SEL and TDK announce world's "first" flexible RFID

Far be it from us to dispute anyone's claims to the world's first of this or that, but we're not quite sure what Japan's SEL and TDK are getting at here. They're claiming to have co-developed the first bendable radio, an RFID chip built on a bendable plastic substrate using thin-film transistors. No external battery is needed, making this device great for business cards or other bendy situations. The problem is that Philips just did about the exact same thing last month, making this valiant effort -- by our calculations at least -- not, um, first. Sorry guys, better luck next time.

[Ben Schiendelman @ Mar 13th 2006 12:55PM]

The flexible RFID in my security card has been the same for a few years...

[100 ipod movies @ Mar 13th 2006 1:48PM]

Companies like attention; claiming to be the first gives them just that.

[z_iz_4_zigma @ Mar 13th 2006 5:24PM]

SEL and TDK Corp, have jointly developed the world's first bendable 8-bit microcontroller with an onboard radio circuit, not just a any bendable passive radio transponder with memory.

IMO, there's rectification due here...

[Landi @ Mar 17th 2006 8:55AM]

RFID chips have been flexible for ages. The only chips that have not been flexible have been the ones that require batteries (active RFID chips) like the ones found in your EZpass device if you have one. This is just plain stupid marketing.