Video: Samsung's e-passport turns your head into a rotating government specimen

Samsung (and your local government) hasn't been shy with its plans for electrifying passports. Yet we still haven't seen video of its e-passport with flexible OLED display in action, 'till now. The 2-inch, 240x320 AMOLED displays a disembodied, rotating head in 260k colors and 10k:1 contrast when activated by an RF source reader. No details were provided as to when these might enter production but we have the icky feeling it'll be sooner than we want.

[Via OLED-Info]

[James[Ckeboss] @ Jun 19th 2009 5:31AM]

Can't wait for someone to hack these.

[YoYoYo @ Jun 19th 2009 7:08AM]

My thoughts exactly. I wonder how long it'll take for someone to insert Fight Club-style subliminal frames in the video/image sequence.

[ArcticFox @ Jun 19th 2009 5:31AM]

Two weeks

TWwwWWwowoooOOOoo WWEEeeEEks

Get ready for a surprise!

[Jeff @ Jun 19th 2009 10:46AM]

are you bringing any fruits or vegetables on your trip?

[Col. Readily Apparent Upon Cursory Inspection @ Jun 19th 2009 10:41AM]

Hey man, I got five kids to feed!

[Joe @ Jun 19th 2009 5:52PM]

Get your ass to Maass. Get your ass to Maass.

[Chrisboff @ Jun 19th 2009 5:38AM]

Oh dear, imagine the irritation of photobooths multiplied by the amount of photos of your head it'll have to take, whilst you remain perfectly still, to get a 3d picture.

"Now make sure your head is aligned in the 24 crosshairs"

[superhobo @ Jun 19th 2009 6:26AM]

Ever heard of video?

[Chrisboff @ Jun 19th 2009 6:40AM]

Apparently not :S

Though the video camera would still have to pan around your head.

[Maxwell Ash @ Jun 19th 2009 7:08AM]

Or, alternatively, multiple cameras, matrix style.

[BananaBoat @ Jun 19th 2009 8:53AM]

Superhobo...thank you...I needed the laugh, and you delivered good sir.

[patriotsn1 @ Jun 19th 2009 5:39AM]

a passport already costs $99... how much is this gonna cost? so fucking unnecessary.

[barry99705 @ Jun 19th 2009 8:03AM]

But it will make us SAFER!!!! Just as soon as the governments herds us all together in a big padded room,

[Col. Readily Apparent Upon Cursory Inspection @ Jun 19th 2009 10:43AM]

They already stuck in the smart chips like they have on the DoD IDs. This does seem a little unnecessary. It really sounds like someone in charge watches to many damn movies

[DWells55 @ Jun 20th 2009 4:20AM]

Making sure the back of your head matches up with the photo is totally necessary. After all, if someone has managed to duplicate your appearance to the point of a still photo not being good enough, the back of their head will be a dead giveaway.

[cezanner @ Jun 19th 2009 5:47AM]

LOL! Total Recall I love that movie!

[craig samborski @ Jun 19th 2009 6:50PM]

Blade Runner

[robert @ Jun 19th 2009 5:47AM]

do they seriously need to see the back of your head to make sure its you??

[GB @ Jun 19th 2009 5:51AM]

Yeah, sure. Imagine someone is hiding another face at the back of the head...

[zomg0t @ Jun 19th 2009 6:03AM]

Professor Quirrell

[GB @ Jun 19th 2009 6:30AM]

Haha, that came to my mind too. =)

[ED @ Jun 19th 2009 7:58AM]

that two faced guy on Sanctuary whose name I am unaware of!

yeah, that sounded kinda flat.

[jack1701 @ Jun 19th 2009 8:14AM]

Agent 47 needs to grow some hair now

[molecule-eye @ Jun 19th 2009 8:44AM]

It gives a front and side profiles too, you idiot.

[Down @ Jun 19th 2009 5:50AM]

That screen is 2 inches? Wow, that card must be huge!

[pablito @ Jun 19th 2009 5:56AM]

I would recommend not to leave it in your jeans when you wash them

[haozaichen @ Jun 20th 2009 12:00AM]

i agree pablito!

[hzaic @ Jun 19th 2009 6:08AM]

i agree Down.

[miko34 @ Jun 19th 2009 6:12AM]

That's all fine and good ... but can it play "Crysis" ???

[birthday is 1990 @ Jun 19th 2009 10:21AM]

It's a screen.

And you're an idiot.

[miko34 @ Jun 19th 2009 1:58PM]

Oh, it is? Ohhhhhhhhhh....
Thanks for explaining it, buddy.




It's a shame children don't understand humor nowadays.
They watch too many episodes of Jon and Kate.

[Ahmed Alzayani @ Jun 19th 2009 2:49PM]

No ... it's e-passport Smartcard with screen , there is CPU,RAM,and I/O .... by definition that is a computer .... and it can play "Crysis" @ QQQVGA @ 0.1 FPS :)

[DWells55 @ Jun 19th 2009 3:44PM]

We understand humor, but spitting out phrases like "Can it play Crysis?" that were tired over a year ago is not "humor." In fact, it makes you an annoying douchebag.

[miko34 @ Jun 19th 2009 4:10PM]

@wells ... so you admit to watching Jon and Kate.

I suppose "Crysis 2" would've been more current, but who gives a sh#t.
Now, go watch your two and a half men.

[fender7083 @ Jun 19th 2009 9:46PM]

I like Jon and Kate plus 8!

[DWells55 @ Jun 20th 2009 4:18AM]

I wasn't aware not denying an irrelevant comment equated to an admission of guilt. The only television show I'm following right now is Weeds, and will be watching Entourage once it starts.

Regardless of how current the game you name is, it's still an overused "joke" that wasn't funny to begin with. ZOMGWTF CRYSIS REQUIREMENTS R SO HI LOLOLOL U NEED OVER 9000 CORES - we get it.

[miko34 @ Jun 20th 2009 1:30PM]

Wow.

You're still going back and replying to this thread?
At least I get an email to replies.


Wow ... simply wow.

[pablito @ Jun 19th 2009 6:35AM]

Should I update the firmware if I change my hairdress? dammit, this is a tragedy

[Canis_Minor @ Jun 19th 2009 7:00AM]

"the icky feeling it'll be sooner than we want" Why the concern about these?
I really fail to understand why folks want to be untraceable and don't want advanced IDs, yet those same folks will happily sign up for multiple credit cards, store cards, "locate" functions on their cellphones and post their entire lives on line on Facebook and blogs. Really? And you worry about a government ID?

As a frequent travel, I am often carrying multiple documents. I have three driver licenses (Illinois, UK and South Africa). I have two passports (UK and South Africa). I have a greencard. At any given time I am abroad I have at least 2 of the licenses, one of passports and the greencard.

If I can replace at least the greencard, a license and a passport with one electronic card - wow! They can track me all the want. Doesn't matter, since I'm already trackable from my cellphone, credit cards and existing passports.

[Wwhat @ Jun 19th 2009 8:07AM]

I wonder what your profession is. slavetrader? Diamondsalesperson? Weaponssales?

[molecule-eye @ Jun 19th 2009 8:51AM]

@wwhat: I wonder what your existence is: worthless, hilarious, a divine joke?

[Wwhat @ Jun 19th 2009 9:05AM]

I do NOT wonder about you molecule-eye, nor does anybody else.

[Benoit Cerrina @ Jun 19th 2009 10:57AM]

In the last 5 years I already had to have my passport changed twice due to new requirements to travel to the US. Personally I am not looking forward to this. I don't have a problem with having my head shown in 6D on the passport if they want but I am tired to have to have one redone regularly. In addition at least in France it used to be something which could be done in a day, now it takes week to get one of the new passports, this would be even worse.

So to answer your question, I don't think it is a problem of advanced ids, it is a problem of inconvenience and price to me.

[Col. Readily Apparent Upon Cursory Inspection @ Jun 19th 2009 10:46AM]

Wow, great comeback.

[Wwhat @ Jun 19th 2009 11:00AM]

I think it is actually, I'm not interested in his attacks on my jocular curiosity about a guy with a british and SA passport and illinois driver license and who has a green card for working in the US (I assume since they use the term green card) and has 500 documents and licenses it seems.

That stuff makes you wonder.

He's right incidentally that carrying a cellphone and using a CC and having a facebook is pretty much exposing yourself, but I'd like to point out you can buy pre-paid everywhere, and you can buy pre-paid CC's too in the US, and you can lie your ass off on facebook and post pictures that are fake or edited.
Although perhaps the percentage of people that do actually expose everything for real is a high enough to warrant a cynical raise of the eyebrow.

[Miguel Sanchez @ Jun 19th 2009 7:13AM]

^^ This is the guy you want to be mugging

[Julio @ Jun 19th 2009 7:36AM]

Am I the only one, or does that "woman" in the picture have a tremendous adam's apple?

[rony @ Jun 19th 2009 8:31AM]

lack of iodine is the culprit.......

[Wwhat @ Jun 19th 2009 9:06AM]

Iodine my foot, that's just a dragqueen.

[pablito @ Jun 19th 2009 9:14AM]

What woman?