Hardware Information Information Research

Tell a Friend about this Site

RFID for Beginners


RFID technology is used frequently today and has been around since the 1920s, but not many people know about, or understand it. RFID stands for Radio Frequency Identification and is used to store and retrieve information. This information is stored and retrieved using RFID tags or transponders. RFID tags are small and can be incorporated into many products. The tags have antennas that allow them to receive and respond to radio-frequency queries from an RFID transceiver.

Two Types of RFID Tags

There are two types of RFID tags; active tags, and passive tags. Passive tags do not have their own power supply, but rather receive their power from a tiny electrical current present in the antenna that is induced by an incoming radio frequency scan. Because of the small power present in the system, passive RFID tags are used only in short distances (such as an ID card).

Active RFID tags have a power source and therefore are much stronger and can be used over larger distances and are therefore more highly effective. Active RFID tags also have the potential to store more information than their passive counterparts. Some active RFID tags have a battery life of up to ten years.

The System of RFID

RFID works off of a system that relies on tags, tag readers, tag programming stations, sorting equipment, circulation readers, and tag inventory wands. RFID is generally used in security, because security gates are programmed to read the RFID tags and then either open or close accordingly. The system helps the information be easily transmitted via an RFID device. Systems have evolved over the years along with RFID chips. The hope is that RFID will one day be available to everyone (meaning consumers) because it will be more efficient and cost effective to implement RFID processes.

Where is RFID Used?

RFID can be found almost everywhere. RFID can be found in bookstores and CD stores. The little alarm that sounds if a CD has not been scanned is made possible by an RFID chip. RFID chips are found on animal tags, on books in libraries, in car alarms and car lock systems. RFID can also be used to detect motion. This could be very useful in the coming years in terms of prisons. In 2004 the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction (ODRH) approved a $415,000 contract to test RFID technology in prisons. The idea is that the prisoners will ware wristbands that will watch their movement. If there is any movement, which is out of the ordinary, security will be alerted. This technology will be employed in many states in the coming years.

Conclusion

RFID technology seems to have endless possibilities. Some critics of RFID technology say that it violates the privacy of citizens. This is based on the fact that RFID can be used to track whereabouts of people and obtain personal information. Putting all of this power into a little chip makes it undetectable. However, RFID can also possibly be used in driver's licenses for faster police scanners, and as a way to monitor hospital patients. With every potentially harmful application of RFID, there are several wonderful applications. It will be interesting to see all of the wonderful applications of RFID in the future.

Amie Kandowski is very interested in RFID Technology and loves writing about RFID.


MORE RESOURCES:

Dell unveils security hardware and services
Computerworld
IDG News Service - Dell on Wednesday beefed up its security offerings with new hardware and services, which could help the company to strike ...
Dell Rolls Out Security Services, Hardware for SMBseSecurity Planet
Dell Debuts Integrated Security for Midsized BusinessesSmall Business Computing
Dell launches security products for SMBsTechwatch
Wall Street Journal -eWeek
all 47 news articles »


Sydney Morning Herald

Apple's Hardware Announcements
PC World
After Apple put the focus on Mac hardware Tuesday with updates to its Mac Pro and iMac lines, we follow suit on the Macworld ...
Apple releases Mac Pro and Imac hardware refreshInquirer
Apple updates Hardware Specs of iMacs, Mac Pro.WCCFtech (blog)
iMac 21.5-inch 3.2 GHz Hardware SpecsKatonda
ZDNet (blog) -Examiner.com -MacNN
all 1,179 news articles »


Phandroid.com

Viper's SmartStart car control app hits Android
CNET (blog)
The app is free, though it requires that users have Viper's SmartStart security hardware installed in their car, as well as an active subscription to the ...
Sexy Android turns your car onTG Daily
Viper SmartStart uses Android to start and control your carAndroinica (blog)
Autobots, Assemble! Viper SmartStart Car Starter Now Speaks AndroidiSmashPhone (blog)
UberGizmo (blog) -Twice -PR Newswire (press release)
all 69 news articles »


Vooks.Net

Nintendo profits, DS hardware sales down
Digital Spy
While Wii hardware sales increased by 36.6% to 3.04 million units on last year, DS hardware dropped 44.7%. Sales of both Wii and DS software dropped by 9.3 ...
Nintendo announces loss in Q1, doesn't blame MarioFragland.net
Nintendo Wii Console ReviewXomba (blog)

all 16 news articles »


TopNews Singapore (press release)

IBM Needs a Good Lawyer
msnbc.com
Instigating a Justice Department investigation into alleged "tying" of mainframe computer hardware to mainframe software, the Computer & Communications ...
European Commission Investigates IBM Over Abuse of Dominant Market Position.X-bit Labs
Written by Jeffery ClarkData Center Journal
EU starts IBM antitrust probesLas Vegas Sun
Toronto Sun -ConnectedPlanet (blog) -TopNews Singapore (press release)
all 27 news articles »


International Business Times

IBM Acquires Storwize for Data Compression
eWeek
With its acquisition of Storwize, IBM in effect answers a move by another Tier 1 data storage hardware maker, Dell, which just bought Storwize competitor ...
IBM buys file compressorRegister
Storage play Storwize bought by IBMMass High Tech

all 116 news articles »


Top 5 Companies in the Computer Hardware Industry Offering Investors the Best ...
Comtex Smartrend
Below are the top five companies in the Computer Hardware industry as measured by the price to cash flow ratio. Often companies with the ...
International Business Machines is Among the Companies in the Computer ...Comtex Smartrend
Computer Hardware - Leaders: IBM, HPQ - Laggards: WDC, symbolb2TradersHuddle.com

all 7 news articles »


CNET

It's Too Late for Microsoft To Build Its Own Handset
GigaOm (blog)
But the window of opportunity for Microsoft to build its own phone closed down the minute it said it would license Windows Phone 7 to hardware partners. ...
The Case For a Microsoft PhoneTechnologizer (blog)
Microsoft's Mobile Fortune Cookie: 'Apps, not Hardware'TMCnet
Is This HTC's First Windows Phone 7 Device?PC World
MobileCrunch (blog) -IT Chuiko (blog) -WinInformant.com
all 334 news articles »


Channel EMEA

Ingram Micro 2Q More Than Doubles As Global Sales Rise
Wall Street Journal
The computer-equipment distributor serves as a go-between for some of the world's leading hardware and software companies and information-technology ...
CORRECTED - UPDATE 1-Ingram Micro beats Q2 estimatesReuters

all 36 news articles »


CBC.ca

Kindle Losing Profit Battle Means It May Win War: Tech by Rich Jaroslovsky
Bloomberg
Still, there's more to the Kindle than just the hardware. There's also Kindle software and Amazon's e-bookstore. Whatever happens to profits on Kindle the ...
Kindle vs. iPad: You're Both WinnersTheAppleBlog (blog)
Bargain Basement Kindle: Amazon Offers $139 ModelMinonline (subscription)
Amazon Introduces New 'Mass-Market' Kindle at $139DailyFinance
eWeek -TechCrunch -CNET (blog)
all 1,455 news articles »

Google News



MaineBannerExchange

home | site map
© 2006