Here’s a first for me..
Month: February 2008
Severn Trent Billing tries to Scam me out of money
Some time earlier this year, I cancelled my account with the water company Severn Trent informed them I would no longer be in the property, settled and that was that.
In July, I received a bill from them for £74.20 which I paid.
Then in November I received another £96.80 when I decided to inform them it would be under my name. I phoned them I had not moved out and that I was the same Michael Tyler as before.
Once this had happened Severn Trent then tried to charge me for the £74.20 which I paid earlier in the year under ‘nameless resident’.
After sending a letter which they have failed to reply to, they continue to send harassing letters.
More complaints than any other water company
I’ll let you know how it goes.
RFID – Being aware
I know evil doesn’t exist, except for in people(like me)’s imagination, but here’s a real excuse to believe everyone has good intentions.
It’s called RFID or Radio Frequency ID.
First employed during the second world war in allied bombing campaigns, the industry has seen some growth and is now worth $2 billion.
This is just the tip of the iceberg.
RFID opens all sorts of opportunities for companies to monitor our movements real time.
For example, you may not be aware of it, but if you are the owner of a bottle of Viagra, Pfizer may be monitoring you right now.
Think I’m joking.
I’m not.
They’re not the only ones, American Express have new card issues fitted with RFID chip. Procter and Gamble have filed patents and NCR are amongst other big names looking to muscle in on the act.
What’s it all about?
RFID TagRFID Monitor using a semi-ductile, lightweight tag with a low cost.
When fitted to a product they relay information back to a receiver.
You may have seen them on new items of clothing or taped to new CD’s.
Any product fitted with RFID within range of a receiver would provide information; a geo-fix and product beacon. Leading to data on; when those products were bought, how long you’ve owned them, how much they cost, where you bought them from.
If you kept them on your person, when you returned to refresh your product. Where else you went in between.
Some RFID have more important information.
The AMEX RFID contains personal banking information on the card holder.
The worrying thing is, RFID information is gathered without regulation.
Information can be sold on without regulation.
No Data Protection act here.
FMCG Future
With reduction of tag implementation below 1p in the near future, support from heavyweight FMCG companies, Banking and technology institutions, multiple patents filed and industry screaming out for large quantities of qualitative marketing information.
The future looks set.
Expect these snazzy labels to be appearing near you soon, whether you believe it or not.
Copied and pasted from: BBC News Website.