Tech Briefs Insider » 2007 » November

Should people ever be forced to have RFID tags implanted?

TechBriefs — Mon, 26 Nov 2007 15:04:07 +0000

This week’s question concerns the forcible implantation of radio frequency identification (RFID) tags in people. In 2006, Cincinnati- based surveillance company CityWatcher.com required its employees to be implanted with the tags. The Council on Ethical and Judicial Affairs, which develops policies for the American Medical Association, found that there is no guarantee that the information contained in the tags can be properly protected. The Council also found that RFID tags might travel under the skin, making them hard to remove at a later time. California has recently joined Wisconsin and North Dakota in passing legislation that prohibits employers and others from forcing anyone to have an RFID device implanted under their skin. What do you think? Should people ever be forced to have RFID tags implanted?

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Should a fee be added to the purchase price of consumer electronic products and reimbursed only when the consumer properly disposes them — similar to existing bottle and recycling programs?

TechBriefs — Tue, 20 Nov 2007 15:45:48 +0000

This week’s question concerns the United States Environmental Protection Agency’s recent statement that Americans throw out two million tons of e-waste each year, containing hazardous materials such as mercury, cadmium, lead, and brominated flame retardants. Only 23 percent of respondents to a recent national online survey of 1,000 adults said they recycle old or unused electronic items, while 41 percent said they throw unwanted consumer electronics in the trash or do not dispose of them at all.

With electronics waste likely to worsen as consumption increases, should a fee be added to the purchase price of consumer electronic products and reimbursed only when the consumer properly disposes them — similar to existing bottle and recycling programs? What do you think?

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Will NASA’s files reveal evidence of UFOs?

TechBriefs — Mon, 12 Nov 2007 14:16:29 +0000

This week’s question concerns NASA’s agreement late last month to search its files and make public any documents it may have on a purported UFO crash that occurred in the woods near Kecksburg, PA in 1965. Despite the Air Force’s claims that they found nothing at the crash site, eyewitnesses reported seeing a flatbed truck leave the scene carrying a large acorn-shaped object about the size of a Volkswagen bus. Four years ago, a New York City journalist named
Leslie Kean finally sued NASA for information about the incident, citing the Freedom of Information Act. When U.S. District Court Judge Emmet Sullivan refused to dismiss the case this year, NASA agreed to conduct a new search of its archives for any documents connected with the incident. What do you think? Will NASA’s files reveal evidence of UFOs?
Vote here.

Is the iPhone the best invention of 2007?

TechBriefs — Mon, 05 Nov 2007 13:00:03 +0000

This week’s question concerns “Time” magazine naming the Apple iPhone as the 2007 Invention of the Year. The device combines a number of technologies to combine a music player, phone, and Web browser in one device. The runners-up included inventions such as a deployable shield used to save the lives of helicopter pilots under attack, and an inflatable antenna that brings connectivity to places that would otherwise be inaccessible. What do you think? Is the iPhone the best invention of 2007?

Vote here