http://www.engadget.com/2007/12/28/arizona-new-york-washington-and-vermont-all-pledge-to-beef-up/ Engadget Comments for Arizona, New York, Washington, and Vermont all pledge to beef up ID security http://www.engadget.com/media/feedlogo.gif http://www.engadget.com en-us Copyright 2012 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/http://www.engadget.com/2007/12/28/arizona-new-york-washington-and-vermont-all-pledge-to-beef-up/http://www.engadget.com/2007/12/28/arizona-new-york-washington-and-vermont-all-pledge-to-beef-up/Dec 28th 2007 8:12PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/12/28/arizona-new-york-washington-and-vermont-all-pledge-to-beef-up/http://www.engadget.com/2007/12/28/arizona-new-york-washington-and-vermont-all-pledge-to-beef-up/Dec 29th 2007 3:57PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/12/28/arizona-new-york-washington-and-vermont-all-pledge-to-beef-up/http://www.engadget.com/2007/12/28/arizona-new-york-washington-and-vermont-all-pledge-to-beef-up/Dec 28th 2007 9:04PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/12/28/arizona-new-york-washington-and-vermont-all-pledge-to-beef-up/http://www.engadget.com/2007/12/28/arizona-new-york-washington-and-vermont-all-pledge-to-beef-up/
And hey in case everybody forgot... The 911 hijackers didn't come from Mexico, they came from Canada, which is much easier to do.]]>Dec 28th 2007 8:43PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/12/28/arizona-new-york-washington-and-vermont-all-pledge-to-beef-up/http://www.engadget.com/2007/12/28/arizona-new-york-washington-and-vermont-all-pledge-to-beef-up/]]>Dec 28th 2007 9:14PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/12/28/arizona-new-york-washington-and-vermont-all-pledge-to-beef-up/http://www.engadget.com/2007/12/28/arizona-new-york-washington-and-vermont-all-pledge-to-beef-up/Dec 29th 2007 6:17AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/12/28/arizona-new-york-washington-and-vermont-all-pledge-to-beef-up/http://www.engadget.com/2007/12/28/arizona-new-york-washington-and-vermont-all-pledge-to-beef-up/Dec 28th 2007 8:49PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/12/28/arizona-new-york-washington-and-vermont-all-pledge-to-beef-up/http://www.engadget.com/2007/12/28/arizona-new-york-washington-and-vermont-all-pledge-to-beef-up/Dec 29th 2007 1:46AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/12/28/arizona-new-york-washington-and-vermont-all-pledge-to-beef-up/http://www.engadget.com/2007/12/28/arizona-new-york-washington-and-vermont-all-pledge-to-beef-up/Dec 28th 2007 8:49PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/12/28/arizona-new-york-washington-and-vermont-all-pledge-to-beef-up/http://www.engadget.com/2007/12/28/arizona-new-york-washington-and-vermont-all-pledge-to-beef-up/I'm not sure how RFID works, but wouldn't that "switch" aka burn it off? Anyone is here more knowledgeable than I am?]]>Dec 28th 2007 8:59PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/12/28/arizona-new-york-washington-and-vermont-all-pledge-to-beef-up/http://www.engadget.com/2007/12/28/arizona-new-york-washington-and-vermont-all-pledge-to-beef-up/Also people that experimented on passports say a good whack with a hammer on the chip works cleanly in disabling it.

]]>Dec 28th 2007 9:16PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/12/28/arizona-new-york-washington-and-vermont-all-pledge-to-beef-up/http://www.engadget.com/2007/12/28/arizona-new-york-washington-and-vermont-all-pledge-to-beef-up/
When I have to get a new passport I'll be getting a rfid blocking case for that as well. ]]>Dec 28th 2007 9:22PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/12/28/arizona-new-york-washington-and-vermont-all-pledge-to-beef-up/http://www.engadget.com/2007/12/28/arizona-new-york-washington-and-vermont-all-pledge-to-beef-up/
Part III of the movie discusses this. I'm not saying the movie is accurate, but it certainly makes you think!

I don't mean to spam the URL of this movie, but I think people here will enjoy it.]]>Dec 28th 2007 9:01PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/12/28/arizona-new-york-washington-and-vermont-all-pledge-to-beef-up/http://www.engadget.com/2007/12/28/arizona-new-york-washington-and-vermont-all-pledge-to-beef-up/Dec 28th 2007 9:05PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/12/28/arizona-new-york-washington-and-vermont-all-pledge-to-beef-up/http://www.engadget.com/2007/12/28/arizona-new-york-washington-and-vermont-all-pledge-to-beef-up/
This is all about convenience for their citizens and not some government conspiracy. The objection the states had to the Real ID provision was the fact that it was (yet another) unfunded federal mandate. They would have been fine with it had DC offered to pay for it. The Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative is a separate issue entirely, and states are using this driver's license change as a means to support local business that rely on border crossings to make money.

Now if Nebraska does the same you might have an argument. But not with these border states.]]>Dec 28th 2007 9:07PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/12/28/arizona-new-york-washington-and-vermont-all-pledge-to-beef-up/http://www.engadget.com/2007/12/28/arizona-new-york-washington-and-vermont-all-pledge-to-beef-up/Why can't people understand it's all done for the people? geez eh.

]]>Dec 28th 2007 9:17PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/12/28/arizona-new-york-washington-and-vermont-all-pledge-to-beef-up/http://www.engadget.com/2007/12/28/arizona-new-york-washington-and-vermont-all-pledge-to-beef-up/Dec 28th 2007 9:20PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/12/28/arizona-new-york-washington-and-vermont-all-pledge-to-beef-up/http://www.engadget.com/2007/12/28/arizona-new-york-washington-and-vermont-all-pledge-to-beef-up/Dec 28th 2007 10:05PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/12/28/arizona-new-york-washington-and-vermont-all-pledge-to-beef-up/http://www.engadget.com/2007/12/28/arizona-new-york-washington-and-vermont-all-pledge-to-beef-up/And they would have gotten passports, including chips as complex as you can think of if they had been available then.

In fact some of them went to a flightschool in holland and they said "well yeah you can learn to fly here but it's cheaper to take flying lessons in the US" so off they went to the US, so I'm guessing they came from holland then huh?

]]>Dec 29th 2007 10:36AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/12/28/arizona-new-york-washington-and-vermont-all-pledge-to-beef-up/http://www.engadget.com/2007/12/28/arizona-new-york-washington-and-vermont-all-pledge-to-beef-up/
Where I come from our state government is still trying to figure out how to issue licenses to the undocumented. If you can't prove who you are then why should a government agency certify anything?

Should these states even be in the quasi-passport business? Are they planning to secede?]]>Dec 28th 2007 9:21PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/12/28/arizona-new-york-washington-and-vermont-all-pledge-to-beef-up/http://www.engadget.com/2007/12/28/arizona-new-york-washington-and-vermont-all-pledge-to-beef-up/Dec 28th 2007 9:33PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/12/28/arizona-new-york-washington-and-vermont-all-pledge-to-beef-up/http://www.engadget.com/2007/12/28/arizona-new-york-washington-and-vermont-all-pledge-to-beef-up/
There's nothing here about tracking. The RFID chip is to make sure that the license isn't altered. Presumably you can counterfeit the license info--height, weight, even the picture--but not the information contained on the chip. If the data on the license doesn't match the data on the chip, something is amiss. This would be a clear signal to border and immigration/customs agents.

Perhaps you should also note that all current US passports come with an RFID chip, presumably for the same reason. The range on these things can be measured in feet. It's unlikely they'd be useful for tracking you. If you're worried about this sort of thing go buy yourself an RFID-shielded wallet. They're available all over the internet.]]>Dec 28th 2007 9:43PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/12/28/arizona-new-york-washington-and-vermont-all-pledge-to-beef-up/http://www.engadget.com/2007/12/28/arizona-new-york-washington-and-vermont-all-pledge-to-beef-up/Dec 28th 2007 10:35PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/12/28/arizona-new-york-washington-and-vermont-all-pledge-to-beef-up/http://www.engadget.com/2007/12/28/arizona-new-york-washington-and-vermont-all-pledge-to-beef-up/Dec 28th 2007 11:08PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/12/28/arizona-new-york-washington-and-vermont-all-pledge-to-beef-up/http://www.engadget.com/2007/12/28/arizona-new-york-washington-and-vermont-all-pledge-to-beef-up/
Maybe sone KILLER Hawaiians will come get us! Or some Atlantians! OooooH, so scared!]]>Dec 28th 2007 10:34PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/12/28/arizona-new-york-washington-and-vermont-all-pledge-to-beef-up/http://www.engadget.com/2007/12/28/arizona-new-york-washington-and-vermont-all-pledge-to-beef-up/
New York and Washington are useless states? really? You know, it would be hard to defend the South or most of the fly-over states (no offense), but you, sir, are either completely delusional or monumentally ignorant.]]>Dec 29th 2007 12:42AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/12/28/arizona-new-york-washington-and-vermont-all-pledge-to-beef-up/http://www.engadget.com/2007/12/28/arizona-new-york-washington-and-vermont-all-pledge-to-beef-up/Dec 29th 2007 1:26AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/12/28/arizona-new-york-washington-and-vermont-all-pledge-to-beef-up/http://www.engadget.com/2007/12/28/arizona-new-york-washington-and-vermont-all-pledge-to-beef-up/Dec 28th 2007 10:52PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/12/28/arizona-new-york-washington-and-vermont-all-pledge-to-beef-up/http://www.engadget.com/2007/12/28/arizona-new-york-washington-and-vermont-all-pledge-to-beef-up/
My folks recently got caught up in the mess of the push to the pretty Grand Canyon pictures on their license (they still had the aforementioned "janky laminated driver's license we got in college" type). They weren't happy to find out the licenses they were told would last them until they were 65 weren't valid anymore. They had to sit at the MVD for hours just before their flight. I don't blame them; having to deal with TWO incompetent gov't. agencies in a day would drive most anyone mad...]]>Dec 28th 2007 11:40PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/12/28/arizona-new-york-washington-and-vermont-all-pledge-to-beef-up/http://www.engadget.com/2007/12/28/arizona-new-york-washington-and-vermont-all-pledge-to-beef-up/Dec 28th 2007 11:29PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/12/28/arizona-new-york-washington-and-vermont-all-pledge-to-beef-up/http://www.engadget.com/2007/12/28/arizona-new-york-washington-and-vermont-all-pledge-to-beef-up/Dec 29th 2007 12:00AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/12/28/arizona-new-york-washington-and-vermont-all-pledge-to-beef-up/http://www.engadget.com/2007/12/28/arizona-new-york-washington-and-vermont-all-pledge-to-beef-up/Dec 29th 2007 12:26AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/12/28/arizona-new-york-washington-and-vermont-all-pledge-to-beef-up/http://www.engadget.com/2007/12/28/arizona-new-york-washington-and-vermont-all-pledge-to-beef-up/
anything can be hacked. Only a matter of time before someone can wirelessly zap your vital info just by passing by you. My guess is frying/breaking/foiling cards will be popular.]]>Dec 29th 2007 12:33AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/12/28/arizona-new-york-washington-and-vermont-all-pledge-to-beef-up/http://www.engadget.com/2007/12/28/arizona-new-york-washington-and-vermont-all-pledge-to-beef-up/
As for perpetual FUD regarding the supposed amazing tracking ability of RFID in the wild... RFID can only track tags where there are readers in near range (approx 30 ft for UHF, what we're talking about here) and you have a relatively controlled RF environment so you can minimize the chance of interference. At $1,000 - $2,000 per reader (plus expense for Antennas, cabling, and infrastructure), you'd be talking about a MASSIVE expense to try to track people wherever they go across the united states with readers that only have 30 ft range (less than WiFi !!!).

Plus, RFID has already been at the borders for years now... Frequent Traveler programs (voluntary enrollment) like NEXUS, SENTRI, and FAST (google them + the term "CBP" to find more info) all use RFID, and by doing so, wait times are decreased for enrollees by a significant amount. For instance, typical San Ysidro rush hour wait can be 2-2.5 hours. SENTRI wait = 15 minutes.]]>Dec 29th 2007 12:55AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/12/28/arizona-new-york-washington-and-vermont-all-pledge-to-beef-up/http://www.engadget.com/2007/12/28/arizona-new-york-washington-and-vermont-all-pledge-to-beef-up/Dec 29th 2007 1:16AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/12/28/arizona-new-york-washington-and-vermont-all-pledge-to-beef-up/http://www.engadget.com/2007/12/28/arizona-new-york-washington-and-vermont-all-pledge-to-beef-up/http://www.leftlanenews.com/four-states-to-use-rfid-chips-in-drivers-licenses.html]]>Dec 29th 2007 9:34PM