Interesting thread- interesting comments.
Remember- technology can be used for good or for evil. There are many examples of technology that is out there that the anti-christ will make full use of [e.g, live monitoring of movement -car tracking tech; communications- your landline/ mobile is registered in your name, so it will be easy to track who you called, when and the content of the conversation. So we could go on about the technology that's in place.
A note to take from there is that all these technologies can be easily linked to collate any and every detail about you so that your every move is controlled, every statement is monitored etc [at least I work for a telco and understand how easy it is to make technology do what you want it to do for you.
So the anti-christ will be a powerful someone who will have the support of people from all spheres of the economy and he will virtually be in control of all these technologies to do whatever he wants.
[If you're shaking, no need to be if you're a true believer- all you need to make sure is that you live a pure life- crucified with Christ so that before the anti-christ takes over, you are taken up with all the other faithful believers

There are 3 primary things that the anti-christ needs in order to come and express his wrath upon the inhabitants of the earth who remain behind:
1)
One / united religion [we are seeing the tendency towards this more and more- with all these meetings of religious leaders from various groups...];
2)
A one world economy/ currency [We have already seen the euro come in, Gadhaffi tried to propose a 1 state Africa [United States of Africa- USA

....This would use one currency.
It is also very clear for those who follow economic trends closely that the US $ is not as invincible as most had thought until 2008...the bankrupcy of Greece and many other economic trends- it is very clear that we are tending torwards a one world economy/ currency];
3) The technology is already there for the anti-christ to take over, the only thing left is for God's Spirit to leave man [God says that His Spirit will not always strive with man...we saw Him get tired of man during the days of Noah- and we all know the results. In the New Testament we are instructed to remember the days of Noah- and something similar will happen before we know it.
I know I have already hijacked a thread, but it wasn't the intention- but the details are there for us all over the bible- even Rev.13 which specifically mentions the mark of the beast..