One of the worst things about going to the hospital, aside from whatever medical condition you're suffering from, is the endless paperwork you have to fill out once you get there. A number of hospitals, including New York's Mount Sai Medical Center are now turning to smart cards as a way to cut down on the paperwork, speed up registration times, maintain more accurate records, and most importantly, quickly identify patients.

Currently, Chinese Customs staff members and officers have paper identification badges. Paper IDs work for some - but for officers who are constantly on the go, keeping China's booming ports safe - they can be a bit of a letdown (to say the least). That's why about 4,400 new smart ID cars were issued to Customs and Excise Department officers this Tuesday.

Imagine flashing your employee ID in front of a vending machine. No, you're not confusing the vending machine with your office guard after a long day of work. Your ID card, equipped with RFID antenna, can buy you coffee or a snack. Office employees in Thailand are about to have this become a reality - with new RFID-enabled employee ID cards.

The skyrocketing costs of fuel and increasing concerns for the environment have been an incentive for many to use bicycles as a main mode of transportation. Inexpensive, healthy, and decidedly green, bikes have been making a comeback for commuters and leisure-seekers alike. Many cities have capitalized on this new trend with public bike rental programs, based on popular European programs in bike cities like Amsterdam and Paris. Washington DC is the latest addition to the public bike rental program - and has developed a bike rental program that relies on ID cards.

For New Zealand's densest metropolitan area, mass transit smart cards appear to be looming on the not-so-distant horizon. The Auckland Transport Authority has put a new smart card ticketing system at the top of its to-do list. Because of the area's steadily rising urban population, and in increased interest in public transit, the Transit Authority sees smart cards as an obvious and necessary solution for managing to growth of the public transit system.

The days of mining your pockets for coins when visiting Delray Beach are over. That's because the South Florida destination spot is replacing all change-fed parking meters with newer models that accept credit cards, debits cards, and smart cards.

Many cities and public transit bureaus offer free or discounted passes or tickets for senior citizens - and Washington D.C. is just one example. For a long time, though, getting a discount on DC's well-known Metro system has been a bit of a polka for seniors in the D.C. corridor.

Starting next fall, students, faculty and staff at Harvard University will receive new ID cards that use contactless smart card technology. The new cards will be much more secure than those used currently, and will help to greatly improve the university's access control system.

Alabama's Fort Payne Middle School is gearing up to install a new visitor management system that that can instantly run background checks on all visitors, and print out temporary photo ID badges. The school received a grant to acquire the system, which is part of a committed effort to increase school security.

The Ohio Bureau of Motor Vehicles is using the State Fair as a way to stress the importance of State ID cards for children. While the department has offered child ID cards in the past, the push has become stronger thanks to a new “ID R KIDS” initiative. A public safety booth at the Ohio State Fair will help to make more parents aware of the program.