For a lot of travelers, stealing hotel towels or bathrobes is more pastime than petty crime. Hotels, having said that, apparently take it more seriously. So seriously, in actual fact, that some have begun embedding specially crafted RFID tags within their linens, simply to help us avoid “accidentally” stuffing them in our suitcases before heading to the check-out desk. The chips, designed by Miami-based Linen Technology Tracking, will likely be sewn directly into towels, bathrobes or bed sheets, and might reportedly withstand as much as 300 wash cycles. If a tagged item ever leaves a hotel’s premises, the RFID chip will trip an alarm in an effort to instantly alert the employees, and comprehensively humiliate the guilty party. The system has already paid dividends for one Honolulu hotel, which claims to have saved about $15,000 worth of linens since adopting the system last summer. But small-time crooks needn’t get too paranoid. As well as the hotel in Hawaii, only two other establishments have begun tagging their towels — one in Manhattan, and one in Miami. All three, however, have chosen to stay anonymous, so swipe at your individual (minimal) risk.
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