extreme RFID

Interesting paper from Chris Paget (http://www.tombom.co.uk/extreme_rfid.pdf) about accessing epc gen2 tags from very long ranges (100's of metres) using equipment built for less than $1000. Basically he increases the range by increasing the power of the transmitter and using a more directional antenna, thus increasing the power density in the region of the tag. You do need a ham radio operators licence to broadcast at these powers though...
This is really not new - physics is physics but the "loophole" of the ham radio licence is new.
Aside from the fact that you could use this approach to pick up Bin Ladins underpants assuming they are tagged, this may open the way to other applications - eg a foursquare-like (http://foursquare.com/) scanning RFID reader that you could install in particular locations, or long-range tracking in warehouses, assuming safety - he is using 70watts output - and regulatory compliance