I had originally wanted to build this project with my Parallax RFID reader, but since I can’t interface it with the Make Controller until Liam at MakingThings fixes the serial BLOB implementation fixed in mchelper 2.0, I decided to complete a proof-of-concept with a Phidgets RFID reader. The application is pretty straightforward - it consists of an RFID tag embedded in a cell phone that is read for its unique ID, prompts a user to enter some data and then remembers their personal data when they return. While the premise is simple, there are a few moving parts required to stitch it together.

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I gave a brief talk to the Schematic tech team here in LA on some of what I learned at the onAIR event earlier in the week. While I talked plenty about the new features of AIR from a variety of perspectives, I felt that the introduction of a technology like AIR required a different perspective and more time to explain it. An interesting aspect to the introduction of AIR is that is has significantly lowered the barrier to entry for developers interested in developing desktop applications. While this has the powerful effect of democratizing access to the desktop, it does raise some fundamental issues and fears.

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