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WSJ: Citigroup is testing iris-scanning ATMs from Diebold
The Wall Street Journal reports that Citigroup Inc is testing a pair of newfangled ATM formats from Diebold that will scan customers' eyeballs with smart phones rather than require PINs. The first concept, dubbed "Irving", scans their irises instead of having them type in their personal ID number. Diebold estimates that the cash withdrawal process could be shortened to just 10 seconds with this method. The second concept, known as "Janus", is a double-sided ATM that also does away with the card reader. Instead, it can email or text receipts to the user.
Mike Tyson's Bitcoin ATM is now a thing
Whenever someone brings up Bitcoin, the first thing that comes to everyone's mind is an image of Mike Tyson. After all, cryptographic currencies beloved by investment wonks, libertarians and drug kingpins go hand-in-hand with the controversial former heavyweight champion of the world. That's why it's no surprise to see Motherboard reporting that Bitcoin Direct has launched "The Mike Tyson Bitcoin ATM" in Las Vegas. Apparently, it's just a regular Lamassu machine with the boxer's picture stuck on the front, that enables you to buy in to the cryptocurrency but crucially, not withdraw.
ICYMI: Password via voice recognition, drone delivery & more
#fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-271554{display:none;} .cke_show_borders #fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-271554, #postcontentcontainer #fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-271554{width:570px;display:block;} try{document.getElementById("fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-271554").style.display="none";}catch(e){}Today on In Case You Missed It: Customers at the Netherlands ING Bank can now check their account balance by saying "my voice is my password." A delivery company named Workhorse is testing out a parcel delivery service with drones, from a base at the tops of delivery vans. And Microsoft researchers have outlined how to record content viewable with HoloLens and a very odd assortment of characters are ready to entertain you.
Kenyan slums dispense clean drinking water through ATMs
In many parts of Kenya's capital of Nairobi, clean water is difficult to come by. That often means taking your chances with dysentery from an impure source, or pay through the nose from a "water vendor." But the BBC reports that thanks to a partnership between the African nation and Danish water company Grundfos, that's about to change. The Nairobi City Water and Sewerage company has just opened four ATM-like kiosks that will dispense 20 liters of potable water for just half a Kenya shilling (about half a US penny). That's 100 times less expensive than what vendors charge for the same amount. Residents simply have to swipe a smart card and put a jug under the spigot, and the access card balances can be refilled either at the kiosk itself or via mobile phone.
Doom comes to this ATM, courtesy Australian hackers
Fiscal convenience takes a backseat to murderous hellbeasts as hackers have added an Automated Teller Machine to the long, long list of devices capable of running id Software's classic first-person shooter Doom. It seems a team of Australian hackers dismantled the machine and modified its hardware to get Doom up and running with full (if awkward) controls through the standard ATM keypad. The footage above offers a lengthy walkthrough of the process, and even includes discussion of the group's future plans for this hack which include a functional number pad and adding inexplicable support for the ATM's receipt printer. As our pals at Engadget point out, this hack is relatively trivial given that the ATM already runs on Windows XP, but the effort here deserves no less praise. In our modern day and age, you can't really consider a computing device properly functional until someone's made it run Doom, so just think of this as necessary aftermarket quality assurance. [Image: Bethesda Softworks]
What you need to know about card skimming
"Skimming" is a blanket term used when referencing a crime where you take small amounts of money. It literally means to take cash off the top, as if money were the sweet cream floating atop a cauldron of lesser riches. Fifty years ago, skimming might have meant stealing a handful of dollars from your employer, or even millions in elaborate scams we've seen in countless Hollywood films. Today's skimming, however, employs tricks and hardware that are absurdly complex and yet sneaky enough to elude detection. Unless you know what to look for, of course. Today's world of skimming is high-tech, and it wants your credit card and banking info. Though we can't help you catch every conceivable method that crooks are using to try to rip you off, being armed with a bit of knowledge on the topic could save you major hassle down the road. No matter what you take away form this read, at a minimum you'll never look at an ATM or POS terminal the same way again.
Sure enough, you can play 'Doom' on an ATM
The quest to play Doom on just about everything won't be over any time soon, it seems. A team of Australians has torn open and modified an ATM to play id Software's classic first-person shooter using some of the bank machine's built-in controls. This isn't the hardest hack in the world -- ATMs like this run Windows XP, after all -- but it still required custom software and logic, including a circuit board that can remap buttons meant for deposits instead of demon slaying. What you see in the video below is just the start, too. The group already has the side buttons working for weapon selection, and it hopes to make the number pad usable. There's also talk of tweaking the game to use the receipt printer; if you wanted, you could have it spit out proof that you finished a tough level. The odds of getting the hardware to recreate this feat are sadly rather slim, but it's good to know that even your local ATM can handle some proper shoot-'em-up action.
Account-stealing bank machine skimmers are now virtually invisible
Bank machine skimmers, which swipe your account as you insert your card, have been getting increasingly harder to spot as the years go by; now, it looks like they're just about undetectable. Researchers at the European ATM Security Team have found skimmers that not only fit neatly into a card slot, but do a good job of hiding any other equipment they need to steal your info. One example (shown below) combined a virtually invisible skimmer with a cleverly hidden spy camera that recorded PIN code entries. Another disguised a system that captured card info through audio, and there are now translucent mini-scanners that even a keen eye might miss.
Thieves beware: future ATMs will spray foam that helps track stolen cash
ATM thieves are increasingly focused on digital heists, but many of these robbers still prefer old-fashioned currency. They may want to think twice about stealing cash in the future, though, as ETH Zurich has developed a chemical defense system that both deters theft and helps track ill-gotten goods. Based loosely on bombardier beetles, which produce acid to spray attackers, the technique creates a defensive surface on an object (say, a cash box) using film layers filled with hydrogen peroxide and manganese dioxide. Break the surface and you trigger a reaction that covers everything nearby in hot foam -- by itself, enough to ruin the day of any would-be purloiner.
Your bank will pay Microsoft to keep running its ATMs
Believe it or not, roughly 95 percent of ATMs in the world are still running Windows XP -- and that's about to become an expensive problem. Machine designer NCR says that only a third of banks will upgrade their ATMs to a newer OS before official XP support ends on April 8th, leaving many institutions little choice but to pay Microsoft for an extended contract if they still want support. At least some banks plan to update, but they're facing both technician backlogs and steep transition costs; estimates suggest the big UK firms might pay up to £60 million ($100 million) each to make the leap. Whether or not your bank joins the modern era, you shouldn't be surprised if you end up footing some of the bill. [Image credit: Martin Maciaszek, Flickr]
Wells Fargo offering text message receipts at its ATMs starting today
Forward-thinking financial institution Wells Fargo is offering its customers the choice of receiving a text message receipt -- in addition to its e-receipt and email options -- whenever you use one of the bank's ATMs. All that's required to take part in the environmentally friendly scheme is to attach your cellphone number to your account, either online, over the phone or at your local branch. The service is available starting today, and if you'd like to learn more, we've tucked the official release below the fold.
Cyberthieves yank $45 million in sophisticated ATM hack, make Ocean's Eleven look trivial
It has the makings of a film -- but the fallout from one of the world's most sophisticated ATM heists is very real. The New York Times is reporting that a massive team of criminals worked in concert in order to grab some $45 million in a matter of hours over the course of two operations. The sheer scope of the project is hard to wrap one's mind around, involving trained personnel positioned in over two dozen countries. Earlier today, federal prosecutors in Brooklyn "unsealed an indictment charging eight members of the New York crew, offering a glimpse into what the authorities said was one of the most sophisticated and effective cybercrime attacks ever uncovered." In essence, the hackers were able to infiltrate various credit card processing companies and raise withdrawal limits on prepaid accounts -- from there, cashing crews hit thousands of ATMs, socking away millions in the process. Hit up the source link for the full read; it's a wild one, for sure.
Bank of America brings live teller video chat to ATMs
If you're having trouble splitting those ATM deposits into both your savings and offshore accounts, Bank of America is there to help -- literally. Its new ATMs with Teller Assist add real-time video chat, letting you speak directly to an agent for more complex transactions. Starting this month in Boston, you'll be able to cash a check for the exact amount (including change) and select precise bill denominations for withdrawals, with functions like deposit splitting, cash back with deposit and credit card / loan payments rolling out later. The Teller Assist ATMs will run from 7 AM to 10 PM and hit locations across the rest of the US "throughout 2013." Beleaguered shift workers (or white collar criminals) can see more in the PR after the break.
Security researchers find new wafer-thin ATM card skimmers in use
ATM card skimming is hardly a new activity, and neither are card skimmers that continue to get smaller and more discreet. As Brian Krebs of the Krebs on Security blog reports, though, a new development out of Europe has now crossed a key, and potentially troublesome threshold. The European ATM Security Team (otherwise known as EAST) has discovered a new type of wafer-thin card skimmer in use in at least one unnamed European country that's small enough to fit directly in the ATM's card slot -- that's as opposed to most current skimmers that can be well-disguised but generally sit on top of the card slot. As you can imagine, that makes it considerably more difficult to spot for even the most attentive ATM users, but Krebs notes that the skimmer still requires a secondary device like a camera or keypad overlay to record a person entering their PIN.
Japanese biometric ATM reads your palm, tells fortune
A palm reading cash machine might not tell you your fortune, but it will, at least, dispense some of it. Ogaki Kyoritsu Bank in Japan has revealed that it will introduce the nation's first ATM that lets you withdraw money just by scanning your palm. This isn't the first ATM to use extra human verification, but it claims it's the first that functions without the need for your cash card. Customers will need to pop in to a branch to provide some manual verification -- and of course a palm scan -- then you're away. The bank hopes this will help people access their cash in the event of losing your card, or a natural disaster. Great until you upgrade to one of these.
Inhabitat's Week in Green: interview with Chevy, breakthrough LED light and spider silk violin strings
Each week our friends at Inhabitat recap the week's most interesting green developments and clean tech news for us -- it's the Week in Green. This week the Chevy Volt lit up the newswires after GM announced plans to temporarily halt its production -- Inhabitat brought you an interview with Chevy on the shutdown and explained why it doesn't foretell electric vehicle doomsday. We also showcased you the hottest new vehicles straight from the Geneva Motor Show -- including Infiniti's sexy Emerg-E sports car, Toyota's ultra-compact FT-Bh hybrid, and Nissan's Hi-Cross hybrid crossover. On the lighter side of things, this week a LEGO space shuttle soared into the stratosphere, we featured an insane Russian bicycle powered by a chainsaw, and DARPA's robotic cheetah broke a world land speed record. Groundbreaking green architecture projects reached for the sky as Tokyo's Sky Tree was crowned the world's second tallest building and the eVolo Skyscraper Competition unveiled its futuristic finalists -- including an energy-generating tower made entirely from trash, a spiraling water-storing spire for the Himalayas, and a spherical underwater skyscraper that recycles plastic pollution. New York City also made waves as Mayor Bloomberg called for a solid waste to energy facility, Terreform proposed plans for a self-sufficient NYC covered with vertical gardens, and a new cupcake ATM hit the streets of Manhattan.It was also a big week for consumer tech as Apple launched its brand new iPad -- however in the light of recent criticism over Apple's labor conditions we took a look at the human cost of Apple's products and we shared 5 things you should know before buying the iPad 3. Meanwhile, researchers at MIT developed a breakthrough LED light that exceeds 100 percent efficiency, and we brought you an inside look at 5 high-tech green data centers that serve the environment. Finally, scientists discovered several amazing new uses for spider silk by weaving it into violin strings that create superior symphonic sounds and insulation that conducts heat 800 times better than any other organic material.
EcoATM offers instant money for your old phone, we go hands-on at CTIA E&A 2011 (video)
Old-fashioned ATM meets modern-day phone recycling program. That's the idea behind EcoATM, a startup aimed to help reduce electronic waste and beef up your wallet at the same time. Of course, it's not a new concept: phone recycling programs have been around for a while now, helping you stay green by giving you some green. Trading in an old phone for the almighty dollar, however, typically involves filling out paperwork, printing labels, shipping the device to the facility and waiting for four weeks for a check. EcoATM's goal is to eliminate all of that in favor of a simple 5-minute process that ends with cash in-hand. The company has machines set up in popular shopping malls in various cities across the country, ready to help you part ways with your old device. Take a gander at a gallery and the full demonstration below. %Gallery-136313% Zachary Lutz contributed to this report.
Russian ATM uses voice analysis to tell when you're lying
Credit card applications via automated teller are all the rage abroad these days. That's why Russia's Sberbank is using Speech Technology Center's voice recognition system in its new ATM to tell when you fudge your financials to get approved. Like a polygraph, the technology senses involuntary stress cues to ferret out fib-filled statements -- only instead of using wired sensors, it listens to your angst-ridden voice. Designed using samples from Russian police interrogation recordings where subjects were found to be lying, the system is able to detect the changes in speech patterns when a person isn't telling the truth. Of course, it's not completely accurate, so the biometric voice data is combined with credit history and other info before the ATM can crush an applicant's credit dreams. And to assuage the public's privacy concerns, patrons' voice prints will be kept on chips in their credit cards instead of a bank database. So, we don't have to worry about hackers stealing our biometric info, but we're slightly concerned that we'll no longer be able to deceive our robot overlords should the need arise.
Criminals constructing ATM skimmers from DAPs
A recent article from Brian Krebs highlights a new trend in ATM skimmers: by using parts from cut-rate audio players and spy cams, criminals are able to construct something called an audio skimmer that records the data from the magnetic strip for later playback. Also included in the device is a miniature spy cam, which captures the user's PIN. The basic methodology behind the device is nothing new (for instance, it could be found in an issue of Phrack dating back to 1992) although the use of DAPs means that the whole thing is a lot more elegant than it was in the days of the portable cassette recorder. According to a recent report by the European ATM Security Team (EAST), devices of this type have been found in five countries, two of them "major ATM deployers" (with 40,000 active ATMs or more). Please guys, don't get any ideas. PR from EAST after the break.
Some Windows CE-based ATMs especially generous (and vulnerable to hackers)
Speaking at the Black Hat conference in Las Vegas, a fellow named Barnaby Jack (really!) used custom software to hack Windows CE-based ATMs on stage. After using an industry standard key to gain entry to the machines (apparently many ATM owners are too lazy to install new locks) Jack was able to load a rootkit on the device using a USB thumb drive. From that point, it was just a matter of running another program that caused all the cash therein to shoot out in a comical manner. The machines used in the presentation were manufactured by Trannax and Triton, both of which have have had a chance to send a security patch to customers prior to the demonstration. However, there are four different machines in common use that are still vulnerable. And no, he won't tell us which ones.
