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Microsoft wants to get under your skin
Posted: Mon Dec 15, 2008 10:00 am
by Juan_Bottom
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2008/12/04/ms_verimed/Microsoft's HealthVault, the medical records database, is to be integrated with VeriMed's human-embedded RFID tags, allowing doctors to access the medical records of unconscious patients with a quick scan of the arm.
VeriMed consists of an RFID tag that is embedded in the arm of a hopefully willing participant, and responds with a 16-digital identity code when queried at 134KHz. This code can then be used to identify the person through VeriChip's website, and will soon be able to link to their medical records as stored on Microsoft's HealthVault system.
"VeriMed adds an exciting RFID-based option for HealthVault users trying to keep themselves and their families safe," says Sean Nolan, the chief architect for HealthVault, quoted in RFID Journal. If you're excited about the idea of being electronically indexed then this is probably the technology for you.
Re: Microsoft wants to get under your skin
Posted: Mon Dec 15, 2008 1:54 pm
by Backglass
Jay would have had so much fun with this...
Re: Microsoft wants to get under your skin
Posted: Mon Dec 15, 2008 2:09 pm
by MeDeFe
What if I'm excited about the idea of not having an RFID chip under my skin, or anywhere in my immediate vicinity for that matter?
Re: Microsoft wants to get under your skin
Posted: Mon Dec 15, 2008 2:21 pm
by Backglass
MeDeFe wrote:or anywhere in my immediate vicinity for that matter?
Pretty hard to do unless you empty your house of all consumer goods and never set foot in any kind of store again.
Re: Microsoft wants to get under your skin
Posted: Mon Dec 15, 2008 4:03 pm
by MeDeFe
Backglass wrote:MeDeFe wrote:or anywhere in my immediate vicinity for that matter?
Pretty hard to do unless you empty your house of all consumer goods and never set foot in any kind of store again.
I fry everything I buy in a microwave before bringin it home.
Re: Microsoft wants to get under your skin
Posted: Mon Dec 15, 2008 4:20 pm
by The1exile
you have a portable microwave for this purpose?
Re: Microsoft wants to get under your skin
Posted: Mon Dec 15, 2008 4:23 pm
by hecter
5 bucks says your microwave has one of those tags... Also, putting anything metal in a microwave is just bad, so another 5 bucks says you get cancer in under a decade.
Re: Microsoft wants to get under your skin
Posted: Mon Dec 15, 2008 5:03 pm
by heavycola
hecter wrote:5 bucks says your microwave has one of those tags... Also, putting anything metal in a microwave is just bad, so another 5 bucks says you get cancer in under a decade.
Then you'll wish you'd had the chip implanted in the first place.
Re: Microsoft wants to get under your skin
Posted: Mon Dec 15, 2008 7:11 pm
by MeDeFe
The1exile wrote:you have a portable microwave for this purpose?
I do indeed, I used a friends microwave to fry the chip in my microwave, btw.
Re: Microsoft wants to get under your skin
Posted: Tue Dec 16, 2008 9:03 am
by Backglass
MeDeFe wrote:The1exile wrote:you have a portable microwave for this purpose?
I do indeed, I used a friends microwave to fry the chip in my microwave, btw.
"Paranoia will Destroya"
Re: Microsoft wants to get under your skin
Posted: Tue Dec 16, 2008 9:38 am
by MeDeFe
Backglass wrote:MeDeFe wrote:The1exile wrote:you have a portable microwave for this purpose?
I do indeed, I used a friends microwave to fry the chip in my microwave, btw.
"Paranoia will Destroya"
No it won't! My tinfoil hat protects me.
Re: Microsoft wants to get under your skin
Posted: Tue Dec 16, 2008 9:57 am
by Backglass
MeDeFe wrote:No it won't! My tinfoil hat protects me.
Re: Microsoft wants to get under your skin
Posted: Tue Dec 16, 2008 10:23 am
by Ditocoaf
Give me a break. Some of the stuff you post is worrisome, but not this. These are simply medical tags, that allow the doctor to pull up the information on you that he has already. If you get in a car crash, and you're allergic to X, but you don't have any ID on you at the time (or it was destroyed in the disaster)... the doctor might end up giving you X and killing you. This allows the hospital to see, "oh, this guy's alleric to X, I'll use alternative Y instead." This doesn't allow the government to see "oh, I see Juan's stocking up on canned goods."
Re: Microsoft wants to get under your skin
Posted: Tue Dec 16, 2008 10:38 am
by Backglass
Ditocoaf wrote:This doesn't allow the government to see "oh, I see Juan's stocking up on canned goods."
Re: Microsoft wants to get under your skin
Posted: Tue Dec 16, 2008 10:44 am
by MeDeFe
It also allows anyone who gets sufficiently close to read your medical information.
Re: Microsoft wants to get under your skin
Posted: Tue Dec 16, 2008 10:57 am
by Juan_Bottom
MeDeFe wrote:It also allows anyone who gets sufficiently close to read your medical information.
Ditto.
Re: Microsoft wants to get under your skin
Posted: Tue Dec 16, 2008 11:55 am
by Backglass
MeDeFe wrote:It also allows anyone who gets sufficiently close to read your medical information.
Incorrect. All they would have is a 16 digit number. Without access to the actual database, they have nothing.
My Mobil Speedpass is an RFID tag. It allows me to buy gasoline quickly & easy but my Credit Card info isn't on the actual tag, it's just a number for data-lookup.
Re: Microsoft wants to get under your skin
Posted: Tue Dec 16, 2008 3:34 pm
by hecter
Backglass wrote:MeDeFe wrote:It also allows anyone who gets sufficiently close to read your medical information.
Incorrect. All they would have is a 16 digit number. Without access to the actual database, they have nothing.
And anybody with illegal access to that database would be able to find out that information about you anyway, no matter how far away you are to them. I don't know why people worry about silly things like this...
Re: Microsoft wants to get under your skin
Posted: Tue Dec 16, 2008 3:39 pm
by Backglass
hecter wrote:Backglass wrote:MeDeFe wrote:It also allows anyone who gets sufficiently close to read your medical information.
Incorrect. All they would have is a 16 digit number. Without access to the actual database, they have nothing.
And anybody with illegal access to that database would be able to find out that information about you anyway, no matter how far away you are to them. I don't know why people worry about silly things like this...
Exactly.
Re: Microsoft wants to get under your skin
Posted: Tue Dec 16, 2008 3:45 pm
by MeDeFe
hecter wrote:Backglass wrote:MeDeFe wrote:It also allows anyone who gets sufficiently close to read your medical information.
Incorrect. All they would have is a 16 digit number. Without access to the actual database, they have nothing.
And anybody with illegal access to that database would be able to find out that information about you anyway, no matter how far away you are to them. I don't know why people worry about silly things like this...
Speaking of databases and all fun and conspiracy aside, I would be worried about a Microsoft product being used for storing that kind of sensitive information if this weren't happening so far away. It's weird how there are quite a lot of people on these forums complaining about "big government" intruding on individual rights and freedoms, but nothing about big corporations systematically eroding what little privacy and control over our personal data we have left.
Re: Microsoft wants to get under your skin
Posted: Tue Dec 16, 2008 3:53 pm
by hecter
MeDeFe wrote:Speaking of databases and all fun and conspiracy aside, I would be worried about a Microsoft product being used for storing that kind of sensitive information if this weren't happening so far away. It's weird how there are quite a lot of people on these forums complaining about "big government" intruding on individual rights and freedoms, but nothing about big corporations systematically eroding what little privacy and control over our personal data we have left.
It's absolutely ridiculous the amount of information companies have on everybody. Databanks store every transaction you've ever made, your name, your email, your likes and dislikes (google is notorious for this) and then proceed to sell it to other companies. Not to mention hotmail, how microsoft could simply go through all your emails, even if you delete them. Or MSN, how everything goes from your computer, to their server, and then off to the person you're talking to.
Re: Microsoft wants to get under your skin
Posted: Tue Dec 16, 2008 4:19 pm
by Juan_Bottom
Does anyone know of any health risks? From radio waves moving through your skin for instance?
This may not be as bad as it could sound. But I never said anything about government intrusion or anything. I just find RFIDs to be amazing.
Re: Microsoft wants to get under your skin
Posted: Tue Dec 16, 2008 4:25 pm
by Backglass
Juan_Bottom wrote:Does anyone know of any health risks? From radio waves moving through your skin for instance?
This may not be as bad as it could sound. But I never said anything about government intrusion or anything. I just find RFIDs to be amazing.
The risk from an RFID tag certainly wouldn't be any more than a Mobile Phone or Wi-Fi.
Re: Microsoft wants to get under your skin
Posted: Tue Dec 16, 2008 4:28 pm
by Juan_Bottom
Dear lord....
Mobile Phones have been shown to cause brain tumors or something...
Wi-Fi is more comparable to a regular radio though isn't it? I mean, you're not directly beaming waves through your body?
Re: Microsoft wants to get under your skin
Posted: Tue Dec 16, 2008 4:34 pm
by Backglass
Juan_Bottom wrote:Dear lord....
Now THERE is a conspiracy theory. Run with it!
Juan_Bottom wrote:Mobile Phones have been shown to cause brain tumors or something...
I'm sure you have 250 witnesses to testify to this and a few You Tube videos? Being the good lawyer and all?
Juan_Bottom wrote:Wi-Fi is more comparable to a regular radio though isn't it? I mean, you're not directly beaming waves through your body?
Radio waves permeate everything unless shielded. I suggest a tin foil hat to prevent brain tumors. I know you already have one.