Conspiracy-minded types can thank Hitachi for something new to worry about – RFID chips so small you'll never know they're there.

The electronics conglomerate recently showed a prototype of an RFID chip measuring a .05 millimeters square and 5 microns thick, about the size of a grain of sand. They expect to have 'em on the market in two or three years.

The chips are packed with 128 bits of static memory, enough to hold a 38-digit ID number.

The size make the new chips ideal for embedding in paper, where they could verify the legitimacy of currency or event tickets. Implantation under the skin would be trivial, allowing you to easily swap info with yourwalls or colon. Beyond that, let your fevered imagination wander.

We, for example, are reminded of the mysterious "Dust" that pervades Philip Pullmans "His Dark Materials" novels.

Hitachi develops RFID powder[Pink Tentacle]