Sadly, due to last minute changes, I won’t be able to attend Provflux 2007 in Providence, RI. I absolutely encourage anyone in the area to attend if you are at all interested in urban development and perception, as well as interesting uses of public spaces.
Putting the technicalities of RFID aside, there could be great potential in developing such technologies to not only study, but also augment the exact as well as subjective perceptions of shared spaces. There is a vast opportunity in the area of object hyper-linking to provide mobile interfaces which can supplement the usual information which is perceived not only from the environment, but the set of social interactions which are possible or could be made possible with a suitably ubiquitous system.
While there are serious practical challenges in implementing such a system in the present, surely testing by a limited set of participants could yield results which could study shared value and responsibility when social networks are exposed in real-time in a suitably dense (urban) environment.
Even if we limit these thoughts to simulated mind scenarios, the realization that the real world could become as chaotic as the internet could be a disconcerting thought to many, to say the least. However, even the most critical observers must realize that by using technology in order to interpret and dismantle the incredibly complex and artificial structure of the shared perceptions of the many serialized objects and places (as reduced to structures of objects) around us in these spaces, a more unique and meaningful relationship can be built with the things around us with true value.
Subni has moved its internation head quarters to the Bay Area (California).
We apologize for the lack of updates here on the blog. Please stay tuned.
http://www.rfidjournal.com/magazine/article/3233
On Sunday evening, several friends gathered for an experimental dinner party using RFID. The “Arphid Dinner Party Part I” was a usability test centered around computer and rfid mediated interaction all while maintaining sensory deprivation of the participants. By tagging all of the dishes and beverages with Subni RFID tags (and entering the corresponding metadata into Subni), we successfully created an ecology of everyday items, in the context of a normal social gathering.
Sensory Deprivation Mask
Subjects were blindfolded and given RFID readers. We tested two sets of RFID clients: The first, is the Baracoda unit with a PocketPC reader, and the second is a stationary TI-RFID reader with a new (beta) Mac OS X/Windows/Linux Subni client. The Baracoda unit is portable, so the corresponding pocket pc was attached to the participant with a belt clip. The subject then used one earbud to listen to the sound icons (delivered via Subni’s SoundTag system). The other type of unit was stationary, so it was placed on the dinner table next to the participant. The participant would merely have to place the container near the reader in order to interrogate the tag, and identify the object by its sound icon. By all accounts, the SoundTag system helped participants in this very social setting to take part with very minimal assistance in choosing food, and identifying objects.
Portable Pocket PC in lower-left corner. “Blind” leading the “blind”?
In addition to the usability test, Subni’s unique platform allowed us to measure and quantify consumption patterns, since all transactions were recorded on the server. Of course, had this not been an experiment, those with privacy in mind need not have their interactions recorded.
Confirmation: Baracoda RFID reader (left hand) becomes an essential “utensil”
1. University of Westminster: Intermission Bar
http://www.silicon.com/retailandleisure/0,3800011842,39162467,00.htm
Even paying for a round has gone upmarket at Westminster. Those using the system can buy their snakebite-and-black using RFID chipped cards, with both a pre-pay and billing option.
2. Soba Bar (Scotland)
http://www.we-make-money-not-art.com/archives/004210.php
The chip, which has a life span of about 20 years sends out a low-range radio frequency when scanned, supplying the scanner with its unique ID number. How that number is used depends on the database the scanner is hooked up to. In the case of Soba, it will be the balance on a person’s bar account.
3. Surprise! (Coming Soon…)
http://www.pixelithaca.com/
Look in this (print) issue of Rfid Journal for a one page piece on Subni.
http://www.subni.com/myhome.php?user=189565859
As users register, and most (probably) don’t have any rfid equipment, I wanted to publicize my own Environment which is relatively active and should represent some of the feature-set more accurately.
Here, there will be updates, news, and that ilk about Subni Rfid Webservice.
Thank you for your attention.
-Phillip
