RFID Sorts Your Socks?

Do you have an iPhone and $189 to spare? Then you might want to consider getting some Smarter Socks.

A little background information is in order. In 1999, a Swiss company called Blacksocks began selling high quality dress socks to men with little time but plenty of disposable cash.

But they didn't sell the socks just one pair at a time. The buyers received what the company calls a sockscription.

When you place an order, you receive three pair of black socks. Four months later another three pair arrive. And after eight months, another three.

As your socks start to fade, you don't need to worry. Another pair is always on the way.

But what does this have to do with automatic identification?

The owner of the company, Samy Liechti, realized that after socks arrived at a recipients home, anything could happen. Socks could easily become mismatched, defeating Blacksocks' goal of helping men put on a great looking pair of socks every morning.

So he created Smarter Socks. Using high-frequency RFID tags sewn onto each sock, and an RFID reader along with an Apple iPhone, no sock would ever lose its mate. (The tags can withstand temperatures up to 392 degrees Fahrenheit.)

And even better, the iPhone app also has a feature called a blackometer. That means you can always check the blackness of your socks, and discard them when they become too faded.

Anyone game to try the service and report back? We'd love to have your feedback.