Nike+iPod Sport Kit Leads to Tracking

RFID in the new Nike shoe leads to ability to track individuals

http://www.cs.washington.edu/research/systems/privacy.html#TR

Some interesting tidbits from the washington.edu site.

Q: How far away can you detect a Nike+iPod kit sensor?
A: 60 feet.

Q: How much would it cost for someone to implement your surveillance devices?
A: It depends on what that someone would like to do. Our gumstix prototype shows that a bad person could build a full-featured, WiFi-enabled Nike+iPod surveillance device for under $250. Adversaries desiring less functionality could reduce the price of each surveillance device. Adversaries could also significantly reduce the price of each surveillance node by custom building nodes in bulk.

Q: Would it be hard for someone to build their own surveillance system?
A: No, it would be neither hard nor expensive. Any hobbyist, including a technically savvy teenager, could build their own surveillance device, assuming that someone posted detailed instructions and the corresponding software on the Internet (we currently do not plan to release our software). This person would also need to perform a minimal amount of soldering (for our gumstix-based surveillance device, this simply means soldering four wires).