[kentiko]

> This mechanism is similar to barcodes and QR codes in the sense that the information is encoded geometrically, but it doesn't need to be scanned visually.

They really need to give more details on this. Maybe there is some RF voodoo here, but I find it hard to believe it is practical. Also, how much data can be stored? And aren't most RFID tag programmable? If this requires a laser to be programmed, it might be a significant downside compare to the chip version.

[gnabgib]

Hard to find stats on how many are fixed vs programmable, but I suspect the majority are not programmable. Anything anyone calls a FOB is a fixed RFID tag. Many used for theft detection (library books, retail stores) are a fixed RFID tags. This seems to be tackling the Electronic Product Code (EPC)[0], which is popular in retail.

[0]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electronic_Product_Code

[slow_typist]

Second that, it is way cheaper to keep the intelligent part in the database. With electronic keys it is convenient to frequently update the permissions of the bearer because it allows for offline locks, but for tracking goods, any serial number that is long enough is more than fine.