NEWS : TECH (NFPC)

Disney World To Track Your Fantasy

Looks like the "Happiest Place On Earth" is about to become the "Most Connected Place On Earth."

According to the New York Times, this spring Walt Disney World in Orlando, Fla. will roll out MyMagic+, a new vacation management system that will include radio-frequency identification bracelets called "MagicBands." The rubber RFID bracelets will be encoded with credit card information, allowing visitors to buy ride tickets, pass through turnstiles and purchase food with a flick of the wrist.

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The MagicBands will also include user information such as the wearer's name and birthday, so that costumed Disney characters may offer a more personalized interaction. Imagine Mickey approaching someone and saying, "Hello Billy, I understand it's your birthday." This seemingly clairvoyant feature just adds to the fantasy says Disney officials.

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“If we can enhance the experience, more people will spend more of their leisure time with us,” Thomas O. Staggs, chairman of Disney Parks and Resorts, told the New York Times.

The bands are part of a new website and app called My Disney Experience that will enable users of MyMagic+ to select three FastPasses for rides or VIP seating for special events. Visitors can register here for the MagicBands, which will also serve as room keys for on-site resorts and parking tickets.

The bands will remain optional, however Disney does plan to mine the wealth of consumer data it will collect from those who decide to participate. What rides did you visit? Did you purchase Mickey Mouse Ears or a balloon? Did you stop and say hi to Goofy or make a beeline to Donald Duck? These are all questions Disney believes MyMagic+ will answer.

Disney says they're aware of potential privacy concerns, especially with children, but explains that integrating the technology of MyMagic+ to the theme park is essential to staying relevant in the digital age. MagicBands will not be mandatory and guests will decide how much information to provide.

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Analysts expect the initiative will cost $800 million to $1 billion and affect the roughly 30 million people who visit Disney World every year.

Yes, the MagicBands are optional, but news like may make some people feel like a duck being gavaged for foie gras. So if you're not into being force fed monoculture, how about Black Flag's "Rise Above" for a little dessert. If that's a little too heavy for your palate, might I recommend the Dirty Projectors' more delicate version, one of my personal faves.

via NPR, the New York Times

Credit: Kent Phillips/Disney

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James Bond Tech Still Beyond Our Reach

Fifty years ago this month, Dr. No premiered in theaters, the first installment of the James Bond series that would stretch 22 films to date with another installment, Skyfall, due to premiere this year.

The James Bond movies gave sixties audiences not only the vicarious thrill of following 007 through dangerous missions in exotic locales, but also a glimpse of the future through some of the technology used by Bond and the villains he pursued.

Despite the decades between the imagined Bond universe and the real world today, Bond and the supervillains he confronted still have the edge in terms of technology now available today.

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Homing Devices

In order for MI6 headquarters to keep tabs on 007's location, he has on several occasions had to carry some kind of homing device with tracking capability on his person.

In Thunderball, Bond brought with him a homing pill that activated when it was swallowed and emitted a frequency that could only be tracked with specialized equipment. Most recently in Casino Royale, Bond was implanted with a homing chip that not only tracked his whereabouts but also monitored his vitals.

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Although GPS tracking is virtually ubiquitous in cell phones today, a device the size of a small chip or a pill with GPS-tracking capabilities just doesn't exist yet. There is existing technology for implantable radio-frequency identification (RFID) chips, like the microchips implemented in animals. Those, however, are only passive RFID and require a specialized scanner in close proximity.

Space Base

The climatic scenes in Moonraker take place on the space station of supervillian industrialist Hugo Drax. The space station is large enough for Bond, Drax, Bond's squeeze Dr. Holly Goodhead, Jaws and an untold number of henchman, all floating in simulated gravity in suborbital spaceflight. It has to be big, after all, given Drax's play to essentially use the station as an arc while he poisons all of humanity. Despite its size, Drax even has a radar jammer capable of hiding his massive suborbital hideout.

Although the International Space Station might be the closest comparison to the space base from Moonraker, the 21st-century station is nowhere near Drax's base in terms of scale or capability.

If you're going to take on a villain in space, conventional weapons just won't do. That's why in Moonraker, Bond was armed with a handheld laser gun.

Laser weapons already exist in various forms. As Craig Freudenrich writing for HowStuffWorks.com explains, high-energy lasers and other weapons, such as the Airborne Laser and the PHaSR, have been tested for possible military applications. However, a handheld, laser-burst gun isn't yet available today.

Cigarette-sized rocket

Given how often Bond can get himself into a jam, he often needs a lot of firepower in a small package when he's backed into a corner.

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Laser handguns

In You Only Live Twice, Bond wielded a rocket concealed into a tiny cigarette. Despite its size, the rocket was accurate within 30 yards and proved to be a lethal projectile.

In reality, no rocket has yet been developed that has that much firepower in such a small package. Even in a more conventional design like the shape of a gun, as demonstrated here by what might be the world's smallest gun, a firing mechanism that size can't really generate the force necessary to create the kind of stopping power wielded by 007.

Satellite-based weaponry

As difficult as a small-scale weapon might be to duplicate, no one has come close to the space weaponry developed by Bond villians.

Diamonds Are Forever marked the first time such a device was employed in which the laser used diamonds to concentrate light into an accurate and widely destructive weapon. In Goldeneye, an orbital satellite produced shock waves that created an electromagnetic pulse in a target area to destroy any electronic devices on the ground.

Count this as one Bond device we're happy to see on screen, but not in real life.

Photo credit: Corbis Images

Adidas To Debut World's First 'Smart Game'

Every time I watch a sporting event on television, I'm gobsmacked at some of the statistics broadcasters pull out of their hat. Washington National's pitcher Stephen Strasburg is undefeated on overcast days on the road, but only if he's had a pregame haircut, eats two handfuls of sun flower seeds between innings and is playing in stadiums in the Eastern time zone.

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Maybe the stats aren't that detailed, but often times they seem like it. And every sports junkie, coach and journalist gobbles them up like they are jelly beans that'll predict the game's outcome.

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Well, the rabbit hole of sports stats analysis is about to get a lot deeper. Adidas will debut a new player tracking system called "Micoach" Elite System at the Major League Soccer All-Star game on July 25 in Chester, Pa.

Players insert a "player cell" into a pocket located in the shoulder blades of thier uniform. The system uses a RF radio, a 3D accelerometer, a GPS unit, a gyroscope and a magnetometer to track a player's heart rate, power, intensity of play, speed, distance covered and acceleration. The RF radio is used to relay that data to a computer on the sideline, which then routes the info to an iPad app.

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The idea is that Micoach will let coaches and trainers better analyze a player's peak level of performance, fitness level and what impact the game is having on his or her body.

“We are proud to partner with our long-term partner Major League Soccer to debut our latest innovation the micoach Elite System at the MLS All-Star Game and then across the league in 2013,” said Adidas Group CEO Herbert Hainer in a press release.  “As the paths of sports and technology continue to converge, we are pleased to be pioneering in this area and continue to deliver cutting-edge innovations to teams and leagues worldwide.”

via Gizmodo

Credit: Adidas

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Stickers Automate Everyday Phone Functions

Samsung TecTiles: $15 per 5-pack

The Samsung Galaxy S III smartphone is set to release here in the United States this month. However, an innocuous accessory that will be sold alongside the Galaxy might be worth more excitement than the phone itself. Samsung will sell TecTiles, a set of five NFC (near field communication) stickers that function however you want them to. NFC is the same tech that allows for tap-and-pay credit card and electronic ticket transactions, as an example.

An NFC-embedded sticker can be put anywhere you like and, using a corresponding app, set to control anything you want it to. For example, stick a TecTile on your nightstand and in the evening, when you crawl into bed, tap your phone to the sticker. Your phone will change to "night mode" and activate the morning alarm.

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Stick one on your car's dash, and as soon as you get in to drive, the tile will automatically switch your phone to Bluetooth mode for driving and send a text to your loved one, letting him or her know you're on your way. Other possibilities included automatic check-ins through Foursquare or Facebook, sharing contacts or launching apps. No word yet on whether or not the stickers or the app will be available on phones other than Samsung.

Recently, NFC has been used for payment systems and mass transit, with so-so results. Implementing this kind of user-controlled system may broaden the technology’s horizon and make it a universally accepted way to navigate mobile devices in a more user-friendly way.  TecTiles will be sold five to a pack at $15 on June 21.

via Gizmodo

Credit: Samsung

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Tooth Tattoo Diagnoses Oral Health

To put it lightly, I'm not a huge fan of going to the dentist, and I'm willing to bet you aren't either.

Wouldn't it be great if we could tattoo our teeth with sensors that monitor our oral health and maybe keep the dentist away a little bit longer? Plus, we would know exactly what we're getting into when we make that dentist appointment.

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Thankfully, Michael McAlpine and his research team at Princeton University are looking into that very technology. Their research has shown that a graphene sensor "tattooed" onto a tooth can be used to detect bacteria and wirelessly monitor oral hygiene.

The graphene is printed onto water-soluble silk and can be "bio-transferred" onto tooth enamel. (Does that require going to the dentist, too? Hmmmm.) Once the film is applied to the tooth, the silk dissolves in water, leaving only the sensor in place. It uses antimicrobial peptides and a resonant coil, so bacteria cells can be detected without needing an on-board power supply.

On top of that, the sensor is equipped with a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag that can provide additional monitoring.

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As bacteria binds with the peptides, a small electric current occurs in the graphene because of tiny electric charges in bacterial cell membranes. An antenna can be used to receive the sensor's current and the bacterial pathogen can be diagnosed.

With his penchant for tattoos, Grillz and a staggering sweet tooth that's been the root of major dental surgery, Lil' Wayne might be the perfect mouth piece to launch this technology into consumers of pop culture. Who knows, he might even spit forth a mix tape espousing the importance of oral hygiene.

via Gizmag

Credit: Michael McAlpine

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Cheaper, Paper RFID Tags

Lots of people take the occasional ream of paper or note pad from the office -- who's to know? In the future that might be your boss, because the paper could be tagged with RFID chips.

RFID tags are used in inventory controls and even tracking pets, but so far, they're not cheap. That's a big reason why everything isn't tagged and instead retailers and manufacturers use barcodes and QR codes.

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Camille Ramade and colleagues at the University of Montpellier, France, developed a thermal evaporation process to deposit an aluminum coil antenna onto paper for use as an RFID tag. The tag uses less metal than conventional designs.

One big plus of the evaporation method is that it's low-cost. Aluminum is cheaper than copper or silver, which are often used in RFID tags because they are so conductive. The scientists involved said using aluminum might reduce the costs of tagging with an RFID chip by as much as 80 percent.

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The team says they have prototypes and now have only to optimize the designs for different kinds of RFID chips.

Image: Int. J. Radio Frequency Identification Technology and Applications

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Kinect-Powered Amusement Park Will Blow Your Mind

Has playing video games on your couch lost its luster? Ever wish you could fully immerse yourself in an interactive world of virtual reality? If so, you might want to keep an eye on ticket prices to South Korea.

"Live Park 4D Art Factory" is a new amusement park/virtual museum that recently opened in Ilsan, Gyeonggi-do, South Korea. The 10,000-square-foot space includes 65 attractions, several interactive displays and art installation.

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Visitors wear RFID wristbands so that Kinect sensors can distinguish their movements, faces and voices. They are encouraged to create an avatar of themselves so they can interact with the attractions.Holograms, 3D video and augmented reality technology are used to enhance visitors' virtual tour with an array of exhibits, such as:

"Live360" is billed as the world's largest interactive stereoscopic theater. Visitors can follow their avatar on a 360 degree screen while getting wrapped up in an interactive story line with multiple endings. At the factory's "Live Square," visitors play avatar games in a 492 foot wide projection square. There's even an augmented reality stage where visitors use their avatars and holograms to put on a show.

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The Live Park 4D Art Factory was created by new media art and entertainment company, d'strict. While the park isn't a permanent fixture, its success has prompted the company to extend its time where it's open to the public. The company is considering building more permanent installations in China and Singapore.

Take a trippy tour with this hallucinating video:

[Via Gizmag]

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Cashless Parking Tested in Germany

Finding a parking space is a pain (at least if you live in a city like San Francisco, New York or Boston). Once you get to the parking meter you have to make change. Using a parking garage means trusting your vehicle to the parking valet, or waiting in line behind other cars paying the attendant.

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Researchers at the Fraunhofer Institute in Germany were likely as fed up as anyone else, so they came up with a cashless system based on radio frequency ID tags -- the same technology used at automated toll booths. The system involves a computer chip stuck to a car's windshield that uses a radio signal to transmit a 12-digit code unique to each vehicle to receivers on the ceiling of a parking garage. The garage ceiling receivers track when a car enters and exists and bills the driver accordingly -- no attendant required. The system, called VIATAG, is being developed for MotionID Technologies and is being tested in three German cities -- Essen, Munich and Duisburg.

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Fraunhofer says hacking isn't a problem because the code doesn't contain any personal information -- it only identifies the car. In addition the RFID chip self-destructs if it is removed from the windshield. This does leave open the possibility of spoofing the car’s identifier, however, which might open a chance to avoid paying or possibly sticking someone else with the bill. We’ll see how the tests work out (and if anyone finds the hack at next year’s Black Hat confab).

Image: MotionID Technologies

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Antenna Scavenges Excess Wireless Signals

We've seen how stray wireless signals can be illuminated for art, but for aesthetes who want more function and less form out of the invisible networks streaming all around us, lend an ear.

A team of researchers at Georgia Tech, led by Manos Tentzeris, a professor in the university's School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, have built a simple antenna that can harvest stray energy transmitted from radio, television and cell phone signals.  

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"There is a large amount of electromagnetic energy all around us, but nobody has been able to tap into it," said Tentzeris in a university press release. "We are using an ultra-wideband antenna that lets us exploit a variety of signals in different frequency ranges, giving us greatly increased power-gathering capability."

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An antenna may not sound like a very interesting device, but the cool part is that Tentzeris and his team made the antenna using an inkjet printer.

The antenna's electrical components and circuits were printed using nanoparticle "ink" on paper and a flexible polymer.

"We can now print circuits that are capable of functioning at up to 15 GHz -- 60 GHz if we print on a polymer," said Rushi Vyas, a graduate student working on the project.

At present, the antenna can capture the stray energy of radio signals ranging from FM to radar. Once it harvests the energy, it converts it from AC to DC and then stores it on a battery.

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The scavenging device could also piggy-back with other energy-generating technologies like solar cells. During the day, the solar cells could be gathering energy from the sun, while the antenna is harvesting ambient electromagnetic energy. At night, when the sun goes down, the antenna can continue to work, thereby increasing the overall power output of the solar cells.

The researchers anticipate the autonomous, paper-based wireless sensors will not only be available soon, but will also be affordable.  

Credit: Georgia Tech, Gary Meek

[Via TheRegister]

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Washable RFID Tags Help Catch Hotel Towel Thieves

Plush terrycloth bathrobes, 800-thread-count sheets and fluffy, freshly laundered towels can tempt even the most law-abiding hotel guest to take up a life of suitcase-stuffing crime.

Irresistible as they may be, petty theft of these luxurious (and free!) linens are gouging the hotel industry to the rude wake-up call of approximately $100 million a year.

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Sticky-fingers everywhere, consider this a warning! Some hotels are reinforcing their defences against pilfering patrons like yourself and they're using radio frequency identification (RFID) to catch you in the act.

Three hotels in Honolulu, Miami and New York City have begun using towels, sheets and bathrobes equipped with washable RFID tags to keep guests from snagging the coveted items. Just to keep you guessing, the hotels have chosen to remain anonymous.

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Linen Technology Tracking has partnered with Fluensee AssetTrack to optimize and oversee the implementation of this linen-tracking initiative.

“Our relationship with Fluensee allows us to easily scale our capability to serve the growing needs of our customers,” Executive Vice President at Linen Technology Tracking, William Serbin said in a press release. “Through the utilization of RFID technology we are providing companies with the unique ability to better control their operating costs and investment in assets critical to satisfying the needs of the hotel guests.”

Besides reducing theft, the washable RFID tags will also help hotels keep track of linens in real time, so they know when to order more.

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The anonymous Honolulu hotel says that before employing the RFID tags, they were losing 4,000 towels per month. They've now reduced that number to 750, saving around $16,000 a month.

No word yet on what other hotel items might be equipped with RFID tags. Toilet paper rolls, miniature soaps, ash trays and unattended maid carts are potentially still up for grabs.

Credit: Jack Hollingsworth/Corbis

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