Some customers are willing to have microchip implants as a means of paying in
stores, a report out today says.
Teenagers are more open to the idea of having a high-tech shopping experience,
the Tomorrow's Shopping World report suggests.
Around 8 per cent of 13 to 19-year-olds were open to the idea of microchip
implants while 16 per cent wanted trolleys to be fitted with SatNav systems.
This compared to just 5 per cent and 12 per cent respectively for adults asked the
same questions. Two thirds of teenagers and 62 per cent of adults questioned for
grocery think tank IGD's report wanted self-scanning systems at shop check-outs.
Some 7 per cent of people in both age groups were willing to use biometric iris or
retina recognition payment systems.
On a more low-tech note, 61 per cent of adults and 57 per cent of teenagers
wanted staff to pack their bags in shops.
And a "cashless society" is not expected to have materialised within the next
decade.
The report says 39 per cent of teenage respondents and 30 per cent of adults said
they would still be using cash in 10 year's time.
It adds: "The current and future progress of technology services in store is
counter-balanced by the need for shopping with some form of 'human contact'."
One third of adults and 40 per cent of teenagers wanted lots of staff involvement
with the shopping experience.
The report, sponsored by technology services company EDS, followed an IGD poll
of 500 teenagers and a similar number of adults about their predicted grocery
shopping habits for the next decade.
Read more: www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-409867/Young-shoppers-want-pay-chip-skin.html
I have enough cash to last me the rest of my life,as long as i don't need to buy anything.
I fail to see how I was being rude. Using precise language is more a sign of respect than rudeness.
You said:-
"I think that what he is saying is that if Abbott gets voted in we will all be so skint we won't have any cash."
What he actually said was:-
"Don't get this stuff at all, who reads this sh$%$#t, I dont care personally."
A bit hard to read anything other than what he said into that short and sharp sentence.
As for your hypothetical scenario:-
"Imagine if you were sat on a bus next to a bloke who suddenly, out of nowhere, without so much as a 'how do you do' just blurted that out."
We are not on a bus. We are on a discussion forum.
However to satisfy your curiosity as to how I would react in that scenario, I say to you that I would not react. I would respond politely.
After a quick recovery from the surprise that the person whose bum cheek was rubbing against mine had actually removed his/her iPod ear phones and said something to me of a conversational nature, I would probably respond with something like "That is an interesting subject. Is it something you are passionate about?"
From there a conversation might develop or even a friendship. (Shock, horror!!! You mean actually get to know somebody who you have sat next to on the bus for the last 5 years. No I couldn't do that.)
In the 60s and 70s people going to and from work on buses, trams and trains, more often than not would talk with their fellow passengers, laugh with them and have smiles on their faces and allow others to get at least a half a dozen words out before second guessing what the other may or may not be thinking.
What happened?? Where has the cameraderie and respect for our fellows gone???
It can be quite testing to have to stand in line in the "Express" checkout queue and wait while someone purchases three items with eftpos. Call me old school, but I get my weekly grocery money out of an ATM every Monday, pay cash all week. It's simple, quick AND I ensure that I stick to budget.
I'm never willingly going to allow the government to put any sort of microchip technology into my skin.
I can't really see it working anyway. What stops someone from murdering a guy, fishing out his microchip in his eye socket or where ever and cashing out all his money?
Finally back on topic 
I find it quite heartening to see only 5-8% of people are for it. I think it would be an extremely dangerous move to use such technology that can very obviously be later mis-used to track people and so on - like the "boiling a frog" analogy with little steps and people would gradually accept it (the other uses I mean)
I think you'd find the increase amongst young people is because they think "yeah I so think like that's cool hey" but when they are a bit older they would realise the other issues associated with it, and would be against it.
Thus in another 20 yrs it will still be 5% adults and 8% teenager. I hope....
I'd be really interested to know why DipsyGrifter doesn't care?
