i3World Express incorporating HighTechAIDCourier	November 5th 2002
www.i3world.org	www.hightechaid.com

Welcome to the first edition of the i3World Express. Our target audience is anyone and everyone who has a current or potential future interest in Interlinking Technologies for the Smarter Management of Things. And the technologies available to us today offer an unbelievably simple opportunity for revolutionising the way we integrate our new information processing and communication capabilities with the physical management of items .. to guarantee less wastage, greater efficiency and increased profits. i3World Express is your monthly resource that will advise, inform and educate on the "hot" issues of which you need to be aware. We are delighted to announce that Steve Halliday, President of High Tech Aid, a former VP of the industries major datacapture association and an acknowledged expert across a wide range of i3W technologies, has agreed to edit the newsletter and indeed merge his own HighTechAIDCourier with it. This means that members of i3World will enjoy a much wider content and perspective. Steve will sift through millions of words to provide you with the hundreds of relevant words that you need to keep you abreast of technology, news and developments; intellectual property issues; and all the latest from the standards arena. And there are few better qualified than he.

Steve Halliday

We are late with our October newsletter, but as you can read, this issue sees the first of a set of changes for us

Starting with this issue, HighTechAIDCourier has been merged with the newsletter for the Integrated Item-Intelligent World (i3World) newsletter. Each month I will bring you the news you have received in the AIDCourier plus a lot more. You will be receiving the first four issues of this new newsletter free of charge, and after that you will need to be a member of i3World to receive the newsletters.

Membership in i3World is very inexpensive and the list of benefits is large, so we hope you will consider joining. What is i3World? I will leave that to Professor Tony Furness to explain in his introductory article on page 2. How do you join? - visit http://www.i3world.org

So, send your friends / colleagues / customers a copy of this newsletter and encourage them to sign up. They can get their own free copy (until January 2003) by visiting http://www.hightechaid.com where they will also get the chance to see some useful information on the technologies we are interested in. We cover a lot of topics, but if there is something you want to learn more about, don't hesitate to drop me a note at steve@hightechaid.com. I will try to find the information you need.

But of course, newsletters are not all we are about here at High Tech Aid. Striving to provide education and training in the AIDC world as well as marketing advice and expertise, along with a strong standards background we stand ready to serve all your needs. Contact us at steve@hightechaid.com to find out how to solve your problem.

If you are looking for more opinions about the AIDC industry then check out "Scan, The Data Capture Report". This newsletter is available twice a month and includes a monthly column from me on technical issues. This month I ask the question regarding standards. "Who are they for and who should create them?" For info visit: http://www.hightechaid.com/scandcr.htm.

If the links in the newsletter appear to be broken, (AOL users may have problems) then copy and paste the full link in your browser. Don't forget, you can get back issues of the newsletter at: www.hightechaid.com/newsletter/aidcourier_archive.htm

If you have a topic to cover, a point to make, or even just a comment on how we are doing, then send it to news@hightechaid.com.

There's never been anything like it before! Suppliers are tired of traditional exhibitions which inevitably end up with suppliers talking to suppliers. Users want focused conference sessions without the invariably confusing tracks. We will be addressing both these issues at Showcase Europe which takes place over the period March 10th to 13th in the prestigious Olympia Conference Suite and East Hall, London. It will feature six informative conference programmes with four supporting dynamic showcases. Items are the core of every business - and i3W shows how these items will be managed in the future. We are already seeing many of the major multi-national companies committing to the vision of i3W. To compete successfully key decision makers have to be equipped and aware. This i3World Showcase Europe is a solutions event that will make them aware. There will be four key feature areas:

• Supply Chains
• Manufacturing and Processing
• Improving patient care and healthcare operational management
• Security - on the move or within buildings

www.i3worldnews.org/showarticle.php?id=011102

The Integrated Item-Intelligent World (i3W) may sound a little esoteric but in reality it is easy to understand. It fulfils a basic but important requirement for putting a range of technologies, principles and associated issues into context; technologies, principles and issues concerning the identification, handling and management of items. By items think of any tangible, physically identifiable entity that is handled in business, from raw materials and components through to finished products, containers, transport facilities to people and locations. Items are the very essence or focus of most businesses and to handle those items more efficiently and effectively is the route to greater profitability and competitive advantage. To achieve this in the face of rapid and diverse developments in technology and other dynamics of change requires an appropriate framework . in the case of item management, the i3W framework. So what is it? www.i3worldnews.org/showarticle.php?id=021102

And so to the i3World Express

Prof. Anthony Furness

The i3World Express quite simply seeks to provide a source of useful information, commentary and guidance on topics and issues relating to the identification, handling and management of items, and i3W generally. Because of the broadness of view and the need to embrace outreach topics, attention will in some cases be drawn to seemingly disparate subjects. They will, however, have a particular relevance to the i3W framework and warrant consideration.

For example, power line telecommunications (PLT), for communicating data via power line infrastructures, may seem to be an isolated development of little relevance to item management. However, the realisation of PLT (destined for implementation in Europe and USA around 2003-2004) raises issues of potential interference with low power radio devices, including radio frequency identification (RFID) and electronic article surveillance (EAS) systems operating in the frequency range 1.6MHz . 30MHz (see page 3). Such issues require attention and in some cases, on-going attention in order to understand, pursue and even influence a particular outcome. Content of i3World Express will also include case studies and commentary. i3W is already happening. Numerous examples can be seen in which the aspects of item management, technological innovation, integration and intelligence are well illustrated. Examples of these developments will feature within the Newsletter and also to a greater degree in the quarterly i3World Journal. Interviews with key players and authorities on current issues will form an integral part of future issues of the Newsletter, laying out the controversial as well as the factual points of view.

Based upon this framework, topics and news will be gathered that relates to technologies, principles and issues and, where appropriate, their relevance to a particular element or elements of the defined framework. So, for example, an article on data synchronisation will be distinguished with respect to network connectivity, while a news item on optical code development will be referred to the technologies and principle elements of the framework. In this way attention will be drawn to the way in which features fit within the overall concept of i3W. By merging the elements of the HighTechAIDCourier, supported by the competence, experience and standing of Steve Halliday as Executive Editor, the prospect is provided for an interesting, topical and influential Newsletter. The structure of the Newsletter distinguishes various sections to facilitate ease of readability and while attempts have been made to cover the needs of a wide ranging readership the editorial group is receptive to you, the reader, for any suggestions for improvement and additions. The editorial group will also be receptive to requests to cover particular topics. So, help us to help you through a Newsletter that embraces i3W and aligns to your needs for information.

An i3W office is being established within tic to facilitate the development and administration of the i3W activities specific to the tic role in education and research, including cross-divisional research and development within tic and administration of the i3W Research Forum and Academic Network. The office will also handle developments with respect to tic- based training, accreditation programme and maintenance of the i3W.info website. Heading up this office will be Prof. Tony Furness.

An academic network is being established to help fulfill the following needs:

• For positioning item-attendant ICT in mainstream ICT courses, training provisions and supporting literature.
• Research and development on the foundational platform for item- attendant ICT and the i3W concept.
• Research and development on the underpinning technologies and application methodologies for item- attendant ICT and i3W.

Membership of the academic network is free to academic partners. Members will automatically become members of the i3W Research Forum, set up to gain support from industrial and organisational sponsors and direct attention at the applied research requirements for extending and applying the i3W concept. The scope is international and is to be supported by an annual academic conference with published proceedings, sponsored by i3World International. The first of these sponsored conferences is to be held in London in March 2003 (see below).

As a result of representations from i3World International partners, members of the Automatic Identification Center of Ohio University and participants in the International Academic Conference held in Cairo (2000) a second international academic conference has been proposed to run alongside the London i3World Showcase to be held over 10-14th March 2003.

The target is to attract up to 60 academics and industry specialists from around the world which will give a boost to the i3W academic programme. There will be a nominal registration fee of $300 to cover conference fees, meals and social programme.

The proposed one and half day conference programme will focus upon i3W and comprise four categories of papers, to be addressed on the main day of the Conference:

• i3W Foundation Papers covering foundation topics such as data- structures, encoding and decoding, error control, data-exchange and communications theory.
• i3W Applications, covering any sector of application and application methodology and dealing with the more technical principles and technologies involved.
• i3W Future Topics, dealing with research projects, new technology and new principles.
• i3W Education Topics, covering papers dealing with any i3W or i3W related education programmes and concepts.

The second morning of the conference will be devoted to an i3W Development Forum looking at the issues and opportunities for i3W development.

Papers are now being sought for both days. sessions. Further information, including guidelines for authors, template, timetable and background information of i3W may be obtained from www.i3worldnews.org/showarticle.php?id=041102 or anthony.furness@virgin.net

Various challenges face supplychain logistics as a result of trends in Supplychain Management, Globalisation, Strategic Partnership and the consequences of technological developments in Information and Communications Technology (ICT). A recent review of European logistics has revealed a number of challenges currently facing supplychain developments. This is the first special monthly feature from the Technology Innovation Centre (tic) which examines these challenges and the moves towards Integrated Item Intelligence in Supplychain Development. www.i3worldnews.org/showarticle.php?id=051102 PRESS

So what is the difference between i3W and i3World?

i3W is the concept which was formulated within the Technology Innovation Centre's (tic), Centre for Automatic Identification and Intelligent Systems, who will be responsible for continuing development of the i3W Foundations, in collaboration with academic and professional bodies and participate in research and other aspects of development.

Given the business imperatives that are addressed by i3W and the need for awareness raising and education of the broader user market through conferences; seminars and other events, it is clear that tic alone, as a primarily academic institution could not deliver this in a suitable form for such a market. Moreover, it was considered important to open the concept to a much broader audience and potential contributors.

To meet these needs a strategic relationship has been established between i3W at tic and i3World International. i3World International will promote the i3W concept and deliver a range of publications, conferences, seminars and other deliverables that present i3W to the wider user markets characterised by the business community. Details of the i3World initiatives and events organised through i3World International can be found at http://www.i3world.org.

Delay, latency and jitter are performance measures that have to be considered in determining the use of large networks such as the Internet for business applications. Delay is the amount of time taken to transmit a bit from source to destination. It is caused mainly by distance, errors, network congestion and hardware processing capabilities. Latency is the amount of time that a device or system takes to receive, process and transmit a bit of information. Jitter refers to variation in latency over time. These cause problems in providing reliable and fast delivery of content, particularly rich media, to a large and potentially widespread audience. www.i3worldnews.org/showarticle.php?id=061102

The i3W Research Forum has been established to facilitate the development of the i3W Concept. Investigative studies, technological developments and applications research are required to underpin the i3W imperatives for accommodating: the investment in legacy systems, use of established standards, needs for new standards, integration, informed influence upon technological developments and a migration route to the future. The i3W Research Forum has a major role in considering the research findings and defining the need for further research, all of which will be administered by the Centre for Automatic Identification and Intelligent Systems at the Technology Innovation Centre (tic). As a wholly controlled subsidiary of the University of Central England (UCE), tic is bound by the high standards expected of academic institutes. As tic has the additional objective of delivering research and development to the market, focus is on practical technologies based upon firm theoretical foundations. Other units within tic will be involved in defining and pursuing fundamental research relating to the i3W Concept that is oriented more to information science, business science and supply chain development. www.i3worldnews.org/showarticle.php?id=071102

Power Line Telecommunications (PLT) makes use of the power lines that deliver electricity to the built environment, including of course to virtually every home, office and business facility. Existing power lines would carry the signals alongside their electricity provisions. This would solve the .last mile. dilemma of reaching the large number of potential network users who live less than a mile from the end of any network provision. It would also rule out the requirement for additional cabling. But is it a source of interference? www.i3worldnews.org/showarticle.php?id=081102

If you have not had your 16-page full colour membership prospectus from i3World e-mail: neil@i3world.org today or go now to our special site detailed below where you can find it as a PDF. You can read what people are saying about i3World - including the Secretary of State for the British Government's Department of Trade and Industry. There is a whole list of deliverables that are available to every member at a nominal cost of only $600 or 600 Euros or £450. Take a more detailed look at where we are today and where with i3W we could be tomorrow, across a whole range of industries and markets. i3World should not be confused with your regular industry associations which often provide localised add-value benefits and services. We will be concentrating on delivering a range of materials which we believe will help everyone in the Information Communication Technology arena become more aware of the opportunities that interlinking technologies offer. When you add the academic foundation materials produced by tic and their global network of academic partners you can see just how important the concept and vision is to your business. And when you examine the modular programmes that are being developed you can judge for yourselves the work that has gone into the vision over the last twelve months. Now we are ready to share it with the world. www.i3worldnews.org/showarticle.php?id=091102

One of the first projects of i3World was to submit an .expression of interest. proposal to the European Community for funding support of a significant awareness, dissemination and demonstrator programme to introduce the concept of .interlinking technologies - for the smarter management of things. across the whole European Community under the Framework 6 initiative which will be launched in the coming weeks. At the end of October we were advised that the .working content. of our submission has been accepted as Phase 1 programme content. Phase 1 will commence no later than March 2003. We now have to submit our detailed proposal for what could ultimately result in significant European funding for what is certainly going to be a hot topic in the coming years. Watch this space!

Based on the very successful USA formula, i3World are looking forward to hosting this fourth summit as an overall introductory event to the i3World Showcase Europe. In the year 2000 more than 80 executives of companies involved in products and systems that capture, track, transfer and use event driven information came together to establish an agenda with the purpose of helping focus on topics which they collectively agreed were critical. Today the economy is dramatically different. So too are the challenges.

This next Summit will enable a diverse group of executives to meet, exchange ideas and develop a strategy to enable their companies to reach more deeply into existing and/or new markets. As in the past .visionary. delegates will be invited to serve on a panel that will explain the opportunities, challenges and approaches as they see them. By the end of the summit a simple, high level strategy will have been developed that can benefit all - but be implemented individually or in partnership. Ongoing information from neil@i3world.org

We will be launching a global journal in early December - and quarterly thereafter. It is aimed at vendors and users alike from around the world who want to keep up with the technology opportunities represented by i3World. The journal will present news of the industry, applications of the technologies across a wide range of vertical industries; a new products section; an educational forum and a focus on a particular technology. The editorial calendar for 2003 has been finalised. If you have news; case studies and new product information be sure to add us to your PR mailing list. The i3World Journal will be the hottest magazine around for a complete overview of these interlinked technologies. www.i3worldnews.org/showarticle.php?id=101102

The i3World team are working on a range of new products which will be available from the end of the year and during the early part of 2003.These products include a range of Healthcare Publications aimed at the smarter management of patient care; hospital operational management and the overall health supply chain. If you have case studies or application stories from anywhere in the world we would like to receive them before the end of November. You can e-mail them to ian@i3world.org. Ideally we are looking for 350-500 word articles with one or two accompanying colour pictures. The study should outline who is using it; what they wanted to achieve; what the solution is and what it did achieve; plus an endorsement from the user. There is no cost and if we are able to use your study you will get an e-mail endorsement enabling potential customers to contact you.

We have a new RFID Compendium being developed - and again require case studies for that. We are also working on three major reports. Their working titles are:

• An International Report on the Potential for health sector benefits through technology supported item management
• Understanding 2-Dimensional Symbologies, Systems and Solutions
• Active and Passive Smart Labels - present and future

A staggering 23.8billion dollars has been allocated to ensure the 2007 Beijing Olympic Games will be the most successful sporting celebration ever staged. Readers who have solutions in access control, supply chain management; radio communications, security, ticketing and entry systems may want to take advantage of the Stadia and Arena InfraSport 2003. exhibition taking place in China World Trade Centre from January 22nd - 24th 2003. We have the opportunity of establishing a special Data Capture, Tracking and Tracing pavilion at the show including special discounts for members of i3World. The games organisers are determined to ensure that leading edge technologies are incorporated into the planning and staging of the games. Full information from: neil@i3world.org

Egytec Engineering from Cairo are one of the most successful event organisers in the Middle East. Next year from May 5-7 in the Cairo International Convention Centre they will be staging three simultaneous events of interest to our readers. MEFSEC is the prime event for fire, safety and security in the Middle East. This will be staged alongside CARD-EX the technology event for smart cards, id solutions and networks; which in turn is supported by SCAN-EX the data capture, scanning and logistics show specialising in barcoding, electronic tagging and mobile data solutions. Egypt and the whole Middle East region is on the move. Countries and companies are seeking to develop and expand export markets and in doing so are recognising the importance of implementing the automatic identification and data capture technologies. Discounts for members. More information from neil@i3world.org. 

If you are looking for a resource on Biometrics, you might be interested in the University of Bologna, Italy. http://bias.csr.unibo.it/research/biolab/bio_tree.html

Interested in Speech Recognition? Maybe this feature report from the IEEE Spectrum Reports will help you understand the issues. http://www.spectrum.ieee.org/WEBONLY/publicfeature/sep02/voic.html

The Washington Times featured an article on the acceptance of biometrics into government and private sectors and the problems in getting acceptance. Washington Times - Sep 24 2002 - .Biometric tech needs open standards. By Scott R. Burnell UPI Science News http://www.washtimes.com/upi-breaking/20020924-015059-2071r.htm

The American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators has published a chart that shows the details of driver licenses in the various US states, including those which use biometrics. http://www.aamva.org/Documents/Evt_ Presentations/RegionIV2002/evtDLIDSurveyResultsChart_SFong.pdf

The National Institute of Standards and Technology is creating a report on biometrics as mandated by the USA Patriot Act of 2001. The Act calls for the use of biometrics on .non-citizens. travel documents by October 2004. NIST came to four preliminary conclusions:

• Iris scans rely on proprietary technology that makes evaluation of their accuracy difficult.
• Fingerprints work pretty well, but accuracy needs to be better for widescale use.
• Facial recognition technologies aren.t mature yet.
• No biometric technology works well enough to be relied on by itself.

http://www.gcn.com/21_25/security /19773-1.html

The recent shootings in the USA in MD and VA have many people thinking about a means to track firearms. This article in the New York Times says it all. http://www.nytimes.com/2002/10/07/national/07GUNS.html?tntemail0=&pagewanted=print&position=top

However, maybe there are solutions in sight. Last month we showed a technology for creating a biometric based trigger lock http://www.technologyreview.com/a rticles/wo_cameron080802.asp

and here is a method of placing tiny bar codes on the bullets http://www.nytimes.com/2002/10/14/technology/14PATE.html

A review of the biometrics items at Comdex 2002 http://www.nwfusion.com/news/2001/1115cdbio.html

Read how the BioAPI Consortium are criticizing Microsoft. Over its attempt to squash standardization work. http://www.nwfusion.com/archive/2 000/95639_05-08-2000.html

Is biometrics ready for the big time? Maybe not according to this article. http://www.nwfusion.com/news/2002/1007specialfocus.html

In an effort to start implementing higher security checking at an airport, Boston Logan airport has begun using a new scanning technology to authenticate drivers. licenses and passports, check the document bearer's name against government watch lists and record a history of document verification. http://www.btnmag.com/businesstravelnews/headlines/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1709421

Intending to help airport security, a new wearable computer is being implemented in airports . news from Comdex 2002. http://www.nwfusion.com/net.worker/news/2001/1114airport.html

That great software development company . Microsoft . have announced that it has deployed a smart-card employee identity system at its Redmond, WA facility. They currently have no plans to use a biometric with the card, nor will it be used for other than physical access control, BUT it is a step in the right direction. After all, Microsoft announced support for smart cards in Windows 2000! http://staging.infoworld.com/articles/hn/xml/02/09/23/020923hnmscard.xml?Template=/storypages/printfriendly.html

As part of its Smart Machines program, IBM has announced a program to help businesses build a smart card payment system. Some of the other services IBM will offer clients include the creation of asset-monitoring systems with RFID tags and other chips that can gather data and supply it to a company's computer system http://zdnet.com.com/2100-1103- 959991.html

In the September issue of HighTechAIDCourier we listed a reference to Assembly Magazine. They quoted Lockheed as using RFID to reduce costs. Looks like that story was not true, and that they really meant RFDC (or wireless communications).

Interested in the cost of RFID tags? Heard about the 5 cent tag? See why the cost of tags is more than 5 cents and why it will be a while before we can buy such a thing. The article originally appeared in Scan, The Data Capture Report, reprinted here with permission. http://www.hightechaid.com/tech/rfid/5cent_tag_part1.pdf

We all know that soccer is big. The European Championship is the third largest sporting event world-wide. Based on UEFA's Schedule of Conditions for hosting the EURO 2007, the Austrian- Swiss Candidature Committee, have created a 17 chapter-strong and 671 pages thick bid document. The full document can be found at http://www.austria.switzerland- euro2007.com/article.php?sid=78& slang=_e, but chapter 12 includes the need for RFID to enhance the paper ticket. http://www.austria.switzerland-euro2007.com/dossier/12_Tickets_ Vol2.pdf

Visa announced that RFID cards will be used in its networks to allow the creation of cashless shopping networks. Using an RFID tag based on the ISO 14443 standard, the cards would be held about 10cm in front of the readers. http://zdnet.com.com/2100-1106- 958612.html

An interesting article on RFID appeared in the Electronic News recently.

The article suggests that we are all using RFID and don't even know it and this lack of recognition is hurting the industry.

The article even quotes Steve Halliday on Standards for RFID. http://www.e-insite.net/electronicnews/index.asp?layout=article&articleid=CA243906&pubdate=9/16/2002

The European Commission has welcomed the agreement between the European Parliament and the Council to introduce mandatory collection, re-use and recycling of waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) throughout the European Union.

This seems like a major opportunity for some companies to provide the track and trace RFID equipment needed. http://europa.eu.int/rapid/start/cgi/guesten.ksh?p_action.gettxt=gt&doc=IP/02/1463|0|RAPID&lg=EN

Providing a summary of the UK's Chipping of Goods initiative, this article is worth reading. http://www.cw360ms.com/research/amr/radio_in_retail.pdf

RFID is taking off in China as the Chinese Customs Authority use it as part of a multi-million dollar automatic vehicle and driver detection and identification system. http://www.e-insite.net/eb-mag/index.asp?layout=article&articleid=CA252651&spacedesc=news

There seems to be a lack of information on the state of RFID Standards making it into the real world. As a player in the arena, I am probably as much to blame as anyone else, so here is a quick update on the state of the standard when it comes to Item Identification.

The ISO SubCommittee SC31 is charged with creating RFID standards for Item Identification and after recent meetings we have big progress to report.

• ISO 18000

• 18000-1 Part 1

• 18000-2 Part 2

• 18000-3 Part 3

• 18000-4 Part 4

• 18000-5 Part 5

• 18000-6 Part 6

• 18000-7 Part 7 Parameters for Air Interface Communications at 433.92 MHz A Simultaneous New Work Item/Committee Draft (CD) ballot, closing January 14th, 2003

For those that do not understand how the ISO balloting process works, there is a summary at http://www.hightechaid.com\standards\how_does_iso_work.htm.

What does this mean? It means that four of the seven parts (1 . 4) are nearing completion and are at 95-98% complete stage. Two parts (5 and 6) are at the 75 . 80% level, and part 7 is a new work item which will be accelerated by the simultaneous submission of a CD if it is accepted. So for parts 1 to 4, we should see publication by mid 2003, with the others some four to six months behind (if all the ballots pass).

There are many other standards activities in RFID though this is a major one. In the coming months I will give a summary of the work elsewhere. If you have questions on RFID standards, send them to steve@hightechaid.com

Tiny Bar Codes on Bullets may be another way to help solve the problems of locating unknown snipers similar to those events in the USA recently. http://www.nytimes.com/2002/10/14/technology/14PATE.html

A new report released today by the Markle Foundation Task Force on National Security in the Information Age recommends that a new Department of Homeland Security (DHS) rather than the FBI should take the lead in shaping domestic information and intelligence priorities to inform policymakers. http://www.markletaskforce.org/

An article in the NY Times gives details of how a person can shut off surveillance cameras with a laser pointer. In this day of increased security, this does not seem like a prudent thing to publicize. http://query.nytimes.com/search/abstract?res=F40910FC395F0C748CDDA90994DA404482

Atlanta company ChoicePoint is working with the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) to help setup a program of hassle-free airport check-in and security screening. These discussions hope to help define what the structure of what a .Trusted or Registered Traveler. program would look like. http://atlanta.bizjournals.com/atlanta/stories/2002/10/07/story2.html

This section of the i3W newsletter is devoted to identifying opportunities for engaging in research or gaining awareness of opportunities to pursue and possibly exploit intellectual property (IP) arising from various sources, including i3W projects. The first of the proposed i3W sponsored projects concerns the i3W approach to low complexity item identification and item management. www.i3worldnews.org/showarticle.php?id=111102

The US government is doing its best to incorporate changes into the US Patent laws to make things more clear and precise when patent evaluations are conducted. The report just published talks about the funding for Patent Office along with some recommended changes. See Title III of H.R. 2215 http://www.house.gov/judiciary/hr2215rpt.htm

With the vast increase in the use of Radio Frequency devices (RFID, RFDC, IEEE802.11 wireless LANs, Bluetooth etc.) there is some serious concern that the airwaves are becoming overcrowded. This may have serious consequences as we see data rate degradation and unlicensed band interference. To see why one FCC advisor called the situation a potential "train wreck," visit: http://dsonline.computer.org/0209/f/news.htm

Everywhere we go, we encounter encryption. It is used in every on-line purchase we make, on every smart card we use, and in every copy protected item we encounter. Modern computing power has made the breaking of encryption keys much more possible. See how a new approach to cryptography - built around a piece of plastic the size of a stamp - that is hard to crack and nearly impossible to forge could be a solution. http://sciam.rsc03.net/servlet/cc?lJpDVVZElmLOLFopnomLJoHpKDJhtEaEC

Involved in transportation? Then you should be aware of a $1 million fund from the Advanced Public Transportation System (DoT-FTA). This money is available to demonstrate and evaluate innovative approaches to integrating APTS technologies and available information technology systems. http://www.fta.dot.gov/research/fleet/its/otrfp.html

In the not too distant future, making your way through airport security could be almost as easy as swiping a transit card at a subway turnstile. www.pressofatlantriccity.com/news/atlantic/102202AIRSECURITYOCT22.html

From factories and cargo vessels to warehouses and store shelves, products move through the supply chain and into the customers hands 24 hours a day and seven days a week...... With the advent of RFID, real-time global supply chain visibility is possible. www.internetworldnews.com/news.php?inc=vc1009002a.html

If you're hoping to open your office door with your cell phone soon – don't hold your breath just yet. You can, however, take your work with you wherever you go. www.misweb.com/magarticle.asp?doc_id=20710&rgid=5&listed_months=none

US Government Agency gives go-ahead for unregulated ID-chips. www.vnunet.com/News/1136271

The CIO Wireless Resource Book. has been designed to help you make intelligent decisions about your current and future wireless projects. It is your helpful guide to using wireless technology to overcome business challenges and create a competitive advantage.. You can get your free copy from: www.synchrologic.com/scriptdir/mailing.asp?form=7489

At concurrent press conferences in New York City and Newark, Sen. Charles Schumer (D-New York) and Congressman Robert Menendez (13-NJ), vice chairman of the Democratic Caucus, joined with the Strategic Council on Security Technology to co-announce the launch of the Smart and Secure Tradelanes initiative in three major Atlantic tradelanes that include the Port of New York-New Jersey. http://www.savi.com/news_ events/2002releases/sept27-02.html

September 4, 2002 . FEIG Electronic GmbH, a 30 year old, privately held manufacturer and OEM provider of low frequency (125kHz) and high frequency (13.56MHz) radio frequency identification (RFID) readers, modules and antennas, today announced the introduction of ID ISO.RWM02, a new RFID reader module. It was formally introduced at Frontline Solutions Supply Chain Week Expo held in Chicago.

Columbia, Maryland - September 9, 2002 - Matrics Inc., a provider of RFID technology and visibility solutions for supply chain and asset management, today announced its .Force Matrics. Partner Program, a network of leading companies dedicated to providing end customers with complete solutions to automate their business processes. The Force Matrics team includes enabling technology providers that specialize in label conversion, application software, systems integration systems, and domain expertise to a wide range of industries http://www.matrics.com/pressrelease4.html

TrackWave Technology, a Singapore-based systems integrator working with TAGSYS RFID products, has designed a RFID- based solution to identify and track cubes of concrete to ensure the safety of buildings and infrastructure. http://www.tagsys.net/internet/mnu_news/news.php?sid=NdioelY9KHM257McVKetlZ6CHki1VBE&id=54

2nd September 2002 - Flying Null, the Cambridge based inventor of innovative electromagnetic identification (EMIDTM) tagging technology, today announced the launch of an innovative, new tagging solution for pharmaceutical product identification and authentication. The new solution is designed to assist Pharmaceutical brand owners to implement cost-effective, highly-secure anti- counterfeiting schemes to tackle the growing problems the industry faces with counterfeit drugs and pharmaceuticals. http://www.flying-null.com/News/PharmaTags.htm

October 8th, 2002 BLACKROC TECHNOLOGY, a hardware solutions distributor and systems integrator, and TAGSYS, world leading manufacturer of complete radio frequency systems operating at 13.56 MHz, announced today the launch of a new Datalogic DLC 7070-based RFID/Barcode read/write device in pistol-grip format called the Gemini. http://www.tagsys.net/internet/mnu_news/news.php?sid=NdioelY9KHM257McVKetlZ6CHki1VBE&id=55

Columbia, Maryland - September 3, 2002 - Matrics, Inc., a provider of visibility systems based on radio frequency identification (RFID) for material handling and supply chains, today announced the introduction of its new, passive UHF (902- 928 MHz) product family. Designed to create a .people-free. wireless environment for tracking products and assets, Matrics technology represents a breakthrough in this class of RFID technology. http://www.matrics.com/pressrelease3.html

Royal Philips Electronics (NYSE: PHG, AEX: PHI) today introduces the CL RC632 IC - the world's leading multi-standard single- chip reader IC for contactless smart cards and labels operating at 13.56 MHz. Designed to support the ISO contactless standards in this frequency range including ISO 14443 and ISO 15693, the CL RC 632 IC offers system integrators the flexibility to develop interoperable RFID systems for different high volume reader applications including public transport, road tolling, access control schemes and supply chain management http://www.semiconductors.philips.com/news/content/file_882.html

Royal Philips Electronics (NYSE: PHG, AEX: PHI) today launched Hitag S - an ultra-low power Radio Frequency IDentification (RFID) Integrated Circuit (IC) designed to fit the needs of system integrators looking to develop low cost track and trace solutions within the 100 and 140 kHz frequency range. Suitable for use in applications as diverse as Livestock Identification, Casino Gaming, Laundry Logistics and Waste Management, Hitag S chips are available across three different memory options (32- bit, 256-bit and 2048-bit) and in silicon dimensions of less than 1mm². http://www.semiconductors.philips.com/news/content/file_883.html

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