Seems like a reasonable idea looking for a problem really. I am sure that once people start to fiddle with it they will find real applications, not that I would want to have object on me tagged with RFID (how long before this is used for tracking/hacking?)
Strikes me that it would be faster and easier to just have some desktop shortcuts, automation will get annoying when it is triggers and all you have done is move the object from A to B and accidentally gone too close to the receiver.
At least they support Linux (although if it is as shocking as the Mac version, perhaps "support" is not the correct word).
It would be quite interesting to embed these stamps in the makaton symbols used by autistic children and have the compter start an appropriate activity for them. With a bespoke application, the level of interaction required in the task could be increased steadily to require the child to interact more and more each time. Thumbs up from me.
Liked the last joke but what a missed opportunity to thoroughly take the piss! Was this a paid review or something?
Wave a brolly over a pad to find the weather? Why the fuck would I want to go and find my umbrella before checking the weather? Why not just minimize everything and look at my Vista weather widget? Or even - hell - look out the window!
As for taking my Oyster card out of my jacket so I can avoid clicking on a "favourites" link for TFL's website ... yeah, nice feature. I always wanted new ways of forgetting to take it with me when I go out.
The bunnies are great though. Everyone naturally maps tasks to different coloured bunnies in their head, so remembering which was which should be no problem, and much more efficient than the "favourites" menu with it's non-intuitive textual labelling.
But how much do these 25p RFID tags in cloth pouches cost? No mention of price?
If anyone remembers Violets last product, the Nabaztag and follow-up Nabaztag/tag they were supposed to offer similar functionality but in a standalone wifi connected device.
Anyone who bought one (Myself included) were promised the world of possibilities but were let down again and again by Violet with promises not fulfilled. Also all communication relied on Violets web servers which were more than flaky and severely limited innovation on what was an incredibly exciting system.
I guess they may have improved but beware that if they say functionality is coming it is probably worth waiting till it is there before you put down the cash. Nice idea, disappointing service.
If anyone really does want to do this, check out www.tikitag.com as well. Their starter kit gives you 25 tags and a USB reader for under £30.
I am not associated with Tikitag in any way at all, and am posting this because of my constant surprise that RFID is touted as a cheap technology, but always ends up costing a packet.
I understand how it works etc, but what would anyone actually use this for on a daily basis? Seems like a pointless waste of resources to me. Too many designers / engineers waste their abilities making tat like this when they could be spending their time on something to make the world a better place.
This detailed review is great. Reg hardware reviews had been getting a bit thin on such detail lately. Please keep it up - THG is just such a PITA web site.
Shame the product is so crap. The fact that it is pointless isn't in itself a bad thing but the state of the software (manually entering file paths? In a consumer product?) makes it look like the manufacturer has given up on the product and is just trying to shift a few units to the gullible to get some cash back.
I believe that RFID tagging household items won't be compelling until you can install a network of readers which can interrogate the tag at a distance of several meters and triangulate to tell you *where* the tag is right now. That is the "killer app" for home RFID: never lose your keys again, always be able to find the remote control effortlessly, etc. Until you get that, home RFID will, IMHO, remain a solution in search of a problem.
that killer app is UWB (ultrawideband) based RFID systems where you build up a radar style presence cloud of tagged items. The typical ISO-14443A 13.56MHz stuff (eg shiny rabbits & ePassports) is only centimetres talk distance. pulsed UWB at 6GHz has been demonstrated over a kilometer with incredibly low almost undetectable power levels. see multispectral.com, tags are a few dollars each, development system around 14k.
after reading up on the tikitag after seeing it i think on firebox, i took a look, and it has a similar idea, wave the tag over the receiver and it activates a certain task using the tikitag server (so it's still reliant on a webserver being up and running.
other that the idea that tikitag suggests i believe, and that's sticking the tags to a business card, and hoping to hell that the receipient has an RFID reader, i don't see the difference between sticking a tag to an object, and say, clicking on a shortcut which achieves the same task.
i think these companies are thinking along the tikitag lines, and thinking about exchangable objects/tags in the long term, but in the short term don't know how to get the readers out there. anyone know if the MIR:ROR reader is compatible with the Tikitag system? if it isn't, then it's all going for a ball of chalk really isn't it.....
when I saw this was that it might be good to be able to put my keys (with tagged keyring) into a bowl (containing tag reader) when returning home from work and for that action to trigger a set of actions within the house (keys in bowl = lights and stereo on, etc). But that would require a chunk of home infrastructure that isn't there. And isn't going to be there any time soon.
I can't see this taking off as a substitute for desktop shortcuts or browser bookmarks at all. *Maybe* for young kids being able to automatically trigger the playing of a cartoon or something, but I'd say that's about the limit of it's possibilities on the desktop, tied to a PC.
So yeah, I can see RFID tags being incorporated into, say, WiFi enabled toys, with a wave of toy part A near toy part B resulting in outcome X, Y or Z.
And, such is the way of the world, there are no doubt plans afoot to tie it in with advertising. Eg: wave your personal tag infront of a screen while out and about (bus stops?) to receive info of some sort (news / sport / celeb stuff) that will be 'supported' by way of product placement/advertising.
But as a cumbersome phsical replacement for desktop shortcuts and browser bookmarks? No chance.
Logitech Harmony ONE Advanced Universal Remote
Logitech Harmony 1100 Remote Control
Logitech Harmony 700 Universal Remote (LCD, 6 Devices)
Logitech Harmony 900 Universal Remote (LCD Touch Screen, Macro Control, 15 Devices)
Panasonic DMW-BCG10 Replacement Battery
Violet Mir:ror DIY RFID kit
DJ
I looked at this at christmas. #
Posted Wednesday 14th January 2009 13:49 GMT
And I was tempted to buy one, now I'm sure that it's pointless.. thanks.
The BigYin
Hmmm #
Posted Wednesday 14th January 2009 13:49 GMT
Seems like a reasonable idea looking for a problem really. I am sure that once people start to fiddle with it they will find real applications, not that I would want to have object on me tagged with RFID (how long before this is used for tracking/hacking?)
Strikes me that it would be faster and easier to just have some desktop shortcuts, automation will get annoying when it is triggers and all you have done is move the object from A to B and accidentally gone too close to the receiver.
At least they support Linux (although if it is as shocking as the Mac version, perhaps "support" is not the correct word).
Daniel
Great review #
Posted Wednesday 14th January 2009 13:49 GMT
Well done Bob - one of the best reviews I've read on El Reg for a while now.
Keep it up.
Bruce
Could be useful for children using Makaton #
Posted Wednesday 14th January 2009 13:49 GMT
It would be quite interesting to embed these stamps in the makaton symbols used by autistic children and have the compter start an appropriate activity for them. With a bespoke application, the level of interaction required in the task could be increased steadily to require the child to interact more and more each time. Thumbs up from me.
Andy Landy
wtf? #
Posted Wednesday 14th January 2009 13:49 GMT
is it april 1st already? who on earth would buy this?!
Eddie Edwards
Nice joke but ... #
Posted Wednesday 14th January 2009 13:49 GMT
Liked the last joke but what a missed opportunity to thoroughly take the piss! Was this a paid review or something?
Wave a brolly over a pad to find the weather? Why the fuck would I want to go and find my umbrella before checking the weather? Why not just minimize everything and look at my Vista weather widget? Or even - hell - look out the window!
As for taking my Oyster card out of my jacket so I can avoid clicking on a "favourites" link for TFL's website ... yeah, nice feature. I always wanted new ways of forgetting to take it with me when I go out.
The bunnies are great though. Everyone naturally maps tasks to different coloured bunnies in their head, so remembering which was which should be no problem, and much more efficient than the "favourites" menu with it's non-intuitive textual labelling.
But how much do these 25p RFID tags in cloth pouches cost? No mention of price?
Anonymous Coward
i dont think ive ever #
Posted Wednesday 14th January 2009 13:49 GMT
seen anything so pointless.
1) go get umbrella
2) tap umbrella on pad to find out it's sunny
3) put umbrella away
OR
1) look outside
2) go outside
3) jump in front of bus
Anonymous Coward
Rember the Nabaztag /tag? #
Posted Wednesday 14th January 2009 13:49 GMT
If anyone remembers Violets last product, the Nabaztag and follow-up Nabaztag/tag they were supposed to offer similar functionality but in a standalone wifi connected device.
Anyone who bought one (Myself included) were promised the world of possibilities but were let down again and again by Violet with promises not fulfilled. Also all communication relied on Violets web servers which were more than flaky and severely limited innovation on what was an incredibly exciting system.
I guess they may have improved but beware that if they say functionality is coming it is probably worth waiting till it is there before you put down the cash. Nice idea, disappointing service.
Gerard Krupa
Or as an alternative solution... #
Posted Wednesday 14th January 2009 13:49 GMT
...you could just use browser bookmarks, keyboard shortcuts and desktop icons.
Ground Rush
A title is required #
Posted Wednesday 14th January 2009 13:49 GMT
Yawn
Roger Lee
Alternatve #
Posted Wednesday 14th January 2009 13:49 GMT
If anyone really does want to do this, check out www.tikitag.com as well. Their starter kit gives you 25 tags and a USB reader for under £30.
I am not associated with Tikitag in any way at all, and am posting this because of my constant surprise that RFID is touted as a cheap technology, but always ends up costing a packet.
Neil Woolford
Good thing I wasn't drinking my coffee... #
Posted Wednesday 14th January 2009 13:49 GMT
"when she next uses her rabbit, she has the pleasure of aural text"
And only Wednesday.
Neil
Paul Kinsler
you says it's linux-able... #
Posted Wednesday 14th January 2009 13:51 GMT
... but their webpage makes no mention of linux support that I can see.
Ben Mathews
Useless #
Posted Wednesday 14th January 2009 13:51 GMT
But I kinda want one.
What I'd use it for I have no idea!
Random Noise
Point? #
Posted Wednesday 14th January 2009 13:51 GMT
What is the point of this thing?
I understand how it works etc, but what would anyone actually use this for on a daily basis? Seems like a pointless waste of resources to me. Too many designers / engineers waste their abilities making tat like this when they could be spending their time on something to make the world a better place.
Colin Millar
More of this please #
Posted Wednesday 14th January 2009 19:37 GMT
This detailed review is great. Reg hardware reviews had been getting a bit thin on such detail lately. Please keep it up - THG is just such a PITA web site.
Shame the product is so crap. The fact that it is pointless isn't in itself a bad thing but the state of the software (manually entering file paths? In a consumer product?) makes it look like the manufacturer has given up on the product and is just trying to shift a few units to the gullible to get some cash back.
Nano nano
Judging by their spelling ... #
Posted Wednesday 14th January 2009 19:37 GMT
doesn't give you much confidence in the prod:uctZ ...
Greg Trocchia
The killer app is missing #
Posted Thursday 15th January 2009 03:43 GMT
I believe that RFID tagging household items won't be compelling until you can install a network of readers which can interrogate the tag at a distance of several meters and triangulate to tell you *where* the tag is right now. That is the "killer app" for home RFID: never lose your keys again, always be able to find the remote control effortlessly, etc. Until you get that, home RFID will, IMHO, remain a solution in search of a problem.
An nonymous Cowerd
@killer app #
Posted Thursday 15th January 2009 10:13 GMT
that killer app is UWB (ultrawideband) based RFID systems where you build up a radar style presence cloud of tagged items. The typical ISO-14443A 13.56MHz stuff (eg shiny rabbits & ePassports) is only centimetres talk distance. pulsed UWB at 6GHz has been demonstrated over a kilometer with incredibly low almost undetectable power levels. see multispectral.com, tags are a few dollars each, development system around 14k.
now where did I leave my coat?
Ben Daniels
Yup, what exactly is the point with these? #
Posted Thursday 15th January 2009 10:13 GMT
after reading up on the tikitag after seeing it i think on firebox, i took a look, and it has a similar idea, wave the tag over the receiver and it activates a certain task using the tikitag server (so it's still reliant on a webserver being up and running.
other that the idea that tikitag suggests i believe, and that's sticking the tags to a business card, and hoping to hell that the receipient has an RFID reader, i don't see the difference between sticking a tag to an object, and say, clicking on a shortcut which achieves the same task.
i think these companies are thinking along the tikitag lines, and thinking about exchangable objects/tags in the long term, but in the short term don't know how to get the readers out there. anyone know if the MIR:ROR reader is compatible with the Tikitag system? if it isn't, then it's all going for a ball of chalk really isn't it.....
bluesxman
RE: Good thing I wasn't drinking my coffee... #
Posted Thursday 15th January 2009 17:10 GMT
Glad to see I'm not the only one with a mind sufficiently dirty so as to appreciate that.
W
The first thing I thought of #
Posted Monday 19th January 2009 10:41 GMT
when I saw this was that it might be good to be able to put my keys (with tagged keyring) into a bowl (containing tag reader) when returning home from work and for that action to trigger a set of actions within the house (keys in bowl = lights and stereo on, etc). But that would require a chunk of home infrastructure that isn't there. And isn't going to be there any time soon.
I can't see this taking off as a substitute for desktop shortcuts or browser bookmarks at all. *Maybe* for young kids being able to automatically trigger the playing of a cartoon or something, but I'd say that's about the limit of it's possibilities on the desktop, tied to a PC.
So yeah, I can see RFID tags being incorporated into, say, WiFi enabled toys, with a wave of toy part A near toy part B resulting in outcome X, Y or Z.
And, such is the way of the world, there are no doubt plans afoot to tie it in with advertising. Eg: wave your personal tag infront of a screen while out and about (bus stops?) to receive info of some sort (news / sport / celeb stuff) that will be 'supported' by way of product placement/advertising.
But as a cumbersome phsical replacement for desktop shortcuts and browser bookmarks? No chance.
Robin Mosse
cat flap #
Posted Monday 19th January 2009 10:41 GMT
now if it could read an embedded pet RFID tag rather that its own propprietary ones and then acivate the solenoid that unlocks the flap.............
CatMates solution is lame.