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RFID-enabled smart shelves heading into stores?
What could be more frightening than an uninvited shopping cart following you around with the Jaws theme song looping in your head? How about RFID-enabled shelves that peer into every decision you do (or don't) make while shopping for gifts, gadgets, or everyday necessities? Japanese outfits DNP, Tana-X, and SEARS (not to be confused with Sears), are developing an intelligent shelving system that tracks information on the amount of folks who pondered a purchase, how many tossed it in their carts, which items attracted little to no attention, and essentially anything else regarding the popularity (or lack thereof) of a stocked item. Information is also gathered on the kinds of products individuals purchase together (i.e. a PSP and a UMD in the same trip), and strategically located "POP" machines conveniently give detailed descriptions about scanned items to customers, while sneakily collecting data of its own for those oh-so-clever marketers behind the scenes. While we aren't sure which nations are targeted for primary testing in December, you should probably pack some RFID-zapping heat when perusing through the aisles this holiday season if this tin-hat-donner has you in a tizzy like it does us.[Via Textually]
