The original post is two years old. By now the RFID chips are safe by today's standards. The chip can only be read if the card-reader hes a key which is created when the passport is swiped through the optical reader. Without swiping the passport you can't read it! It is actually easier to steal your passport and read the pages with your own eyes than trying to read from a distance with some kind of listening device.

Information like biometric data which can also be stored on the RFID chip can only be read when again the right key is calculated by the card reader and on top of this the reader has the right digital certificate to authorize itself. The encryption algorithm used by the RFID chip is safe by today's standards.

So there is no need for microwaves (I would not recommend this anyway because it will leave burn marks on your passport) or for a hammer.