Wal-Mart Radio Tags to Track Clothing - WSJ

veritas_libertas

The Motorola RFID reader shown in this article looks to be identical to the ones we use to track inventory.

Wal-Mart Stores Inc. plans to roll out sophisticated electronic ID tags to track individual pairs of jeans and underwear, the first step in a system that advocates say better controls inventory but some critics say raises privacy concerns.
Starting next month, the retailer will place removable "smart tags" on individual garments that can be read by a hand-held scanner. Wal-Mart workers will be able to quickly learn, for instance, which size of Wrangler jeans is missing, with the aim of ensuring shelves are optimally stocked and inventory tightly watched. If successful, the radio-frequency ID tags will be rolled out on other products at Wal-Mart's more than 3,750 U.S. stores.

Wal-Mart to Put Radio Tags on Clothes - WSJ.com

exampasser

Great, now I gotta microwave all of my clothes that I get from Wal-Mart. . .

veritas_libertas

exampasser wrote: »

Great, now I gotta microwave all of my clothes that I get from Wal-Mart. . .

Really? I mean how dangerous is an RFID tag that only identifies the kind of jeans you bought? It's basically a digital bar-code!

That is hardly a privacy issue. Especially since it will involve no PII.

earweed

"THEY" will know my waist size!!!!
Oh no!

exampasser

I know this is a little off-topic but I wonder if people have worked on RFID cloning. I don't know though if there is an open standard for RFID or if it's still mostly proprietary-based.

veritas_libertas

exampasser wrote: »

I know this is a little off-topic but I wonder if people have worked on RFID cloning. I don't know though if there is an open standard for RFID or if it's still mostly proprietary-based.

RFID cloning is trivial if there is no encryption involved. I watched a BlackHat presentation where they bought the reader and writer for hack off of eBay.

Wired 14.05: The RFID Hacking Underground

exampasser

Thanks for the link.

wd40

veritas_libertas wrote: »

Really? I mean how dangerous is an RFID tag that only identifies the kind of jeans you bought? It's basically a digital bar-code!

That is hardly a privacy issue. Especially since it will involve no PII.

If they want, they can track if these clothes are back to any of there stores,they can also associate the TAG with your credit card details etc.

dynamik

If I went to the trouble of digging through someone's garbage and then learned they shopped at Wal-Mart, I'd assume they wouldn't be worth robbing. I might collect these tags and leave them in my trash as a deterrent...

TheShadow

dynamik wrote: »

If I went to the trouble of digging through someone's garbage and then learned they shopped at Wal-Mart, I'd assume they wouldn't be worth robbing. I might collect these tags and leave them in my trash as a deterrent...

What if the next step is to sew them into the garment? Every time that person comes into the store an alert pops up that says put out more twinkies because here comes lard a**

dynamik

TheShadow wrote: »

What if the next step is to sew them into the garment? Every time that person comes into the store an alert pops up that says put out more twinkies because here comes lard a**

I know someone that works at Jimmy Johns and every time they see a rather large individual coming in the store, they start making a Gargantuan. They say that 9/10 times that's what they get. I'm not sure if these tags will ultimately do much more than state the obvious

I know what you're saying though. Very Minority Report-ish.

N2IT

veritas_libertas wrote: »

The Motorola RFID reader shown in this article looks to be identical to the ones we use to track inventory.




Wal-Mart to Put Radio Tags on Clothes - WSJ.com

This is exactly why Walmart owns the competition. With this type of technology they will turn an already great supply chain into an even better one. Wal mart does this the best.

N2IT

veritas_libertas wrote: »

RFID cloning is trivial if there is no encryption involved. I watched a BlackHat presentation where they bought the reader and writer for hack off of eBay.

Wired 14.05: The RFID Hacking Underground

This is exactly the biggest concern with RFID's. If they could figure out the security portion of it this would of been implemented 5-10 years ago.

Devilsbane

I saw something on this last night. I'm not too concerned.

veritas_libertas

N2IT wrote: »

If they could figure out the security portion of it this would of been implemented 5-10 years ago.

Are you suggesting that they could break the encryption? If so why would this be a concern? It only equals a barcode transmitter. I fail to see why I should be fearful of this. Now if they were linking it to my Debit Card or Driver's License than I would start to get concerned. This is no where even remotely similar to Minority Report.

Plantwiz

veritas_libertas wrote: »

Are you suggesting that they could break the encryption? If so why would this be a concern? It only equals a barcode transmitter. I fail to see why I should be fearful of this. Now if they were linking it to my Debit Card or Driver's License than I would start to get concerned. This is no where even remotely similar to Minority Report.

My concern is that this is another step toward desensatising people into being monitored.

And also allowing droids to fill the place of an independent thinking workforce

From a marketing perspective...yes, it seems to make sense to keep the shelves fully stocked and to let the w@l-m@rt managers know to send the stock kid out with 10 more pair of size 52 jeans because someone just purchased 7 pair and the stock level needs to be at or between 15-20 pair at all times to accomodate guest needs.

W@lm@rt has long since been recognized for their ordering/stocking effciencies but all that currently (or in the recent past depending on when this transition happened/happens) at the register. With this 'newer' method, an employee could 'wand' the shelves/racks and immediately send the order to the backroom where stock clerks (or droids) are waiting to bring out a cart full of merchandise.

Also from a marketing/management (retail) perspective, this makes the shelves appear perfect for 'each' guest in the store rather then some finding they are getting the 'last one' or left over one on the shelf. With plenty to select from, a happier experience is measured for the guest...thereby turning into more relaxed shopping and better potential to buy those impulse items.

As with all technologies, I think the dream is realized with good intentions...it just depends on who uses this information and how deep they go.

veritas_libertas

Plantwiz wrote: »

My concern is that this is another step toward desensatising people into being monitored.

I kind of doubt this. The biggest concern for Wal-Mart is lowering cost and making sure they can keep track of their inventories. RFID can do both and that is the only reason they want to go to it.

Bl8ckr0uter

Plantwiz wrote: »

My concern is that this is another step toward desensatising people into being monitored.

Interesting point. We seem to be getting closer to that policed state I hear about.

L0gicB0mb508

All your pants are belong to us.

Plantwiz

veritas_libertas wrote: »

I kind of doubt this. The biggest concern for Wal-Mart is lowering cost and making sure they can keep track of their inventories. RFID can do both and that is the only reason they want to go to it.

IF the only entity using it for w@lm@rt is for inventory, as I mentioned earlier, then things are ok. w@lm@rt has mastered restocking/inventory control through (point of sale) check-out based reporting, but now want to take this a step further and keep shelf levels within a range so that by the time the item in the cart gets to the register...there is a replacement on the shelf and inventory at the warehouse ready to go on the truck to refill the store. I get that!
I think it is crazy, but I get it

Where the caveat enters is this becomes a step toward doing this on a more global level for more items and eventually people. We may not need to fear the gov't as much as we need to fear marketeers of the world. Nevertheless, each time we (as a socitey) can find or accept some form of monitoring...with good intentions...we desensatize ourselves into finding this as an 'ok' means to live by.

I don't wish to hijack your thread and certainly don't wish to get into this debate, but consider how credit cards have desensatized people into 'buying' items out of convenience to the point where no emotional change is felt when making a purchase. Paying with cash hurts. Swipping a card hurts less, using a ccard with RFID is almost no emotional tie to the purchase and loss of money.

(not the article I've read but it covers the same)
Cash or Debit Card? - Saving Advice

And then there is always my friend:
daveramesy.com
(certainly in the archives there)

***

I caution that it is a step to change...and the most successful changes begin with ONE step.