BMW and NXP's prototype smart-key knows more about you than the NSA

Ok, we didn't see this one coming. Then again, our idea of a Sunday drive is taking a taxi uptown. So imagine our surprise to find that the people at NXP Semiconductor and BMW thought it was a good idea to integrate a car key with a contact-less payment system. The prototype key features NXP's SmartMX security chip -- the same chip at the heart of many of the world's e-passports -- making it possible to use the key to pay for fuel at the pump, tolls (after uh, switching off the engine in the toll lane), or at any number of places where flagrantly flaunting your BMW logo-adorned key could get you noticed. What piqued out interest, however, is the promise that such a key could hold your personal access rights to unlock, and then start the engine of your own car or that of a rental company's while automatically configuring the interior with all your custom in-vehicle settings such as radio presets, mirror and seat adjustments, etc. It would even authorize (and pay for) future on-line BMW services across the entire fleet of Bimmers you don't own, but might choose to outfit the family with if the smart key option was available. The prototype on display at the CARTES & IDentification show in Paris next week will likely closely resemble the image above... only without the transformer.

[Thanks Stop_Spam_ming, transformer image courtesy of Luis Duran]

[James @ Oct 22nd 2008 7:35AM]

Sounds great...

[j_g_puff @ Oct 22nd 2008 8:36AM]

no it doesnt...

For all the pies that NXP may have their fingers in, to me they'll always be "purveyors of notoriously hackable wireless wares".

[OneLove @ Oct 22nd 2008 11:15AM]

people who take taxis have money to burn.

[OneLove @ Oct 22nd 2008 11:16AM]

Thanks engadget for making my comments show up as soon as i post them. yeaaaaahhhhh!!!!

[Patriks7 @ Oct 22nd 2008 7:40AM]

" only without the transformer."
Why do they ruin it for us? :(

[meist3r @ Oct 22nd 2008 7:55AM]

Great now I can lose my key AND my identity at the same time ... awesome.

[maty @ Oct 22nd 2008 8:07AM]

My thoughts exactly. Someone steals your keys, goes on a shopping spree... grief.

[Andrew @ Oct 22nd 2008 9:35AM]

Kind of like if you lose your wallet? I don't understand how this is any more susceptible to human error in losing something than any other current system we have. Other than the whole RFID hacking of course, but I'm talking in regards to loss.

[meist3r @ Oct 22nd 2008 10:59AM]

@Andrew: To be honest a wallet, while being a great source of personal information, is far less useful than one of these integrated key systems. No one can drive my wallet across the country even when the "smart" portion of the key is revoked. And if someone is actually such a daredevil that they would try to use my personal information to gain access to anything useful they would necessarily leave traces. My ID is useless to them because the data doesn't match, credit card is blocked and thus useless, bank card won't work w/o PIN hence useless. A security chip that has built-in authentication is terrible in such a case because no one can actually verify that the person holding the key is actually the rightful owner. It says nothing about how the key would get blocked across the service points in case of loss. I wonder how many ID cross-checks your regular automated toll booth does in a week. Since you can't just order a replacement key for your car a case of loss also sounds like a very expensive thing to me replacing all the locks on the car and the security encryption etc.. Sure, finding the car that belongs to the key is a different issue but I would just assume that pick-pocketing in parking garages would go up slightly. My problem is the inherent insecurity of attaching purchase rights to a physical item. That's why I usually don't carry my credit card with me because that could also be used w/o my presence. Anything that allows for a transaction that isn't tied to the respective owner is a risk I'm not willing to take and neither should anyone else. I can see why those smart keys are useful for storing your settings and such but tying them to a pay system is ludicrous.

[OneLove @ Oct 22nd 2008 11:18AM]

Don't steal the car, steal the key and buy a car.

[Andrew @ Oct 22nd 2008 12:29PM]

I understand what you're saying, but certainly you can still cancel the accounts that the key links to. And even though your data doesn't match, when was the last time someone actually checked your ID for a purchase? I never sign my cards and they never ask. So while it may be technically less safe, it's really no different than the system we have in place.

Plus, if someone snuck a card out of your wallet, you may not notice for hours or days. If you lost a key, you'd notice it very quickly.

I see what you're saying, but I just don't see where it really is any less safe than what we have now.

[Testies, Testies, 1, 2... 3? @ Oct 22nd 2008 1:48PM]

I've misplaced my wallet a heck of a lot more than my keys... plus, who comes up behind you in a dark alley* and says "give me your keys!"

*Dark alley**, parking lot is a different story

**Why would someone who could afford this car be in a dark ally?

[UnixSystemsEngineer @ Oct 22nd 2008 2:04PM]

testies,

Are you really asking why someone who can afford a $35k car would be in a dark alley? You don't exactly need to be royalty to come up with that kind of scratch. Or you could lease. Or you could buy all of your cars used. If we were talking about a Bentley or something I could sorta vaguely understand where you're coming from, but who doesn't find themselves in a dark alley from time to time?

[Patriks7 @ Oct 22nd 2008 3:52PM]

"when was the last time someone actually checked your ID for a purchase?"
Wow what a big difference between the US and Europe.
Here in Europe in most places you have to show your ID every time you buy something with your card..
They especially enforce this in Spain..

[PynkFloydd @ Oct 22nd 2008 9:12PM]

@Testies, Testies, 1,2,3... ?:

In Chicago, there's a law, policy or a "cause Daley said so" restricting the use of public washrooms. ...something about public restrooms being the perfect place for homeless to shoot up a while back...if I remember correctly. The only place you can really umm...err...freely seek relief is in a Mickey D's or a dark alley. We're an equal opportunity city, we believe the homeless and rich alike should use the alley.

[Andrew @ Oct 22nd 2008 7:57AM]

As a note, you wouldn't have to turn off the car if you had Comfort Access and don't need the key in anything other than just your pocket to start the car. It would ding for a second that the key wasn't in the car when you reached it out the window, but it wouldn't turn off.

[Seminole @ Oct 22nd 2008 11:57AM]

Exactly. There is a guy over on E90 post who's girlfriend took his car with CA to work and got out of the car and forgot to turn it off. Long story short, it sat on in the parking lot for 8 hours straight.

[UnixSystemsEngineer @ Oct 22nd 2008 1:41PM]

Note to self, don't loan car to anyone without the sense to TURN IT OFF WHEN NOT IN USE.

In related news, how on earth could my key pre-set the seat and mirrors of my rental car when it's an absolute certainty that the rental car will have a completely different seat/mirror/control geometry to my own car?

Oh well, it's nice to see what my future car's owner is getting in exchange for that massive new-car depreciation hit...

[mrklaw @ Oct 22nd 2008 8:15AM]

my BMW already remembers my seat/mirror/radio settings/other preferences on my keys, so my wife and I can set it up differently and it adjusts when we unlock it.

They've done that for a while.

[Cory @ Oct 22nd 2008 8:37AM]

I believe that it means that the key will remember all of those things, but allow you to transfer them to cars other than your own, like a rental. I mean, my Mazda will remember and make all the adjustments based on which of its keys opens it too.

My biggest concern of course was already mentioned; having my keys stolen and losing both my car and my money.

[Cybergypsy @ Oct 22nd 2008 10:05AM]

Or leaving your key with service dept!

[Andrew @ Oct 22nd 2008 12:31PM]

Cybergypsy: Leaving the key shouldn't be too big a deal, just leave the actual key inside, not the keyfob. But that brings up an interesting question that I've never tested... Is the RFID in the key part of the keyfob part. I'll have to see if using the key without the keyfob gets personal settings sometime.

[Chris @ Oct 22nd 2008 8:16AM]

Whoa, so you can flash your keys at registers with Blink like a credit card?

[Rob @ Oct 22nd 2008 8:35AM]

At least use a modern BMW key. The pictured one is old.

Here is an example of the current key:
http://www.bmw.com/com/en/newvehicles/3series/sedan/2005/allfacts/_shared/img/equipment_carkey.jpg

[Cybergypsy @ Oct 22nd 2008 10:04AM]

Mine is as picture, the one on top is a very old key!

[Seminole @ Oct 22nd 2008 12:02PM]

The X3 and Z4 still use the key they have pictured.

[Runbuh @ Oct 22nd 2008 8:46AM]

You don't need to switch off the ignition to pay the toll - the keys use RFID! This would just be an extension of BMW's current "Comfort Access" feature (RFID-enabled keys), which allow you to just have the key somewhere inside the car to enable you to use the "Start" button to actually start/stop the engine.

[Darth Lord @ Oct 22nd 2008 8:54AM]

Why doesn't BMW focus on making cars? is that too much to ask for?

[EV0LUTION @ Oct 22nd 2008 9:45AM]

Its just a convenience, they already make great cars.

[absinthe party @ Oct 22nd 2008 9:52AM]

Is this some sort of joke I don't get, or did you blatantly rip this picture or queer font directly from Giz?

I'm not going over that way to check since it's no fun on that side of town, but fess up, Ricker.

[Cybergypsy @ Oct 22nd 2008 10:02AM]

My BMW key slides in the dash, this is the old key

[Andrew @ Oct 22nd 2008 10:05AM]

My BMW key stays in my pocket. Your key is old news!! Or rather, you just don't have CA.

[UnixSystemsEngineer @ Oct 22nd 2008 1:44PM]

My key is so high-tech that a mini LED flashlight turns on when I press the roundel.

You kids and your fancy remote-in-key and comfort access systems...

[Cybergypsy @ Oct 22nd 2008 10:11AM]

Have it but prefer to keep it in the dash :)

[mrklaw @ Oct 22nd 2008 10:39AM]

cory (I believe that it means that the key will remember all of those things, but allow you to transfer them to cars other than your own, like a rental.)

Pretty sure you can do that now if its a BMW. You take your key into service and they can download its settings and upload them to another key. Don't know if its compatible across models, but probably doable.


comfort access freaks me out - how do you know the car is locked when you walk away? You go back to check and its unlocked itself. I'd get OCD.

[Cory @ Oct 22nd 2008 12:30PM]

Let me rephrase:

I believe that it means that the key will remember all of those things, but allow you to transfer them automatically, without any special procedures or equipment, to cars other than your own, like a rental.

The information would be read directly from your key by any car with the system. It wouldn't allow you to unlock or start the car (you'd need the car's own key for that), but you wouldn't have to make any adjustments.

[grog @ Oct 22nd 2008 1:48PM]

"comfort access freaks me out - how do you know the car is locked when you walk away? You go back to check and its unlocked itself. I'd get OCD."

Comfort Access doesn't work like that. It doesn't just automagically unlock the car when you're nearby. You have to actually place your hand in the door handle and it will then unlock the door. To lock the door you just touch the outside of the door handle (or you can press the lock button on the key and lock it the "normal" way).

[tundraboy @ Oct 22nd 2008 10:45AM]

What a stupid idea.

[Milt @ Oct 22nd 2008 1:31PM]

Is that a photoshop-ed bumble-bee? If not, tell me where I can get one!

[Dan @ Oct 22nd 2008 12:28PM]

Current BMW Mini Cooper keys have attributes similar to this. It's one of my favorite things about the car. The key is a circular that slips into a slot and holds a running log about the cars diagnostics and things of that nature.

Here is a picture I took of it: http://www.flickr.com/photos/47327236@N00/2636825335/

[Valicore @ Oct 22nd 2008 12:31PM]

Oh that'll be fun. I can just see some dumb ass shaking his keys and the credit card thing at the store. "I'd like to pay with the key to my BMW, mmhmm, thank you"

[Jona SC @ Oct 22nd 2008 1:40PM]

You wouldn't have to turn off your engine at the toll since most cars nowadays have keys that dont need to be inserted into the ignition, in fact, they are less like a key and more like a thick piece of plastic. Just my sitting in the car with that key in your pocket, you press the on button and the engine will start. very smart! It also holds all information about your driving preferences like mirror, seat, steering wheel positioning and even favorite radio stations so that when someone else (say, your spouse) drives the car with their key, they will automatically have all of their preferences done!

[Testies, Testies, 1, 2... 3? @ Oct 22nd 2008 1:45PM]

allislowranked

[dreamdrivedrift @ Oct 22nd 2008 4:47PM]

dude that's OSS's photoshop. do you guys have permission to use that photo?

[Mauritz @ Oct 22nd 2008 4:59PM]

Just for the record you don't need to turn off your engine to wave the key out the window. BMW as well as most other modern cars have keyless start and stop of the engine. You just have to wear the key to run the car.

[BBQPWN @ Oct 22nd 2008 6:32PM]

When did Bumblebee become a BMW?????

[e46f @ Oct 23rd 2008 2:49PM]

damn thieves.. at least give credit to where the picture came from

http://forum.e46fanatics.com/showthread.php?t=489023

[Loban @ Oct 23rd 2008 11:05AM]

"while automatically configuring the interior with all your custom in-vehicle settings such as radio presets, mirror and seat adjustments, etc."

Just FYI, keys for BMWs and Mercedes and just about every other manufacturer these days already do this.