Violet brings Mir:ror to the States, let the RFID superfluity begin!

While initially enthused at the prospect of RFID tagging our objects for swipability by a home-based RFID reader -- like Violet's new Mir:ror -- we eventually came the realization that we would never use it for anything, ever. Still, perhaps that's just us: Mir:or, which retails for $59, packs two Nano:ztags (the little bunnies with a tag inside) and three Ztamp:s (adhesive tags), allowing you to specify computer functions to trigger when the Mir:ror is approached by one of those RFID tags. A classic usage scenario involves placing your keys on the Mir:ror, with the device letting your computer know if your keys are resting there or not -- something potentially achieved by looking at the Mir:ror itself, if you're into spoilers, but hopefully hackers can put this to better use. Violet also offers tagged children's books, and a set of 12 extra Ztamp:s, for $8 and $20, respectively. Demo video is after the break.

[Someone @ Mar 18th 2009 10:43AM]

This has potentially brilliant uses!
Imagine stuff like this - you put your keys onto the mir:ror, then your computer turns on, as does your lights. The thermostat warms up a bit for those cold winter nights. When you leave and take the keys, the computer turns off, any lights that are on go off, the stove goes off, etc.

Or, a crazy trading card game that blows the eye of judgment out of the water!

Or, a password authentication method

Or.. Or.. Oh the possibilites

[khirsah @ Mar 18th 2009 10:54AM]

And then someone comes to the door, so you tke your key off...

[Aaron @ Mar 18th 2009 1:38PM]

.... why would you need to pick up your keys if someone comes to the door? maybe i'm missing something here...

[H3g3m0n @ Mar 18th 2009 3:44PM]

When you take your keys off, your computer will lock the desktop until you put them back. That sounds pretty good to me, ensures no one will start using it while your answering the door. Besides if you don't want it to do that then you can always disable it.

With that said RFID shouldn't be used for security as someone could walk past you and clone your key.

I also don't really see this turning the computer on though, many systems do have wake on usb but I doubt this would support that since it would have to emulate a mouse click or key press or something.

I could see this being useful as an alternative to things like desktop icons though, just dump the orange bunny onto the thing to open Firefox, when you take it off the Window is hidden from view. You don't have to screw around with finding a program's name in a cluttered task bar since you can just place the thing on your desk. You can organize your stuff in real life.

Personally I think this will take off more when we get some kind of Wireless USB since storage space is so cheap and getting cheaper now, people could start to store their data physically again, like books on a shelf. At least for those that are to lazy to learn decent computer skills and data management.

Also good for children, they can play their favorite movie by dumping the cartoon character onto the thing.

With that said, without some kind of software support this is useless.

[MaxSMoke @ Mar 18th 2009 9:30PM]

Couldn't you do most of this with QR Codes? They are free, and there's lots of software to access them via Camera Phone.

[slab @ Mar 18th 2009 10:59AM]

That's some pretty gratuitous colon abuse there. It hurts!

[MackinZach @ Mar 18th 2009 11:30AM]

That's what she said.

[giyad @ Mar 18th 2009 11:03AM]

Whats the difference between this and Tikitag, or touchatag as they now call it?

[dopescally @ Mar 18th 2009 11:06AM]

Is your copy-edititing outsourced to India? Do your stories get edited at all? It's hard to take your site seriously when I read a sentence like "...allowing you specify computer functions to trigger when the Mir:ror is approached by one of those RFID tags." I've got a fifth grade cousin who could work part time as an editor if you need one that bad!

[absinthe party @ Mar 18th 2009 11:20AM]

Oh, master-of-language! Please pass down to us the knowledge of grammar-passed, specifically this "edititing" you speak of so fondly!

[dopescally @ Mar 18th 2009 12:12PM]

HA HA!! See! Just goes to show you how important editing is!! And I even re-read my post twice to make sure I wasn't making any stupid mistakes of my own! I admit defeat!

[Colin Smith @ May 19th 2009 9:38PM]

"...need one that bad[ly]."

You lose. Thanks for playing.

[Jack @ Mar 18th 2009 11:05AM]

nice idea, but seems fairly useless

[alstickle @ Mar 18th 2009 12:10PM]

It's all about the tracking comrades! Start the children young with the cute devices to track them...

[absinthe party @ Mar 18th 2009 11:30AM]

I watched the video and immediately thought of 1600 uses for these around my lab. The possibilities are pretty endless when you really think about it.

I've been looking for a cheap RFID solution to inventory and test management, and while this probably isn't it, I could see attaching tags to certain tests to help bring up information and settings.

For example:
I'm often asked to assist lab technicians in the use of scopes and power analyzers, and have considered just writing a LabVIEW VI to automatically change scaling and whatnot when a power setting is selected. I could save myself a lot of headaches in the future by pairing one of these tags with a test, and when waved over the Mir:ror, the VI could automatically run and set everything up for that tech. So it'd be like a swipe, plug, and play.

Er, I could always just write a VI to do that with a normal RFID reader, but... but... look at the rabbits!!!

[Chad @ Mar 18th 2009 12:35PM]

I find it intriguing that you have to inventory and test your management. Do they get lost often? What kinds of tests do you run on them?

[absinthe party @ Mar 18th 2009 1:19PM]

I often horror-test my management, for kicks and whatnot.

[Krazy_Calvin @ Mar 21st 2009 8:42PM]

The way they were describing it made me think that they wanted me to put this on my keys and it would be a way for me to track them down when they were lost. I can imagine it... dragging that little pad around the house until it lights up revealing where they keys were...

[Michael @ Mar 18th 2009 11:42AM]

The Nabaztag RFID system is really quite fun, and easy to hack. Here's a demo we made with the Nabaztag to control a digital signage system, but for the cases where customers actually would like to do this, in the short term we'd just set up a Mir:ror for them:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7-q4J768Gvs

[james @ Mar 18th 2009 12:44PM]

lol, i bet it wont support macs despite being advertised with one..
happens alot..

[John Stracke @ Mar 18th 2009 2:16PM]

Follow the read link. It goes to a store selling them, which states it works with Mac, Windows, or Linux.

[brie @ Mar 18th 2009 3:21PM]

Are you able to reuse the "stamps"? I have to pay more attention but don't want to watch the video again. I really don't know anything to use it for. Building an elaborate stair case when you can simply climb the hill itself. I like the idea of knowing when your kids are at home or perhaps on your pets collar. Seems more like a tracking device. hhhhhhhhmmmmmmmm.

[Amber @ Apr 22nd 2009 11:44AM]

Yes, you can reuse and reprogram the stamps.

[Jake Roth @ Mar 18th 2009 3:40PM]

Paranoid couples could have legal or financial documents locked so that they're only accessible when both bunnies are present. Then each party gets a bunny.

Tags could be applied to color-coded stones, each tied to a mood-specific playlist. If Ambient and Instrumental are present it shuffles those two, if Angry is present it's all heavy metal, etc.

If your PC is wired for home control you could have adjustable lights set to varying levels of dimness based on how many tagged whatsits are present.

If you've got kids you could lock content accessible through your media box to kid-friendly channels if the bunny is present or full content if your tagged ashtray or whatever is present.

Plenty of nifty stuff you can do with these.

[MrF @ Mar 18th 2009 6:14PM]

Is it just me or does the video somehow seem ominous? Like somehow the bunnies and stamps will bring about our doom. Our DOOOOMMM!!!!


Really, it seems like one of those ads the show continuously in post-apoaolyptic films.

[ED @ Mar 18th 2009 6:55PM]

Zit:s an:noying the zwa:y they spel:l zword:s

[__smooth__ @ Mar 23rd 2009 7:45PM]

actually, once you can store actual hard data on it (i.e. jpegs) and can be read as quickly as showed on video, this could turn out pretty interesting...

[Ben @ Apr 20th 2009 7:30PM]

I can't find anything on the support for RFID tags with different brand names. I got two RFID enabled cards in my wallet and would like to be able to use them as well. Touchatag says only the tags they provide can be assigned actions (and I can imagine why), but Violet doesn't say anything about it. Is there anyone here who can confirm that it does or does not work?

[BladeRunner @ May 20th 2009 9:08PM]

Here is an Idea. Instead of needing a DVD for a game to load. Just have the Case nearby so it can realize you own it. NO DVD just a wireless RFID... of course im sure folks will make a copy of the info. but they still have to crack the game first... a lot of games now require online cd key authenication now... sigh EA .. maybe they will get on board