Montreal's Public Bikes To Use Web, RFID, Solar

Ian Lamont writes "Montreal is preparing to launch a Web- and RFID-enabled public bike system that allows residents and visitors to rent bicycles at special depots scattered throughout the city. Using a Web site, riders can check out a real-time inventory of available bicycles at the depot locations. At the depots, a solar-powered base station will process credit cards or member cards. The bike docks use RFID, and the system is supposedly easy to install and maintain. A pilot program will launch in September with four bike depots."

Re:They only get a few months..

[Red Dwarf]

Not for too long with global warming!

Re:power

[atarione]

that is a pretty good idea but it seems like a real long extension cord might be better (and it is only 1 am here =p)

Re:power

[astrosmash]

they should just have capacitors (or whatever) on/in the bikes that store up energy whenever brakes are used

Great idea! We just need figure out how the "or whatever" is going to work.

heck, maybe if u ride enough you could make money by way of power generation

maybe

yes thats all probably ridiculous, but it's 3am so idfc lol

totally

Re:Great plan to catch all the criminals!

[aliquis]

lol.

And then the terrorists suicide bombs the bus all they will do is to bomb themselves! Omg the precious virgins!

Re:mmmmmk

[dave420]

I know! Next they'll make us put unique identifiers on our cars that can be automatically read from a distance! Where will the madness end?!?

Re:mmmmmk

[novakyu]

Unless they start putting facial recognition cameras in taxis.

They don't have to. What you don't know is that the first thing the taxi drivers do, when they get your cash, is take your fingerprint off the cash (bills or coins, although admittedly, it's easier with coins), and they report those to FBI at the end of the day.

Have you ever touched a door handle? Then the Big Brother knows where you are, and, yes, he's watching you---if he needed a camera to know what you are doing, he wouldn't be the Big Brother.