Beijing, where contactless ID card technology is already a booming business, will use RFID as an integral part of its security efforts for the 2008 Olympic Games. Recent reports indicate that China is now the world's largest RFID market. Uses of the technology include access control, contactless ticketing, and tagging of equipment and hardware. So it's no surprise that RFID will play an important roll when the Olympics roll into town.

You've probably heard something about Hannah Montana in the past year - the Emmy-nominated Disney channel show and singing sensation Miley Cyrus (Hannah Montana herself) were for a long time relegated to children, who gobbled up the snappy pop tunes and watched the show religiously. However, when the time came for Hannah Montana's first national tour, everyone else began to realize what a phenomenon the show had become.

With more and more organizations of varying sizes now printing their own, in-house ID cards and badges, the market for ID card printers is growing. Because of this, it makes sense for companies to offer affordable models equipped with similar functionality to some of the more advanced, high-end card printers.

British Airways has selected SALTO Systems to install a smart proximity access control system in its new, state-of-the-art passenger terminal at London’s Heathrow Airport. The system restricts access privileges to authorized personnel only, while also providing continuous audit trail information. It works with the staff ID cards for British Airways employees, giving the airline full control over their security requirements.

India's ESI (Employee State Insurance) Corporation has announced that it will soon be issuing smart cards to provide employees with health and medical benefits, among others, to employees who fall under the care of ESI. Currently, the ESI oversees the care of about 9 million employees and 30 million beneficiaries all across India.

A court employee in Cebu City, Philippines was reprimanded and gave a public apology recently. His crime? Not truancy, nor slacking off on the job, or supply theft - but forgetting to wear his ID badge. All workers in the Philippines are required to have a publicly displayed ID badge at all times, identifying who they are, who they work for, and why they are where they are at the time.

Those little rewards cards are everywhere - grocery stores and membership clubs pass them out and customers use them to get discounts and special deals when buying groceries and other everyday households.

Increasing worries over homeland security and protection have spawned many debates about preventative measures. The upcoming presidential election and current events have made us familiar with some of the most popular ones - airline security measures like liquids bans and a fence along the US-Mexico border, for instance. But, Indiana representative Mark Souder says that one of the most important security measures the United States can have is the ability to track and record biometric information - not just for visitors into the country, but for normal ID cards like drivers licenses, and that security of our ID cards is intrinsically linked to the security of the country.

Ever had the urge to purchase an afternoon newspaper, only to come up empty when searching your pockets for loose shrapnel? In London, spare change is no longer necessary, as you can now obtain a copy of The Evening Standard, the city's daily tabloid, by paying with a handy smart card. They're calling it the “Eros” card, in reference to the Piccadilly Circus statue and the figure on the paper's nameplate.

New Jersey's Lenape Regional High School District has installed an electronic visitor management system know as LobbyGuard in each of its four schools. The system is used to monitor visitors on school grounds. Electronic visitor management systems are a major improvement over the traditional paper sign-in sheets of old. With these new systems, schools are able to print photo ID badges on the spot and track visitors, create databases, run background checks, and more.

When you're a college student living in the dorms, your ID card can quickly become a center of your universe. That simple ID card can serve as the key to your room, the key to your mailbox, your way to check out library books and other materials, and most importantly - your meal ticket. ID card programs for colleges and universities often incorporate payment options into their student ID cards, which can make mealtime easier for everyone - until their ID card is lost or stolen.