German Retailer Halts Radio Chip Practice - AP
German retail giant Metro Group said Friday it will stop putting 'smart tag' chips inside customer loyalty cards, a practice that sparked protests by privacy advocates who say the cards could allow stores to secretly track consumers as they shop.

RFID blocker tags may soothe privacy fears - New Scientist
A chip that blocks a reader from identifying items tagged with unique electronic codes may allay privacy fears over radio frequency identification (RFID)...

Microsoft, RSA Working on Windows Lock - AP
Office computers running the latest Windows operating systems could get a new degree of protection against snoops and intruders from a partnership announced Tuesday by Microsoft Corp. and RSA Security Inc. Instead of only making users type in passwords to log on to a computer, users of the RSA "token" system also enter a random number that appears on their so-called SecurID, a keychain fob or plastic card they carry with them.

The Patriot Act Is Your Friend - Wired
This year, as the Bush administration pushes to renew some surveillance powers in the Patriot Act that are set to expire, the author of the act discusses why the legislation is misunderstood and why Americans shouldn't fear it. An interview by Kim Zetter.

Controversial Terror Research Lives On - AP
The government is still financing research to create powerful tools that could mine millions of public and private records for information about terrorists despite an uproar last year over fears it might ensnare innocent Americans.

Finnish Co. to Make Biometric Passports - AP
Finnish technology group Setec said Tuesday it won the first order for passports with new biometric technology required by international aviation authorities and the U.S. government.

German Airport Testing Iris Scan - AP
Travelers at Frankfurt airport, continental Europe's busiest, can now enter
Germany with a three-second scan of their eyes, providing they sign up for a
test project for iris recognition technology.

Ohio Considers Electronic Tracking of Cats - AP
More stray cats could find their way home under a proposed plan to implant microchips that would electronically identify the cats' owners.

Study : IT Rushing Into RFID Too Quickly - Information Week - USA
The rush to embrace RFID is leading to confusion in many IT organizations, according to a new study on the wireless-identification technology.

Call for caution on 'spy chips' - Guardian - UK
The tiny devices, officially known as radio frequency identification (RFID) chips, can be embedded in products and send signals to scanners, and have been...

China gears up for RFID - ZDNet.com
... There is no single standard for RFID. The SAC said that it will try to draft its standard so that it will be compatible with similar technologies.

Microsoft Spells Out RFID Strategy
RFID Journal reports, "Microsoft plans to be a major player in the RFID market."