The "Wave" of the...

Wristband access linking families with their children, wired trash cans, Wi-Fi on the sand, radio-frequency identification chips (RFID), parking spot monitors and reporting, all coming to a beach in Ocean City, New Jersey at the cost of $3 million.

The beach will require ALL visitors to wear a wristband, costing $5/day, $10/week, or $20/summer. These wristbands can be linked with each other which might prove popular for parents. If the wristbands leave the beach without the parent wristband a text message is sent to the parent's cell phone. This is the type of scenario where I can agree with tracking your children. Read my previous post, "Keeping them safe or making them vulnerable."It's temporary and in a crowded, relatively dangerous, public place. It would also be nice if a text message was sent when children got near the water. This might help prevent accidental drownings.

The wristbands will also automatically debit their bank accounts when using food, parking, and other paid amenities on the beach. Not sure of the security behind this, but this might worry me a bit. Hopefully, it's optional.

The beach will have Wi-Fi internet access so you can carry on those important Skype conversations with the execs back in the office while enjoying the crashing waves and sun beating down on your face. In fact, the entire beach community is going to be wired. The trash bins will send email alerts when they need to be emptied and the parking lots will display how many parking spots are available and where they're located (that's a cool feature!). City officials will know how many people are on the beach at any given time. And of course, they're using solar power to deliver energy to the trash cans and signs.

The same privacy concerns that are always an issue come into question here. I'm sure the city will track your every move, including the purchases you make, how many beers you drink, and how often you frequent the restroom. I guess we have to ask ourselves, when out in public, our we ever really private? What information should remain private and what information is fair game, if any? Regardless, I fear that we'll have to get used to this. Next, our shopping malls, employers, and the roads we drive on will all be tracking our every move. After all, it is the Wave of the future.

Isn't technology great...