In class we discussed companies' ability to manipulate our personal electronics without our knowledge. Here are a couple of stories about the Amazon Kindle that demonstrate this is not only possible, but happening. (I've left the topic heading more vague in case people have content related to other devices to add.)

Geoffrey A. Fowler, Amazon Upgrades Users’ Kindles, Automatically, Wall Street Journal, November 24, 2009 (This is a for-fee site. Alternatively, you can piece together the information using the following two links.)

Sanjeev Ramachandran, Amazon Kindle in for automatic firmware upgrade; you may not even know it is happening, Device Magazine, November 24, 2009

Brad Stone, Amazon Erases Orwell Books From Kindle, New York Times, July 7, 2009

-- MakalikaNaholowaa - 26 Nov 2009

"The world's smallest and thinnest RFID tags were introduced yesterday by Hitachi. Tiny miracles of miniaturization, these RFID chips (Radio Frequency IDentification chips) measure just 0.05 x 0.05 millimeters. "

So small they can be made into powder. They would be very difficult to physically find and get rid of.

http://www.technovelgy.com/ct/Science-Fiction-News.asp?NewsNum=939

-- MichaelDignan - 23 Dec 2009