RFID Only One Part In Our Orwellian Future

We will soon be in the middle of a blizzard of tiny computers embedded into everyday items and constantly talking to each other. Welcome to the so-called 'Internet of things' which will replace today's Internet of people and data. Everyday items from TVs to toothbrushes, sports equipment and even buildings will have in-built computing power and wireless that will allow them to communicate and share information. Current rollouts of RFID tagging will be dwarfed by the future development of sensor networks, according to Robin Mannings, BT futurologist and research foresight manager. "RFID is just the tip of the iceberg and the iceberg is ubiquitous computing -- more or less everything being a computer," said Mannings. According to a report published by the International Telecommunications Union, eventually even particles as small as dust might be tagged and networked. He predicts we will soon see an increased number of these things being deployed outside our bodies -- and inside. As a result we will find ourselves living in a "digital bubble" where as people move around, the technology and the services they use will follow them because it knows where they are -- for example, every coffee machine might be able to know how you like your coffee without being told.