RFID tags keep the sake fresh
Premium sake has to be kept at a constant temperature to maintain its quality, but keeping it at just the right temp isn't easy when it's being shipped. So a group of companies led by NTT have started a pilot program to tag sake bottles with RFID tags with built-in temperature sensors. Sensors on trucks send data back to the mothership via 3G, letting HQ know whether any of the bottles are at risk (and presumably letting them know if the driver has decided to crack open a case as well). When the bottles are brought to stores, a reader lets customers check the bottle's temp history, so he can be sure it's been kept fresh from door to door. Sounds like a system that could catch on for premium spirits of all stripes -- though we'll know things have gotten a little out of hand if we start seeing RFID tags stuck to the 40s in our corner deli.
