] Just how do those little things work anyway?
] Radio Frequency Identification
]
] Many modern technologies give the impression they work by
] magic, particularly when they operate automatically and
] their mechanisms are invisible. A technology called RFID
] (radio frequency identification), which is relatively new
] to the mass market, has exactly this characteristic and
] for many people seems a lot like magic. RFID is an
] electronic tagging technology (see figure 1) that allows
] an object, place, or person to be automatically
] identified at a distance without a direct line-of-sight,
] using an electromagnetic challenge/response exchange.
] Typical applications include labeling products for rapid
] checkout at a point-of-sale terminal, inventory tracking,
] animal tagging, timing marathon runners, secure
] automobile keys, and access control for secure
] facilities.

ACM Queue - The Magic of RFID - Just how do those little things work anyway?