In RL what for?

the scary part is how easily that is done, it's impractical at this juncture (from what I understand) to encrypt RFID tags, to were they are at least hacker resistant, let alone safe. I was looking through an electronic's catalogue, and say they were selling RFID chip programers and readers, so anybody willing to fork out fifty bucks will be able to copy your tag, imprint it onto thier own (which they also sold) and get into what ever you have it for. But I don't think tag readers and scanners are that common place yet, so there is nothing to worry about, but as soon as the first nuclear weapons development facility switches from passwords to RFID tags you can bet your ass they'll be alot more people with em.

But that's just my two cents

My primary interest is philosophical curiosity and a fervent desire to embrace transhuman technology. This seems like a small, first step in that direction. A close second is my ability to introduce further convenience into my home (keyless entry, personal customization, etc.). Third, I'm deeply interested in the technical side, and starting projects around my home incoporating the technology.

The surgery's a simple incision, outpatient and quick. Obsolescence can be overcome as easily as cutting open the skin above the tag, which is lying just under, and removing the old tag. Once the small cut heals over, a new one can be implanted without worrying about it falling out. Regarding changing the tag, my first implant (I plan for two, in the future) will be a read-only, unencrypted tag, which can be scanned and cloned, but not altered in any way.

That the health risks aren't known and could be substantial is a point of concern for me, but is overshadowed by my excitement and curiosity. That's a reckless viewpoint, I understand, but a trip to the emergency room seems worth the entire experience to me.

My personal activities and viewpoints aside, I'm still curious as to how other GMs are handling RFID tags in general, aside from a way to taunt and/or punish careless players.

RFID tags aren't a tracking technology, they're an identification technology, like the magnetic strip in your driver's license or a barcode. The response range of the chip that will be implanted in my hand (hopefully next week) is 1.5 inches perpendicular, or .5 inches parallel. With the location of the implant, I'll basically have to place my hand on a reader, or extremely close to it, for the chip to respond to the reader's RF signal and emit the identification code.

An implanted RFID tag can't be tracked by satellite, GPS, or readers outside the tag's emission range (of 1.5 inches, tops). I have to voluntarily scan my hand.

No more than, say, a nanotattoo (that is, 0).

He says that now. But wait until he gets two of them and finds out that the tech is so new right now the essence cost is 5.4 each.

You ridiculous idea killed my father, and now it's after me.

Just radio waves. Harmless. The radio waves also only emit when powered by a reader, too, as stated previously.

Also, since the RFID implant just rests under the skin, I'm gonna say Essence cost of 0. I can't believe I'm dignifying the concept with a ruling...

While I agree with the Essence cost, your argument wasn't compelling. You could always give him a titanium, unlockable wristband with RFID.

or better yet, chip his most powerful focus, you watch him get rid of that.

As a GM I use tags for everything, sometimes Johnsons will give runners tags to monitor progress, other times they placed in food, fed to the runners, which provides about a day and a half of tracking, which is good for short runs (you just have to be careful in that reguard that they don't scan everything they eat, and make sure the food is cooked very well). When I play, I wipe all the chips in my gear, and put fresh security tags and hidden tags, into each piece of gear (as far down, depending on the GM, as each bullet), just in case it gets stolen or I don't quite kill the drek that keyed my bike.

RFID tags IRL, are not as safe as you'd thing, concerning range. A passive tag, which is what I assume your having implanted (else you'd have to have surgery every month to change the batteries, lol), has been proven to respond wih little signal distortion, up to a distance of 67 feet (which is the current world record, set at Defcon 13, intheshadows.tv, box 6). Also it is very possible to jam an RFID tag, with a relatively simple electronic device, I found the schematics online (also covered by intheshadows.tv box 6), and have every intention of building one, and testing it the next time I'm at Walmart. Theoretically you could severly hamper the progress of a distrobution center that has switched to RFID enabled barcodes by simply turning a device such as that on, and leaving it near the facility.

That means less than you seem to think.

ah, directional antennas and all that. i kinda recall a thread or 10 about that when it was anounced that SR4 would have a wireless matrix.

I think this is more attesting to the 2070's ability to sort out RF noise from data using q-physics.

Keep in mind, passive tags are powered only by the radio waves from the reader. That's not much power for emission. Hence, ranges should be smaller.

It may affect the range, somewhat, but the size of the tag is also a factor. For instance, the 12mm x 2mm passive chip has an effective range of between 0.75" and 1.5", depending on angle, pretty much regardless of the volume the reader's throwing at it. The 8mm x 2mm have even less. So a super-reader charging the chip as much as possible may increase the range by .01 or .02 inches.

Well, that about makes it perfectly secure.

This is an unfair comparison. I'm using my RFID tag for stuff like keyless entry, some limited home automation, and logging into my PC. I can't imagine anyone going through all the trouble of finding and stashing a compatible reader, clandestinely scanning my hand, cloning a tag, and then using it when they could just kick in the door when I'm at work.

I don't own anything anyone willing and able to hack my tag's code would want.

Consequently, for the time being, I am pretty much completely secure.

Fair enough. It's more the future I'm looking towards. If the only things your RFID is linked to are stuff like opening the door to your house, then there's easier ways of stealing anything that you've got than trying to rip it off using your RFID. It's the SR scenario, where your RFID and commlink are pretty much the same as your signature and thumbprint on everything from doors into buildings to accessing your bank account, that you'll find criminals developing an interest in snatching RFID info secretly.