Every so often, a gizmo crosses our path that truly makes us question the thought process of its creator(s). This particular Friday, that gizmo is the Blinger. This so-called "portable ATM" apparently enables users to whip out an oversized, one-trick-pony of a device and instantly send cash for wares, check your current level of fundage, calculate currency conversions and wonder why on earth they haven't invented this thing called "online banking." Oh, wait.

[Via InventorSpot]

Chances are, you had forgotten all about Sony and NXP's little initiative to cooperate on a NFC (near-field communications) standard, but the two seem to have finally worked out all the kinks and are ready to move forward. The joint venture, dubbed Moversa, will seek to "drive global adoption of contactless smart card applications in mobile phones," and it's already planning to develop, produce and market a Universal Secure Access Module (U-SAM) that "incorporates both MIFARE and FeliCa operating systems and applications." Essentially, the duo is hoping to accelerate the adoption of integrated contactless support, which would enable users to make payments (among other things) easily via their handset. If you're curious about availability, we're hearing that samples should be shipped out in mid-2008, but commercial deployments aren't scheduled to happen until the end of next year.

[Via Yahoo / Reuters]

Just when you thought those Nigerian scammers were simply running out of avenues to coerce you into cashing some counterfeit check for $4.98 billion, along comes this. Western Union is apparently buddying up with 35 or so cellphone operators to "develop a system that would allow consumers to transfer money from country to country via their mobile phones." Reportedly, the outfit has successfully tested the service in a number of US cities, and if everything goes as planned, it could launch in Q2 of 2008. Notably, it still sounds like an actual human will be a part of the process, as the system will purportedly "connect the user to a company operator to complete the transaction." Quite frankly, we appreciate the convenience of such a service, but don't you go falling for any sappy stories of long-lost cousins needing your help to funnel in millions as you ride to work, alright?

As if receiving $200 million from SK Telecom and EarthLink back in July wasn't enough, Helio is now set to accept (up to) a $270 million check from SK Telecom. According to EarthLink, SK Telecom will "invest up to $270 million in Helio," and as expected, EarthLink was "very pleased" with the decision -- you know, considering that it won't be forced to cough up any more dough at the moment while still maintaining "substantial ownership interest in Helio's future." Most interesting, however, is the tidbit that mentions the parents' plans, as EarthLink and SK Telecom are reportedly "in discussions to amend their existing agreements to reflect the additional investment by SK Telecom and their future governance of Helio." Gotta pay to play, we suppose.

We've seen a number of somewhat innocent (and equally wily) hacks that save the little man a dime or two, but never quite so literally as this one. CoinStar machines -- best known for charging a whopping nine percent or so for the convenience of counting our coins for us -- have apparently been outsmarted, making the green machine convert your coins to dollars gratis (without going through the process of getting a gift card). Hit the read link to find out more.

[Thanks, Joe]

Update: Upon reflection, we probably shouldn't go into the gory details of how its done -- but it's nothing so mind-blowing (except for its potential illegality -- you wouldn't tamper with an ATM, would you? This ain't much different.). Or you can, you know, do the right thing and just take an Amazon gift cert and not have to live a look-over-your-shoulder kind of lifestyle.

Considering all the companies that have already (or almost) jumped on the cashless bandwagon, it follows logic that another duo of Japanese firms are bringing their own biometric payment system to the forefront. Reportedly, Hitachi and JCB Co. Ltd. are working hand in hand (ahem) to develop a system that would "identify the veins on a person's finger" in order to sync with their credit card or bank data and complete a purchase. As expected, the companies are pushing their creation as a safer and more reliable method of paying for items, and while there's no telling how quickly customers are apt to implement said technology, Hitachi has reportedly stated that it would "launch an experiment in September involving 200 of its employees to see if it is commercially viable to introduce the system in shops, banks and other businesses."

With all the chicanery that's been going on with ATMs of late, it looks like the machines are finally getting back at the humans. In a move that's already confusing creatures of habit, envelope-free ATMs are starting to pop up in highly-trafficked areas, and as the name implies, they require that your deposits not be stuffed into an envelope beforehand. Diebold, NCR, and, Wincor Nixdorf (among others) are beginning to roll out these newfangled machines, which cost some 20-percent more than typical ATMs and sport specialized scanners that can detect how much cash you're actually inserting as you slide your check / bills into its theoretical mouth. The biggest boon here is the drop in processing costs to banks, while customers are likely to be pleased with instant receipts and nearly-instant access to the fundage. 'Course, we're just counting down the days until yet another ATM trickster figures out how to convert a Hershey's wrapper into a $20 bill.

[Image courtesy of ABC]

Xerox, the same outfit looking to extract information from your web browsing excursions, has now churned out a swank anti-counterfeiting procedure that purportedly allows a vanilla digital printer to "create personalized fluorescent marks on documents." Of course, these fluorescent signatures are commonly used to authenticate currency, and Xerox is hoping that people warm up to the idea of slapping the same level of security onto documents ranging from licenses, certificates, or even personal checks. The method utilizes the "dry ink" found in xerographic printers to create the secure imprint, and curious users can spot the tell-tale sign when exposing the document to ultraviolet light. Of course, you should still be wary of that dubious looking bizhub crammed over in the corner office, but if you're interested in Xerox's latest counterfeit squashing technology, you can snag it as part of the FreeFlow Variable Information Suite 5.0 software.

[Via Gizmag]

Apparently, even swipeless credit cards are too much of an inconvenience to carry around in Turkey, or else Garanti Bank and MasterCard are just doing a fine job of whispering PayPass into those ears that are now tuned in. Gimmick or not, the two firms have partnered up to dole out a few limited edition timepieces that not only sport embedded PayPass modules to skip the painful John Hancock procedure altogether on basic, low-dollar purchases, but also feature a flashy and surprisingly tawdry motif. The bright orange watch rocks a few soccer balls, er, footballs on the face, and also includes a handy date feature to keep you on track. No word on exactly how one would go about procuring one of these contactless payment watches, but if your Garanti account is pushing six or seven figures, we'd say you've got some leverage.

[Via TechDigest]

Here in lawsuit-crazy America there's only one thing to do if you don't like a lawsuit: file another suit, claiming that the basis for the original claim was illegitimate. That's the case with a recent filed class action lawsuit against Netflix, which argues that the company's lawsuit against Blockbuster violates antitrust law because the company fraudulently concealed prior art related to patents used to sue Blockbuster. Techdirt points out that this new lawsuit highlights prior art that Netflix knew about, but failed to include in its original patent applications, something it was required to do. Yeah, that's right, the whole affair hinges around the ineffective patenting system, which is the background for dozens of other technology related lawsuits. If this class action is successful, then Netflix will be left regretting ever filing against Blockbuster; if it's not, then the company's still got a whole lot of paperwork to do in its case against Blockbuster. As always, there's one group left lovin' the whole situation: the lawyers.

While digiframe manufacturers keep pushing for larger and larger LCD sizes to adorn (or completely consume) your coffee tables, Brookstone's going the opposite direction with its Digital Photo Wallet. The presumably chintzy "nappa leather" wallet doesn't look to be of much better quality than those sold at your favorite dollar-for-everything store, but it does manage to house a 1.4-inch LCD that reportedly stores 55 photos. Additionally, it's completely removable and rechargeable, sports an on / off button and scroll controls, and interfaces with your PC via USB. Of course, you could just stick with the wallet you're comfortable with and pick up a digital photo keychain, but if you're serious about this one here, watch for it in mid-May for $59.

In an oddly timed announcement considering all the confusion surrounding the XM hearts Sirius affair, XM Radio Canada is to introduce fees for the online contingent of its radio service. Previously, XM Radio Canada subscribers could access XM stations for free on a Mac or PC: from September 1 this year, it'll cost new subscribers $9.99CAD per month, with existing subscribers having to pay $1CAD a month until September 1 2008 when the fees will increase to the full $9.99CAD a month. At that point, existing subscribers will either have to pay $22.98 a month for the same service that they currently get for $12.99, or lose the ability to access XM online, bringing whole new meaning to Bernard Shaw's phrase "Progress is impossible without change." It's worth noting that XM Satellite Radio in the US isn't the operator of XM Radio Canada: XM Radio Canada is in fact a fully owned subsidiary of Canadian Satellite Radio Holdings Inc. (of which XMSR owns 23%) which owns an exclusive 15 year license to use the XM brand name. Hopefully none of the companies involved will feel the need to take out an ad campaign over this "addition," although we would obviously sympathize if any angry canucks do.

[Via Orbicast]

Hacking into sensitive machines and playing brain games on them certainly isn't new -- and a pair of researchers at Cambridge have already done just that on a "tamper-proof chip-and-PIN payment terminal," -- but in a recent (and more serious) development, they've extended the exploit to demonstrate how they can "compromise the system by relaying information between a genuine card and a fake one." Saar Drimer and Steven Murdoch, members of the Cambridge University Computer Laboratory, have not only played Tetris on a banking machine, but have devised a scenario where a terminal is actually connected to a thief's laptop (instead of a bank, for instance), thus passing through crucial information without throwing a red flag to the now-screwed customer. Through a series of RFID, WiFi, and SMS connections, the duo even explains how something so simple could be used to steal thousands of dollars in diamonds and jewelry if working with a trained crew. Still, it's noted that this kind of stunt would be "difficult to execute in practice," and of course, whoever tries it runs the risk of being imprisoned for quite some time, but if you're interested in an eerily detailed description of just how beautiful you life can become if you actually pull this off, the read link demands your attention.

Considering all the ATM hacking that's been going on of late, it's not all that surprising to see those "uber-secure" fingerprint readers hitting mini-banks in Japan and Columbia, and now a pilot program is getting set to install 15 biometric ATMs at "village kiosks in five districts across southern India." The fingerprint-reading machines are expected to serve around 100,000 workers, primarily farmers and other laborers, who will finally be able to withdraw funds directly from a machine rather than suffering through the corrupt hand-me-down process that often steals money away from already poor workers. AGS Infotech, who is supplying the first batch of systems for the trial, is interested in seeing if the system actually works out, as many villagers have trouble interacting with any type of computing interface, and because many villages have their own dialects, making a UI that can communicate to everyone is difficult. Of course, there are individuals who suggest that these systems will only incite crime, as thieves look to new methods (read: hacking a thumb or two) to extract funds, but proponents of the system say that this is no different than armed criminals forcing someone to give up their PIN number at gunpoint. Nevertheless, the trial is slated to start soon, and there's quite a few outsiders watching intently to gauge its eventual success or failure, as analysts predict that "over 100,000 ATMs" could be necessary to handle India's booming economy in the next few years.

Sure, LG's KE850 Prada handset will set users back a cool $778, and the Google Switch just might pop in to make things a bit more interesting, but a recent research report has unveiled that Apple's sure-to-be-sold-out iPhone is a lean, mean, profit-generating machine nonetheless. While Apple's well-known for selling its iPods (and to a lesser extent, its Macs) for much, much more than it cost to manufacture, even we're a bit taken aback at how hard those corporate buyers must be workin' those suppliers on this one. According to iSuppli (no affiliation with Apple, of course), the 4GB iPhone will yield a "49.3 percent profit margin on each unit sold at the $499 retail price," while the 8GB rendition will kick back a 46.9-percent margin. You heard right, they're supposing the $499 mobile only costs Apple $245.83 to produce, while the 8GB flavor demands just $264.85. Of course, this isn't the first time a hot-selling product has been broken down by the numbers to prove just how ripped off we're all getting (if these numbers are to be trusted, that is) -- but hey, unless you've got the means to buy capacitors and LCD touchscreens by the boatload, you're probably stuck paying exactly what they ask. Plus if all this sudden competition gets a bit too heated, don't think Apple doesn't have any room to introduce a (highly desired) price drop.