymer semiconductors ... will be roll printable ... like a barcode .... and be virtually free" [BunsenHoneydew, Jul 28 2006]
Kevin Warwick
http://en.wikipedia.../wiki/Kevin_Warwick
aka Mr Cyborg [BunsenHoneydew, Jul 28 2006]
EM Shielding
http://www.lessemf.com/fabric.html
admittedly, i'm not so sure about the whole "evil" radiowave thing [tcarson, Jul 28 2006]
Tin Foil Fedora
http://www.ericisgr...foilhats/index.html
[tcarson, Jul 28 2006]
Types of barcode
http://en.wikipedia...s#Types_of_barcodes
Depressing [BunsenHoneydew, Jul 29 2006]
Ideo-Blob
Ideo-Blob
... said the White Knight. [pertinax, Aug 01 2006]
Context aware Blackberry
http://www.newscien...letter&nsref=dn9845
A PDA that knows when it's in your pocket [BunsenHoneydew, Sep 15 2006]
[link]
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I can't help but think that, sometime around 2050, our brains are just going to atrophy from sheer lack of use. |
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Quite so. I seem to remember reading somewhere that habitually messy people are less likely to develop Altzheimer's, because of the regular mental exercise of the daily "Where the bloody hell did I leave (X)?". Similar results to habitual crossword solvers. |
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[-] i don't like the ability for people to
check the contents of my pockets
without giving me a chance to sock
them for frisking me. my pockets, my
stuff, stay back! sorry, but homeland
security would start following me
around in black suvs and checking to
make sure i'm not a subversive! this is
big brother, high tech thieves, and poor
use of technology all wrapped up in
one. |
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also, [marked-for-deletion] bad
science. just because it's rfid enabled
doesn't mean that it will know what is in
your pockets. |
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i also don't want to have to pay extra
for pants with security holes. i mean
really, this would put the price of pants
out of my range. |
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Simply replace all pockets with clear plastic. You'll be able to see everything at a glance. So will everyone else so if you have something to hide use the new decoy clear plastic pocket liner that will display innocent items like coins and bubblegum. |
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Then install a rfid/ bluetooth/ wifi enabled system that will... oh yeah. Nevermind. |
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[m-f-d] bad science? Come now... |
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Obviously the first implementation described depends on RFID or a similar technology becoming a universal product identifier, like today's barcodes, cheap and small enough to embed in all store-bought items or their packaging - as I implied at the start of the entry. I didn't spell that out in words of one syllable because I thought that was obvious. |
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I know what RFID is, I know what magic is, and I know the difference. |
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Still, that isn't going to identify that cool shell you found at the beach or the handmade recycled glass charm bracelet from your ex, hence the second video based system. |
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And what makes you think that anyone else around you will be able to see into your pockets? You've heard of encryption, and security, right? This issue isn't even part of the present halfbake, as it's a problem for the designers of the (hopefully open sourced) PAN system. [see link] If it's not at least as secure as OpenBSD, I won't be using it. |
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Conversely you might *want* a thief to know that you're carrying a Glock 9mm. You could tag such items as public, say. |
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As to the "big brother" comment, I think your tinfoil beanie is on a little too tight [tcarson]. Dispense with the wireless component altogether if you're still worried, and carry the signal over a skin network or clothing embedded cables. If "they" really cared, "they" would have their own high powered RFID readers anyway. |
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It's _my_ parallel nerdverse; you don't have to come and play. Kevin and me will get along just fine. |
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Oh christ I need one of these. |
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[bunsen], the big brother worry isn't as
farfetched as you might think. besides, i
can think of no situation where i'd
actually want someone to know what's
in my pockets. rfid is unidirectional so
anyone with a reader will be able to
grab the signal from a chip if they've
got the correct frequency set, and if it's
rfid, for it to work, i can't use some
handy dandy radio frequency blocking
fabric to line my clothing with. |
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because rfid chips transmit their signal
whenever they receive power, even if
they're signal is encrypted, it can be
captured and decoded at a later time.
people won't ever change their
encryption, and you can catch them
later with your decoder and figure out
what's in their pockets then. |
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you can't tell when someone is scanning
your clothing because they don't need
to brandish an antenna, but can keep
one in a briefcase, or even use a patch
antenna in their sleeve. |
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commercial products means that
everyone will be walking around with
similar encryption schemes and if you
have them ahead of time they might as
well not exist. people won't be savvy
enough to know how the thing works,
and won't be able to protect themselves
from it. |
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the [mfd] comes from the fact that you
mentioned rfid as being able to just
know what was in your pockets. one of
the current problems with rfid
technology is compatibility. different
companies use different frequencies
and data formats, and because the
normal person won't be walking around
with pockets full of one company's
merchandise, you'd need a reader type
for every item. |
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before you start talking about how in
the future there won't be issues with
compatibility and technology size, you
might want to realize that another
betamax battle is heating up, and
chances are it won't be the last. the
[mfd] was probably a little harsh
though. |
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also, note that my tinfoil fedora is
perched at a jaunty angle. |
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//anyone with a reader will be able to grab the signal from a chip// Fair enough, but this is a problem with RFID, not with Searchable Pockets, which is the point I was trying to make //"they"// in my last anno. |
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//different companies use different frequencies and data formats ... you'd need a reader type for every item.// Ah poot. More a bad understanding of a technical standard than bad science though. We'll have to wait until the VHS of this system emerges, or rely on the backup video based system. |
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Speaking of which, the cameras should probably be mounted on prehensile stalks so that they can rummage. |
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"ooh, hahah, that tickles" |
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[bunsen], there isn't likely to ever be an
equivalent to vhs in rfid. it's in the
interest of any company creating the
damn things to keep you locked into a
single upgrade path. because there
aren't any fixed standards, they can
create brand new formats and use
unusual frequencies to keep customers
from being able to use existing
equipment with their products. |
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the rfid part of this idea is nearly
completely bakable, and that scares me.
the whole idea of if you're innocent you
have nothing to hide is crap, and
anyone who thinks about it in context
to themselves knows it. i see this as
being a real threat, and while i tip my
faraday-reminiscent hat in your
direction for it, i cringe inwardly at the
same time. i'm not paranoid for trying
to live below the radar. i keep my
fingerprints to myself, pay in cash, and
online i don't leave anymore trace than
necessary. i would show up like a
beacon with this, and the government
might try to make me use it. |
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From "Only Forward" by Michael Marshall Smith: "My apartment is equipped with a Search function: you have a little unit into which you type what you're looking for, and it electronically searches the place and tells you where it is. Unfortunately I've lost the unit, so I'm pretty well fucked." |
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All good points and pitfalls, [tcarson], and I agree with you more or less on the whole leave-no-trace thing. However: |
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//if it's rfid, for it to work, i can't use some handy dandy radio frequency blocking fabric to line my clothing with// |
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Sure you can, if your scanner is _in_ the pocket. Leaving aside for the moment the whole no-standards thing, which may or may not be insurmountable. Software radios? |
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Prehensile eyestalks and pattern recognition :) |
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The HUD could be superfluous; if you want you can display lists/images on your... |
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... damn, where's my phone? |
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/edit/ as [spidermother] also anno'd as I was writing this. |
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i don't mind your camera on stalk idea
[bunsen], because it resides in the
realm of the purely fantastic. |
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any scanner that would work with my
anti-rfid jeans would need a cord
running to each pocket sensor,
otherwise the screen wouldn't be
readable. if you set your phone up to
act as the interface, it would need to be
physically connected. faraday cage
means no radio if it's done right. that
means phones won't work either. |
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i forgot to mention that there is another
way for breaking down the encryption
used for rfid tags on merchandise. you
walk into a store and start scanning
goods and compiling a database. it's
time consuming, but it's more of a
onetime thing. |
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I'll take currently baked and WKTE medical devices for $500, thanks Alex. |
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A tiny camera on a prehensile stalk with integrated lighting. |
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[bzzt] What is an endoscope? |
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[bunsen], putting an endoscope in your
pocket, hooking it up to a computer that
can identify and categorize the contents of
your pockets, making it immune to any
problems associated with sitting on it,
powering it with a decent sized battery
without breaking your back, and then
selling it to people who can't remember
the contents of their pockets in the first
place? purely fantastic. |
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Thanks :) I'll take it that's [+] then? |
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i won't bun this on account of the whole
rfid thing, but i'll subtract my negative
vote. |
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<plugs own idea> Couldn't you just wear an ideo-blob [see link] as a backpack (or strapped over your belly to reduce theft risk), with the data-processing done in a palm-top dangling from your belt? </plugs own idea> |
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I think it would go well with the tin-foil fedora. |
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[pertinax], it's still too visible to the
outside world. i mean, come on. there's
a reason why we don't make
transparent pockets other than that we
don't want people to be grossed out be
half-eaten melted chocolate. |
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a barcode and scanner is as far as i
would go into databasing my pocket
contents. then the scanner would be
placed inside the tin foil hat of choice,
and have the batteries removed for
added security. i don't trust screens for
security after i overdosed on paranoia
and looked up van eck phreaking. |
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Fair point, [tcarson]. It would be strictly for exhibitionists. Especially when, in hot weather, you decided to wear it instead of your outer clothes... or to ride it like a space-hopper. ;-) |
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