A smart wine rack - every bottle has a RFID tag, and the rack is connected to the internet to let the owner know when a bottle has been removed

An RFID in a cake could tell you how many calories it contains (Image: Image Source/Getty)

Mobile marketing solutions provider Blue Bite and digital media company Reach Media Group (RMG) are teaming up to deploy NFC technology to over a third of RMG's 200,000 digital screens over the next six months.  In addition, Blue Bite is working with other partner networks to bring its total NFC deployment to 200,000 screens across the U.S. These digital screens, such as those found in malls, theaters, bars, clubs, gyms, airplanes, taxis, and elsewhere, allow advertisers to display video ads to millions of viewers per month. RMG, in particular, provides access to over 70 million viewers monthly.

The apparel and outdoor gear retailer is testing an RFID system that can track when a shopper handles a hiking boot on display, thereby triggering a video screen to play informational media, while also measuring shopper interest.

Apparel and outdoors sports equipment retailer L.L. Bean is testing a radio frequency identification system that records when an item is picked up by a customer at its flagship store, and activates the streaming of appropriate video regarding that particular product. The system, known as InMotion Retail Marketing, was provided by brand identification technologies firm Pittsfield ID Technologies.

L.L. Bean is one of several retailers installing the system this year. Another is a large electronics retailer that has asked not to be named, but that, according to Pittsfield ID, has plans to deploy the system in the second quarter of 2011, at 300 of its store locations throughout the United States.

 

An Impinj Speedway R420 reader was mounted to the back of the display wall and wired to several antennas.

 

Fashion company WeSC has come up with a concept that could see social interactions powered by an RFID tag embedded in your shoe. The result is somewhere between Foursquare and Nike Plus.

RFID technology is commonly used in transport systems (such as Oyster) and for tracking logistics. WeSC's KarmaTech concept, designed by students at digital media school Hyper Island, sees RFID used for linking the real world with social media.

By placing an RFID tag into each WeSC shoe (or any shoe for that matter), you can create a network of people that could have access to their social networking services, as well as special location-based deals and services.

Ricardo and I were talking about this exact thing - an RFID tag in a shoe that interacts with a venue checkin - it could also interact with screens or really anything inside the venue too

Coca Cola - The Real Life Like - (2010) Israel

Another example of the trend of 'real world communicating with the virtual world' of a social network