The Future of the Object is Coming

by October 1, 2004

Bruce Sterling continues to define The Future of the Object in his Wired column: Dumbing Down Smart Objects:

"Ordinary items are being embedded with rudimentary communications and tied to databases. The information associated with these items is becoming ever richer, more up-to-date, and more reflective of conditions on the ground. Moreover, it's increasingly available to anyone with a Net connection. The future product that embodies these developments will be so radically different from today's that it will need an entirely new name. So let's give it one. Because it's tracked precisely in space and time, let's call it a spime."

This future is coming soon:

"The photographs I took of RFID tags hidden in clothing labels and other consumer items document an issue of great public concern, and I plan to publish them over Advanstar's objections," -Which company has secret, item-level RFID tagging plans?