The Grey Market

[silverstacker]

Iso I'm currently at a conference about security throughout the world and what this means to company's and the implimlamincatlions it has on companies. It's not just the theft of product or the counterfeiting but the brand name that also gets damaged which in the long run can be more costly than the loss of product itself. Many of the people here are in the security and new Tech products that help the company's get better visibility of where their product is and if their product has had unauthorized deviations during the delivering of their product. What does this mean for PM's?

There are many things I'm not at liberty to discuss but new technology and anti-counterfeiting measures that are being taken very serious by the government here and abroad. Items like security seals (plastic, cable and bolt) as well as security tapes like the ones on some government tubes use that have serial numbers and show that the product hasn't been manipulated in a certain way are ways that are presently being done. However, what's to come will amaze the masses and give a variety of industry's and company's like Walmart, U.S. mint and the DoD a way to trace everything at all times

One of the speakers today discussed the black market and how you are able to see the market as its transparent and is illegal in every sense.

The other market is the "grey market" which is the market that trades commodities whether it's TV's or bullion through a distribution network of channels which are technically legal as its unintended to sell fake or counterfeit items but nevertheless are. The unofficial and unauthorized selling through middlemen or distributors like eBay, alibaba or other websites that resell this product and don't understand they are part of this "grey market". Or just don't care.

All I can say is that there are measures in place starting now that in conjunction with cyber security teams will be tasked with uncovering and more importantly verifying products sold through distributions. So that these distributors can't calim that they didn't know. Your probably thinking " how does eBay know" what users are selling as its a product that is out of their control because it comes from a certain seller to a buyer. All they do is facilitate the sale for a price. Where'as places like Amazon and other distributors will be more heavily scrutinized under some new processes and global supply chain security mandates that they will be responsible for. This will not happen overnight but trust me when I say that sites that reside and distribute in the U.S. Will be responsible for the final product that ships out.

I applauded this new measure and with that the understanding that the days of counterfeit transparency are taking a new avenue as we get more technologically advanced.

[fansubs_ca]

Personally I love the grey market and get annoyed when big companies try to block it.

For instance Amazon.com won't ship this product to Canada:

http://www.amazon.com/Sure-Anti-Perspir ... words=sure

They also don't really give a straight answer on why saying it could be one of several
reasons then refusing to say which one. -_- There is really no legitimate reason to
block the export of this product. I swear I'm not tied to a terrorist organization that's
plotting to cause a deoderant shortage across America by buying it all out at the
same time.

There are a few individuals who will ship it up here but since you've now got an
additional middle man (and an additional shipping leg) the delivered price ends
up being unreasonable on such a low value item. So I use a different brand.

Back in the 80s when computers were more expensive in Canada than the U.S. a few
people made a grey market bussiness of buying them in the U.S., bringing them up
here (paying all applicable taxes) and selling them through newpaper ads. Even in
the mid to late 90s there was a price differential on VCRs. (Though a much smaller
one.)

(The electronics market has since levelled out significantly.)

[neilgin1]

Iso I'm currently at a conference about security throughout the world and what this means to company's and the implimlamincatlions it has on companies. It's not just the theft of product or the counterfeiting but the brand name that also gets damaged which in the long run can be more costly than the loss of product itself. Many of the people here are in the security and new Tech products that help the company's get better visibility of where their product is and if their product has had unauthorized deviations during the delivering of their product. What does this mean for PM's?

There are many things I'm not at liberty to discuss but new technology and anti-counterfeiting measures that are being taken very serious by the government here and abroad. Items like security seals (plastic, cable and bolt) as well as security tapes like the ones on some government tubes use that have serial numbers and show that the product hasn't been manipulated in a certain way are ways that are presently being done. However, what's to come will amaze the masses and give a variety of industry's and company's like Walmart, U.S. mint and the DoD a way to trace everything at all times

One of the speakers today discussed the black market and how you are able to see the market as its transparent and is illegal in every sense.

The other market is the "grey market" which is the market that trades commodities whether it's TV's or bullion through a distribution network of channels which are technically legal as its unintended to sell fake or counterfeit items but nevertheless are. The unofficial and unauthorized selling through middlemen or distributors like eBay, alibaba or other websites that resell this product and don't understand they are part of this "grey market". Or just don't care.

All I can say is that there are measures in place starting now that in conjunction with cyber security teams will be tasked with uncovering and more importantly verifying products sold through distributions. So that these distributors can't calim that they didn't know. Your probably thinking " how does eBay know" what users are selling as its a product that is out of their control because it comes from a certain seller to a buyer. All they do is facilitate the sale for a price. Where'as places like Amazon and other distributors will be more heavily scrutinized under some new processes and global supply chain security mandates that they will be responsible for. This will not happen overnight but trust me when I say that sites that reside and distribute in the U.S. Will be responsible for the final product that ships out.

I applauded this new measure and with that the understanding that the days of counterfeit transparency are taking a new avenue as we get more technologically advanced.

Stack, I don't know why, but I got an uneasy feeling.....just in regards to privately held PM's.

just in this line: quote "However, what's to come will amaze the masses and give a variety of industry's and company's like Walmart, U.S. mint and the DoD a way to trace everything at all times.".....my gut tells me, its a future gen RFID, that makes todays RFID's look like Model T's.

second line: quote: "One of the speakers today discussed the black market and how you are able to see the market as its transparent and is illegal in every sense."


ok....yeh, I sure would have liked to vet the speaker for that, see if he's been on the "street level"....and something in my craw about this "and is illegal in every sense."............"and is illegal in every sense."

since the "teepees" are seemingly intent on making Freedom and Liberty ...."Illegal".....and "security" REALLY is only about making the teepees....."secure".........I say, "game on".

Please, don't think my post is a "slam" or a "rebuke"....not at all!....but cazart! what sort of confab was this?

oh man, I got an uneasy feeling in my gut, I think i'm going to go back and continue studying in the Book of Job....working on something called the "Long Night of Suffering"......a study of why a Loving and Merciful God allows suffering....human suffering is the result of very long unseen battle between Light and dark, the "accusers" chief aim is to alienate the creation from the Creator...I know that's "off topic"...but maybe not so much.

be well and at peace brother, n.

[IdahoCopper]

A quick google for - security conference April 2015 - yields this page with a list:

https://www.concise-courses.com/securit ... 5/#april15

There are several in the USA that include April 14-15.

[Copper Catcher]

This is old news.....but worth reviewing:



Hitachi Develops World’s Smallest RFID Chip

The Japanese giant Hitachi has developed the world’s smallest and thinnest Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) chip. Measuring only 0.15 x 0.15 millimeters in size and 7.5 micrometers thick, the wireless chip is a smaller version of the previous record holder – Hitachi’s 0.4 x 0.4 mm “Micro-Chip”. The company used semiconductor miniaturization and electron beam technology to write data on the chip substrates to achieve this decrease in size. The new chips have a wide range of potential applications from military to transportation, logistics and even consumer electronics.

Hitachi Smallest RFID Chip Nicknamed “Powder” or “Dust”, these chips consist of 128-bit ROM (Read Only Memory) that can store a 38-digit number. Hitachi says the distance between each circuit element was reduced using the Silicon-on-Insulator (SOI) process, where an insulation layer and a monocrystalline silicon layer are formed upon the silicon base substrate, and the transistor is then formed on this SOI substrate. When compared to the conventional process where a transistor is formed directly upon the silicon substrate, this technology significantly reduces parasitic capacitance and current leakage, improving the transistor’s performance. The SOI process also prevents the interference between neighboring devices, which often causes product malfunctions.

Thanks to an insulator surrounding each device, Hitachi experts say that even when the devices are in close proximity, higher integration is achieved on an even smaller area. The surface area of the new chips was reduced to a quarter of the original 0.3 x 0.3 mm, 60µm-thick chip developed by Hitachi in 2003. The company says that developments in thin chip fabrication technology enabled the significant decrease in width – to one-eighth of that of the previous model. With more chips that can be fabricated on a single wafer, productivity was increased by over four times, and Hitachi expects this will open the way to new applications for wireless RFID chips. The µ-Chip uses an external antenna to receive radio waves, which can be transformed and wirelessly transmitted as a unique ID number.

The data is written during the fabrication process, using ROM, and is therefore non-rewritable, providing a high level of authenticity. “By taking advantage of the merits of compactness, high authenticity and wireless communication, and combining it with Internet technology, the µ-Chip may be utilized in a broad range of applications such as security, transportation, amusement, traceability and logistics” – said Hitachi engineers who worked on the project. Hitachi is continuing to develop technologies that increase communication’s distance range and decrease antenna size, whilst preserving high reliability and aiming for improved productivity. The company said that the enhanced compactness and thinness of the new chip has further broadened the range of possible applications, including gift certificates that can be authenticated. The new RFID “powder” can also be incorporated into thin paper, such as currency, creating so-called “bugged” money.

Miniature RFID chips may also have advanced military applications such as smartdust. Smartdust is the concept of wireless MEMS (Micro-Electro-Mechanical Systems) sensors that can detect anything from light and temperature to vibrations. Using a large amount of sensors is not a new concept – the U.S. military experimented with this idea already during the Vietnam War (Operation Igloo White). While the older sensors were relatively large and only somewhat effective, Professor Christopher Pister from UC Berkeley suggested in 2001 to create a new type of micro sensor that could theoretically be as small as a grain of sand. Research into this idea is ongoing and is being funded by DARPA (the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency).

What was only a theoretical concept in 2001 has now become a reality with the latest development by Hitachi, and could find its way to intelligence agencies across the world. RFID chips are also a source for increasing controversy surrounding issues of privacy. An RFID chip can be used to track the location of unsuspecting individuals who have bought products that include RFID tags in their package. Having miniature cheap RFID chips, such as those developed by Hitachi, implanted inside anything we buy might make many people feel very uncomfortable. However, big businesses believe that consumers’ fears are dwarfed by the benefits of RFID chips, which include reduced theft, digital real time inventory, and better information on consumer shopping habits.

TFOT looked at several RFID related technologies including HP’s Memory Spot Chip, which is some what similar to RFID technology (although there are also some important differences), The RFID Loc8tor that can identify special RFID tags from a distance of up to 183 meters (600 feet), and a new Nanobattery technology developed at the Tel Aviv University, which could power semi-active RFID chips in the future. Hitachi is constantly developing new and advanced chips. After publishing the information regarding the 0.15 x 0.15 millimeter RFID chip back in 2006, the company apparently completed working on the improved RFID chip in early 2007. According to the Nikkei website, Hitachi is now planning on developing an even smaller RFID chip using 65-nanometer lithographic technology.
http://techon.nikkeibp.co.jp/english/NE ... 20/127959/

[neilgin1]

A quick google for - security conference April 2015 - yields this page with a list:

https://www.concise-courses.com/securit ... 5/#april15

There are several in the USA that include April 14-15.

thanks Idaho.....scanned them.....and to think that I started my day, by googling sellers of shagbark hickory saplings so my boy has the forest here back to speed, meaning an oak/hickory blend....no wonder, the avg age of the American farmer is 57.

tech is great....BUT the neo Tower of babel is being built.

[neilgin1]

This is old news.....but worth reviewing:



Hitachi Develops World’s Smallest RFID Chip

The Japanese giant Hitachi has developed the world’s smallest and thinnest Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) chip. Measuring only 0.15 x 0.15 millimeters in size and 7.5 micrometers thick, the wireless chip is a smaller version of the previous record holder – Hitachi’s 0.4 x 0.4 mm “Micro-Chip”. The company used semiconductor miniaturization and electron beam technology to write data on the chip substrates to achieve this decrease in size. The new chips have a wide range of potential applications from military to transportation, logistics and even consumer electronics.

Hitachi Smallest RFID Chip Nicknamed “Powder” or “Dust”, these chips consist of 128-bit ROM (Read Only Memory) that can store a 38-digit number. Hitachi says the distance between each circuit element was reduced using the Silicon-on-Insulator (SOI) process, where an insulation layer and a monocrystalline silicon layer are formed upon the silicon base substrate, and the transistor is then formed on this SOI substrate. When compared to the conventional process where a transistor is formed directly upon the silicon substrate, this technology significantly reduces parasitic capacitance and current leakage, improving the transistor’s performance. The SOI process also prevents the interference between neighboring devices, which often causes product malfunctions.

Thanks to an insulator surrounding each device, Hitachi experts say that even when the devices are in close proximity, higher integration is achieved on an even smaller area. The surface area of the new chips was reduced to a quarter of the original 0.3 x 0.3 mm, 60µm-thick chip developed by Hitachi in 2003. The company says that developments in thin chip fabrication technology enabled the significant decrease in width – to one-eighth of that of the previous model. With more chips that can be fabricated on a single wafer, productivity was increased by over four times, and Hitachi expects this will open the way to new applications for wireless RFID chips. The µ-Chip uses an external antenna to receive radio waves, which can be transformed and wirelessly transmitted as a unique ID number.

The data is written during the fabrication process, using ROM, and is therefore non-rewritable, providing a high level of authenticity. “By taking advantage of the merits of compactness, high authenticity and wireless communication, and combining it with Internet technology, the µ-Chip may be utilized in a broad range of applications such as security, transportation, amusement, traceability and logistics” – said Hitachi engineers who worked on the project. Hitachi is continuing to develop technologies that increase communication’s distance range and decrease antenna size, whilst preserving high reliability and aiming for improved productivity. The company said that the enhanced compactness and thinness of the new chip has further broadened the range of possible applications, including gift certificates that can be authenticated. The new RFID “powder” can also be incorporated into thin paper, such as currency, creating so-called “bugged” money.

Miniature RFID chips may also have advanced military applications such as smartdust. Smartdust is the concept of wireless MEMS (Micro-Electro-Mechanical Systems) sensors that can detect anything from light and temperature to vibrations. Using a large amount of sensors is not a new concept – the U.S. military experimented with this idea already during the Vietnam War (Operation Igloo White). While the older sensors were relatively large and only somewhat effective, Professor Christopher Pister from UC Berkeley suggested in 2001 to create a new type of micro sensor that could theoretically be as small as a grain of sand. Research into this idea is ongoing and is being funded by DARPA (the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency).

What was only a theoretical concept in 2001 has now become a reality with the latest development by Hitachi, and could find its way to intelligence agencies across the world. RFID chips are also a source for increasing controversy surrounding issues of privacy. An RFID chip can be used to track the location of unsuspecting individuals who have bought products that include RFID tags in their package. Having miniature cheap RFID chips, such as those developed by Hitachi, implanted inside anything we buy might make many people feel very uncomfortable. However, big businesses believe that consumers’ fears are dwarfed by the benefits of RFID chips, which include reduced theft, digital real time inventory, and better information on consumer shopping habits.

TFOT looked at several RFID related technologies including HP’s Memory Spot Chip, which is some what similar to RFID technology (although there are also some important differences), The RFID Loc8tor that can identify special RFID tags from a distance of up to 183 meters (600 feet), and a new Nanobattery technology developed at the Tel Aviv University, which could power semi-active RFID chips in the future. Hitachi is constantly developing new and advanced chips. After publishing the information regarding the 0.15 x 0.15 millimeter RFID chip back in 2006, the company apparently completed working on the improved RFID chip in early 2007. According to the Nikkei website, Hitachi is now planning on developing an even smaller RFID chip using 65-nanometer lithographic technology.
http://techon.nikkeibp.co.jp/english/NE ... 20/127959/

indeed...certainly worth reviewing .........next purchase will be a case of notepads and a case of pencils....why?

take a gander at this: (Van Riper is the MAN)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Millennium_Challenge_2002

somebody changed it......Van Riper commanded the "red force", and now it says it was to resemble Iraq....bs....the original said Iran, and the orginal said he launched "a 200 missile barrage of silkworm anti-shipping missiles" at blue forces

[Z00]

Just more ways for the Gov and big Corp to "track" what you buy and how you spend your money.

Welcome to the "surveillance society" that now exists and will become larger.

[silverstacker]

A quick google for - security conference April 2015 - yields this page with a list:

https://www.concise-courses.com/securit ... 5/#april15

There are several in the USA that include April 14-15.

There are many more my friend

[silverstacker]

This is old news.....but worth reviewing:



Hitachi Develops World’s Smallest RFID Chip

The Japanese giant Hitachi has developed the world’s smallest and thinnest Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) chip. Measuring only 0.15 x 0.15 millimeters in size and 7.5 micrometers thick, the wireless chip is a smaller version of the previous record holder – Hitachi’s 0.4 x 0.4 mm “Micro-Chip”. The company used semiconductor miniaturization and electron beam technology to write data on the chip substrates to achieve this decrease in size. The new chips have a wide range of potential applications from military to transportation, logistics and even consumer electronics.

Hitachi Smallest RFID Chip Nicknamed “Powder” or “Dust”, these chips consist of 128-bit ROM (Read Only Memory) that can store a 38-digit number. Hitachi says the distance between each circuit element was reduced using the Silicon-on-Insulator (SOI) process, where an insulation layer and a monocrystalline silicon layer are formed upon the silicon base substrate, and the transistor is then formed on this SOI substrate. When compared to the conventional process where a transistor is formed directly upon the silicon substrate, this technology significantly reduces parasitic capacitance and current leakage, improving the transistor’s performance. The SOI process also prevents the interference between neighboring devices, which often causes product malfunctions.

Thanks to an insulator surrounding each device, Hitachi experts say that even when the devices are in close proximity, higher integration is achieved on an even smaller area. The surface area of the new chips was reduced to a quarter of the original 0.3 x 0.3 mm, 60µm-thick chip developed by Hitachi in 2003. The company says that developments in thin chip fabrication technology enabled the significant decrease in width – to one-eighth of that of the previous model. With more chips that can be fabricated on a single wafer, productivity was increased by over four times, and Hitachi expects this will open the way to new applications for wireless RFID chips. The µ-Chip uses an external antenna to receive radio waves, which can be transformed and wirelessly transmitted as a unique ID number.

The data is written during the fabrication process, using ROM, and is therefore non-rewritable, providing a high level of authenticity. “By taking advantage of the merits of compactness, high authenticity and wireless communication, and combining it with Internet technology, the µ-Chip may be utilized in a broad range of applications such as security, transportation, amusement, traceability and logistics” – said Hitachi engineers who worked on the project. Hitachi is continuing to develop technologies that increase communication’s distance range and decrease antenna size, whilst preserving high reliability and aiming for improved productivity. The company said that the enhanced compactness and thinness of the new chip has further broadened the range of possible applications, including gift certificates that can be authenticated. The new RFID “powder” can also be incorporated into thin paper, such as currency, creating so-called “bugged” money.

Miniature RFID chips may also have advanced military applications such as smartdust. Smartdust is the concept of wireless MEMS (Micro-Electro-Mechanical Systems) sensors that can detect anything from light and temperature to vibrations. Using a large amount of sensors is not a new concept – the U.S. military experimented with this idea already during the Vietnam War (Operation Igloo White). While the older sensors were relatively large and only somewhat effective, Professor Christopher Pister from UC Berkeley suggested in 2001 to create a new type of micro sensor that could theoretically be as small as a grain of sand. Research into this idea is ongoing and is being funded by DARPA (the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency).

What was only a theoretical concept in 2001 has now become a reality with the latest development by Hitachi, and could find its way to intelligence agencies across the world. RFID chips are also a source for increasing controversy surrounding issues of privacy. An RFID chip can be used to track the location of unsuspecting individuals who have bought products that include RFID tags in their package. Having miniature cheap RFID chips, such as those developed by Hitachi, implanted inside anything we buy might make many people feel very uncomfortable. However, big businesses believe that consumers’ fears are dwarfed by the benefits of RFID chips, which include reduced theft, digital real time inventory, and better information on consumer shopping habits.

TFOT looked at several RFID related technologies including HP’s Memory Spot Chip, which is some what similar to RFID technology (although there are also some important differences), The RFID Loc8tor that can identify special RFID tags from a distance of up to 183 meters (600 feet), and a new Nanobattery technology developed at the Tel Aviv University, which could power semi-active RFID chips in the future. Hitachi is constantly developing new and advanced chips. After publishing the information regarding the 0.15 x 0.15 millimeter RFID chip back in 2006, the company apparently completed working on the improved RFID chip in early 2007. According to the Nikkei website, Hitachi is now planning on developing an even smaller RFID chip using 65-nanometer lithographic technology.
http://techon.nikkeibp.co.jp/english/NE ... 20/127959/

That is a good product and only getting better. For size, this is a great option. The DoD and problematic areas of concern use these and other forms in high smuggling and traceability cases. Thanks

[Recyclersteve]

This is old news.....but worth reviewing:



Hitachi Develops World’s Smallest RFID Chip

http://techon.nikkeibp.co.jp/english/NE ... 20/127959/

I'd say he's got his finger on the problem!

[TXSTARFIRE]

"The new RFID “powder” can also be incorporated into thin paper, such as currency, creating so-called “bugged” money."

Is that chip in the new $100 FRN?

tt

[Recyclersteve]

If RFID chips are as small as this Hitachi prototype, then it would stand to reason that they could place one in an injection. So the flu or shingles shot that I get could be implanting a chip inside me. Now, to counteract that, you'd think there is somebody trying to create something to neutralize the chips, perhaps some type of X-ray machine. Isn't technology amazing?