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]

Alright, so it's not a real hole-in-the-wall, but just in case your eight year-old did need some training in how to operate one, here's the Hello Kitty ATM Bank. Its pink, it's got HK on it, and it looks vaguely like those machines you find in 7-Elevens: fortunately, it won't give your kids cash on credit. They've gotta put some pennies in first. It comes with a Hello Kitty cash card for withdrawals, which should help your child transition to the Hello Kitty Consolidated Bank account you've set up -- yes, they're real. No word on how much this monstrosity is, but you can probably guess which country they're available in.

[Via Crave]

Coincidence or not, Apple has stiffened up the requirements to pick up a new iPhone shortly after announcing that 250,000 or so of the 1.4 million it sold in Q4 went to unlockers. In an admittedly intriguing move, Apple has decided that it will "no longer accept cash for iPhone purchases," and moreover, each individual will only be allowed to buy two (on plastic, of course) in an effort to "stop people from reselling them." More specifically, spokeswoman Natalie Kerris stated that the company is "requiring a credit or debit card for payment to discourage unauthorized resellers," so don't even bother bringing the greenbacks if you're lookin' to grab an iPhone from Apple.

[Image courtesy of PCWorld]

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?

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.

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]

Granted, we'd be a tad more surprised about this if it wasn't found in Russia, but this one defies logic regardless. While we're unsure if tricksters have figured out a way to siphon unthinkable quantities of cash from this particular ATM, the owners should be ashamed of themselves for running a (presumably pirated) unactivated copy of Windows on the public banking machine. Of course, there's quite a few workarounds for this problem if you take the time to look, but seriously, who skimps on a product activation code when running a multi-million (billion?) dollar banking operating?

[Via TheRawFeed]

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]

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.

While sniffing out ATM info has been used by tricksters criminals for years, a Manchester-based bloke was trafficking private bank information from various cards to illegally purchase goods -- with the help of DAPs, no less. Although your evil twin could manage to reprogram an ATM to disperse 300 percent more cash than it really should, this fellow secretly attached an (unsurprisingly anonymous) "MP3 player" to the backs of free-standing cash machines in "local bars, bingo halls, and bowling alleys." The device recorded the tones from transactions, which were then decoded and "turned into information used to clone new credit cards." The fellow learned his savvy computing skills from "a friend in Cambridge," and was oddly not caught jacking cash or throwing down on a new HDTV; rather, police caught on to his scheming when they located a counterfeit bank card in his vehicle during a routine traffic stop, which led them back to his presumably disclosing home. While we applaud the ingenuity, the motives are certainly below traditional moral standards, but this certainly isn't the first (nor the last) criminal offense involving DAPs.

You're probably familiar with the Virginia Beach trickster who reprogrammed an ATM to shoot out 300% more money than was debited from his account, but now it seems his "discovery" might have been widely available all along. Dave Goldsmith, a computer security researcher at Matasano Security, began to dig a little deeper once the news broke, and thanks to the oh-so-disclosing CNN video, secured the machine's model and maker: a Tranax Mini Bank 1500 series. Reportedly, he then acquired a (legal) copy of the ATM's user's manual, which conveniently spelled out "how to enter the diagnostic mode, default passwords, and default combinations for the safe." Once the cash-spewing gizmo is in "Operator" mode, the only thing standing between you and illegitimate funding (aside from your conscience) is a password, and since default passwords are plainly listed in the manual, it's up to the installation crew to actually insert a more secretive alternative. While we assume Tranax has been hastily sending memos to stores who (currently, at least) use its machines, you'll probably notice the unmodified machines by the insanely long lines preceding them (or a mysterious lack of cash available to disperse).

Update: It looks like Tranax Technologies is stepping to the plate and planning a "software update" that forces installers to change the default password before it goes into service. The company has stated that the patch should be ready "in a matter of weeks," but it can't "force operators of currently installed ATMs to install it".

[Via Wired Blogs]

Although ATM trickery has been going on for some time now, it typically deals with some sly guy jacking your data when you least expect it and withdrawing massive (or not) quantities of cash from your checking account. 'Twas not the case at all, however, in a recent reprogramming effort at a Virginia ATM, where a clever individual somehow fooled the computer into thinking it was dispersing five-dollar bills while it actually shot out twenties. Essentially, the suspect's balance was only debited for the amount he requested, yet he gleefully received four times that amount from the helpless machine. It was stated that the ever-joyous trickster couldn't resist returning only minutes after his first bonus score to give it another go, but he won't be going back anytime soon: now he's got the boys in blue tracking him down. One of the more ingenious acts of programming we've seen lately (it's a shame Intel's not hiring), it still was a loophole not to be exploited, so if you see a fellow in Virginia Beach throwing down on 4:1 odds, stay sharp.

While Monopoly is the paragon of good 'ole fashioned board game fun, the "old fashioned" part had to go. Parker Brothers is phasing out the cash-based version's funmoney and replacing it with an "Electronic Banking" flavor that could leave Mr. Moneybags turning his pockets inside out as his stash is replaced by a magnetic strip. New kits are completely devoid of the famous multi-colored bills; instead, you'll find phoney Visa debit cards and a calculator / reader which keeps a running tabulation of your riches -- or lack thereof. A deal was struck with Visa to design the mock cards and readers, presumably after surveys showed that 70% of adults used cash less often now than they did a decade ago (no surprise there). When asked about the dramatic change, Parker said replacing cash with plastic "showed the game was moving with the times." For those anxious to get their swipe on, or if you've simply forgotten how to use bills, the new version will set you back £24.99, while the now "antiquated" cash version can be had for £12.99, but only while supplies last.