Discover how Radio Frequency Identification affects you

Whether larger ticket items will also be paid for in this way remains to be seen, as the market in the UK is in its infancy.

However, take a look at the Hong Kong Octopus card for a glimpse into a possible e-cash future for the UK.

On your desk
RFID may soon be coming to a card or phone near you, but the technology is also in things you can use right now at home. The first is Touchatag that enables you to RFID-enable any device with a passive RFID chip.

In addition, any NFC-enabled mobile phone can read Touchatags.

Once you have downloaded the driver and dashboard software (available for Windows and Mac OS X) you can plug the RFID reader into your PC and start to build your tag actions list.

For instance, you could tag a CD of your favourite band. When you bring this near to the Touchatag reader you are taken to their website.

Or how about tagging your business cards that link to your website?

You complete the action without any mouse clicks or keyboard commands. A starter pack (costing around £25) is available that contains the RFID reader and 10 tags to get you started.

Mir:ror works in a similar way to Touchatags, but has a more striking design.

The technology from the makers of the Nabaztag Rabbit connects to the internet to give you email alerts, tell you the time, play music or any other tasks you program it to perform.

It is an extension of that technology that uses Ztamp:s to give any object interactivity via the internet.

Compatible with all operating systems, you can be up and running in minutes programming your Ztamp:s or Nano:ztag mini rabbits.

The Ztamp:s can be programmed to perform an array of tasks. The starter pack (costing just less than £30) also comes with two Nano:ztags that are smaller versions of the Nabaztag rabbit.

You could program a Nano:ztag to connect your browser to any website.

Just place the Nano:ztag on the Mir:ror to make the connection.

Books that have an audio version are being sold with Ztamp:s already attached.

Wave the book at the Mir:ror and the book finds the audio version on the internet.

Or you could send letter or postcards with a Ztamp attached that connects to your blog or website.

The idea is create a pervasive computing experience for everyone.

Of course, to gain the most from these gadgets you need to know someone with either a Touchatag or Mir:ror reader.

The RFID hobbyist is also being catered for with developer kits from Trossen and an RFID DIY kit (ISBN: 978-0-471-77196-8l) you can experiment with.

RFID at large
RFID is appearing in industries other than retail.

Heathrow Airport is trialing it in an effort to reduce lost luggage.

RFID equipment has been installed at nine Emirates check-in desks, with staff applying tags containing RFID chips to bags as part of the normal check-in process.

The chips contain information including the passenger’s name and route.

The chips are read as they pass through Heathrow’s baggage system, enabling effective sorting, security screening and delivery to the aircraft. Incoming luggage is read on entry to the system and receipted for effective tracking.

Passengers will be invited by BAA staff to register their mobile telephone details ­ and will be alerted by SMS message of their baggage reclaim belt when they arrive back at Heathrow.

Hong Kong Airport has been using a similar system since 2005.

And publishers are also experimenting with RFID.