Is that your IPhone, or are you just happy to “read” me
With regard to RFID in ski passes, the ski industry has been looking at the convenience for the guests, and ability to collect clean data from them. There are two main types of RFID chips being used in the ski industry, 13.56 Mhz (HF) and 900 Mhz (UHF) chips. The HF – High Frequency chip can be used close range (<1 meters) as a lift ticket or “stored-value” card, while the 900Mhz can be used for longer range uses (tracking, mass reading in interrogation zones).
Apple's patent for a RFiD reader in the iPhone
Resorts have been sold these benefits from the RFID vendors. It looks good on paper, but RFiD was designed as an open platform, rather than a secure platform.
As more information comes to light regarding RFiD such as the ability for the iPhone and Android devices to be equipped with RFiD readers will people tolerate it. My thought is yes, many will out of ignorance or indifference. The Ski Pass Defender is not made for them. It is designed for those who like the convenience of RFiD as a lift pass, but prefer to opt-out and/or better protect their privacy.
You won’t have to ask is that an iPhone, or are you just happy to read my RFID?
Here is how easy skimming can be: The Credit Cards are enabled with 13.56Mhz chips, the UHF 900Mhz can be read from longer distances.
Filed under: News
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While I understand your concerns about privacy, I wonder if the RFID tag is being used to search for skiers buried during avalanches, or simply lost on a remote trail. The technology is being used more and more in surgical sponges, to make sure they are not left behind after surgeons close up. Just a thought (which may be completely off base!).
Interesting post. Thanks.
Andy Barovick
Andrew, good question. In an avalanche situation the passive RFID chip signal in most cases would be refracted by the snow and rendered useless. Active RFID could be strong enough in some cases. This scenario would also require that the resort have an some type of RFID search system to find them. At this point there is no such system at a resort for RFID. Also, there maybe some legal issues in promoting RFiD as a Avalanche recovery system. Resort golf courses up here are not blowing horns to alert their players of threatening storms for fear of lawsuits if someone doesn’t hear the horn.
Personally I prefer to wear my BCA Tracker 2 if I am venturing to Avalanche prone areas.
In the case of passive systems there is RECCO, it uses a different system. From the RECCO website, “RECCO technology enables rapid directional pinpointing of a victim’s precise location using harmonic radar.“