rfid
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Violet brings Mir:ror to the States, let the RFID superfluity begin!
While initially enthused at the prospect of RFID tagging our objects for swipability by a home-based RFID reader -- like Violet's new Mir:ror -- we eventually came the realization that we would never use it for anything, ever. Still, perhaps that's just us: Mir:or, which retails for $59, packs two Nano:ztags (the little bunnies with a tag inside) and three Ztamp:s (adhesive tags), allowing you to specify computer functions to trigger when the Mir:ror is approached by one of those RFID tags. A classic usage scenario involves placing your keys on the Mir:ror, with the device letting your computer know if your keys are resting there or not -- something potentially achieved by looking at the Mir:ror itself, if you're into spoilers, but hopefully hackers can put this to better use. Violet also offers tagged children's books, and a set of 12 extra Ztamp:s, for $8 and $20, respectively. Demo video is after the break.
Sony takes the wraps off 240Hz, RFID enabled BRAVIA LCDs in Japan
If the trouble of typing in a credit card number was the thing keeping you from renting acTVila video on-demand movies in Japan, Sony's fixed that right up by including FeliCa reading capability in the remote for its latest BRAVIA LCDs. No longer tied to an ugly outboard box, now you need only to press your credit card, cellphone or other RFID enabled device against the remote to authorize payment. The Japanese edition W5 and F5 line of LCDs mostly feature 240Hz MotionFlow and the latest BRAVIA Engine 3 display processing, and top out around ¥450,000 ($4,614) for a 52-inch. Check out video of the RFID remote on Akihabara News or embedded after the break and imagine living in a Blade Runner-type world of the future where overpriced rentals downloaded via fiber directly onto an HDTV screen are billed to whatever card desired with a mere flick of the wrist, as opposed to overpriced, overcompressed rentals that shamefully expand ones cable bill each month.[Via Akihabara News & AV Watch]
OE-A shows off nonvolatile RAM, RFID tag formed by printing
While it's far from being noteworthy to the mainstream public, printable electronics hold a lot of promise. Over at Printable Electronics 2009 in Tokyo, the Organic Electronics Association (OE-A) demonstrated some of the most extreme, useful printings that we've seen to date. By utilizing an eclectic array of printing methods, the agency was able to produce nonvolatile RAM with a capacity of 1,024 bits (for use in ID and game cards) along with a printed RFID tag that could be launched today in logistics operations. We doubt very seriously that mere consumers will soon have access to printers of this nature, but if we can now print memory and wireless identification tags, one must wonder: what on Earth is next?
Tikitag renamed Touchatag, adds QR codes to repertoire
We haven't heard much from Tikitag since they showed up on the scene last September, sticking RFID tags to everything in sight. The Alcatel-Lucent Venture-backed company's popped up on the radar again, only this time it's taken on a more tactile-focused name, Touchatag, and is now touting 2D barcode support, including do-it-yourself tag creation system for adding some QR ciphers to your business cards or anything else you wish to lay claim. No word on the new pricing -- a Tikitag RFID set was supposed to cost $50 in October -- but if you're interested in testing the service out, there's a sign up to join the developer community on their main site.Read - Press ReleaseRead - Touchatag Developer Network
RFID network used in the fight against Alzheimer's
The problem with diagnosing Alzheimer's and other forms of dementia is that by the time someone presents symptoms, it is generally rather late in the game. Looking for a way to detect the affliction earlier on, researchers at the University of South Florida have developed a wireless network for use by senior living centers. Utilizing a series of receivers placed strategically around the building and RFID transponders worn on the wrists of patients, the system monitors people's walking patterns, looking for actions characteristic of cognitive decline -- including a tendency to wander, to veer suddenly, or to pause repeatedly. So far the study has found a statistical relationship between abnormal walking patterns and people for whom testing indicated dementia. The next step is to take that data and look for ways to predict the disease. Good luck, kids -- and hurry up. We ain't getting any younger 'round here.
Video: Hacker war drives San Francisco cloning RFID passports
Think of it this way: Chris Paget just did you a service by hacking your passport and stealing your identity. Using a $250 Motorola RFID reader and antenna connected to his laptop, Chris recently drove around San Francisco reading RFID tags from passports, driver licenses, and other identity documents. In just 20 minutes, he found and cloned the passports of two very unaware US citizens. Fortunately, Chris wears a white hat; his video demonstration is meant to raise awareness to what he calls the unsuitability of RFID for tagging people. Specifically, he's hoping to help get the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative -- a homeland security project -- scrapped. Perhaps you'll feel the same after watching his video posted after the break. Read -- Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative Read -- RFID passports cloned
GE concocts battery-free RFID sensing platform, possibilities abound
Remember when RFID was the next big thing? When the world couldn't wait to have their luggage easily tracked at every airport? And when supply chain managers were all set to kick back and let these little tags do all the dirty work? Outside of a few exceptions, the wireless tags haven't really lived up to the hype thus far, but GE Global Research is doing its darnedest to change that by eliminating a few of the biggest drawbacks. Reportedly, the outfit has developed a battery-free RFID sensing platform -- one that can provide a highly selective response to multiple chemicals under variable conditions -- which could enable a "wide range of low-cost wireless sensing products in industries like healthcare, security, food packaging, etc." Put simply, the tags get their power from the sensor reader, which activates the tag's antenna and the RFID chip to collect meaningful data. There's no word on when these will leave the lab, but the sooner the better, we say.[Via Gizmag]
Oyster Card RFID hack gets detailed
The vulnerability of cards based on the Mifare Classic RFID chip (like the Oyster Card used for the London Underground) has been known for some time now but, unsurprisingly, some pesky legal business has prevented the complete details from being published. That has now finally been cleared up, however, and Professor Bart Jacobs and his colleagues from Radboud University have promptly published their complete paper online. What's more, NXP Semiconductors, makers of the Mifare chip, are also now commenting on the matter, and saying that it never intended to completely stop publication of the research, but rather that it simply wanted to give customers time to update their systems. NXP's Steve Owen also adds that the company now doesn't "recommend the use of Mifare Classic for new installations," and that it's "working with customers to review their security." Those looking to dig in can find the paper at the link below and, in case you missed it the first time around, there's a video explaining the basics after the break.[Via BBC Click]
AIRTAG intros NFC / contactless development kit, geeks celebrate
As fantastical as NFC and contactless applications are, they're still relatively unknown in the grand scheme of things here on this side of the drink. Thankfully, AIRTAG is stepping up in hopes of giving us Earthlings (and by that, we mean North Americans) a few more options. The conceitedly-named AIRTAG KIT is hailed as an "NFC development kit for end-users, professionals and developers" that will enable them to "program tags to NFC standards, to communicate with all NFC mobile phones and to develop secured applications compliant with the industry standards." It's still hard to say how many devs will shell out €249 ($344) for the privilege of expanding the protocol, but at least it's out there for those who get curious.
NY state inserts RFIDs into licenses; citizens next?
What can we say about RFIDs that hasn't already made you afraid? Your passport? Clonable. Your work ID and "secure" credit cards? Yeah, those too. Not scary enough? How about every adult New Yorker walking around with one in their back pocket? It's just a matter of time, as the Empire State's clearly enhanced drivers licenses (says so right on 'em) are now hitting the streets. For $30 on a new one, or $10 if you're looking to upgrade, you can get yourself a radio-wave emitting ID, enabling you to cross the border into Mexico, Canada, or the Caribbean sans-passport. Don't worry, the cards won't be broadcasting any personal information -- just a unique code that the government can use to track your every movement.[Via Crave]
O2 testing mobile wallet on London's Tube
Combining an Oyster card, a Barclaycard Visa, and the NFC-enabled Nokia 6131, Transport for London hopes to stream passengers through its tunnels in a quick and orderly fashion. 500 testers have been flitting about the city for six months and nine out of the ten say they've enjoyed the ease of use, convenience and status of such fun tech. The tweaked sets have enabled the testers to use their existing travel cards, top up pre-pay cards, and even buy snacks while on the run. RFID hacks aside, we welcome any and all use of a mobile wallet system -- that Japan has enjoyed for some four years now -- to help ease those arduous and time-consuming treks into our pockets and reduce the always embarrassing display of pocket lint.[Thanks, Daniel M.]
Verayo's "unclonable" RFID uses physical characteristics to thwart hackers
This era of RFIDs everywhere means a new era of hacking, one where a reader and a copy of RFDump are just as important as a proxied Internet connection and a telnet client were in the past. As MythBusters attempted to show, existing RFID chips and tags seem universally hackable and clonable, whether they be inside your passport or inside of you, but a new one from Verayo is said to be totally impenetrable -- for reals this time. It uses Physical Unclonable Functions, or PUF, a randomized coating of wires that both protect the internals from interlopers and also return a (supposedly) unique identifier that (supposedly) can't be duped. Truth in advertising? Hackers worldwide are itching to find out after the thing's formal introduction tomorrow morning at the RFID World conference -- surely the hottest ticket in Vegas this week. [Via Slashdot]
Tikitag promises to bring RFID tags to everything
The Alcatel-Lucent-backed Tikitag sure has managed to keep a low profile until now, but it looks to have made quite a splash at the DemoFall conference this week, where it showed off its RFID tagging system that's apparently set to go into public beta in less than a month. The system, which Tikitag confidently boasts will "build the internet of things," promises to let you add an RFID tag to anything you like and associate it with a webpage or application -- for instance, a business card that links to page with all your social networking information or, less usefully, a cube that you can use to control iTunes. Intrigued? You'll apparently be able to pick up the Tikitag reader and ten tikitags for $50 on October 1st, with boxes of 25 tikitags also available for those looking to get a little more ambitious.[Via CNET Webware]
RFID-based video poker table ensures no one plays at your house
It looks like those wanting to practice for their TV poker debut now have at least one, completely impractical lead to follow, as one Andrew Milner has now built what may well be the very first RFID-based, video-equipped DIY poker table. To reproduce the complete TV poker experience at home, Milner employed four cameras to keep watch on the players, with the elaborate RFID system and some custom-made software doing all the dirty work of keeping track of the cards (yes, each card has an RFID tag). As you might have guessed, the build was far from simple, with it taking Milner three months in his spare time, and it obviously wasn't cheap either, although he won't go any further than to say that it was "rather expensive." Be sure to hit up the link below for the full rundown of the project, and a video of it in action.
French public rail trials RFID / USB combo ticket system
In an effort to facilitate ticket purchasing, SNCF -- France's public rail system -- will commence a 1,000 user trial of its Weneo smart card system this Fall. Riders will be able to purchase tickets with the small USB dongles at turnstiles via RFID. Once the balance is depleted, users can refill their accounts by plugging the devices into a computer, whereby they're transported to the SNCF's online hub. Since only the rider's account number is stored in the RFID portion of the smart card, this system allows commuters hassle-free ticket purchasing, all while keeping important information privy from hackers - information that some RFID devices seem to have problems keeping secret. If all goes well, SNCF expects to expand the use of Weneo nationwide by 2010.[Via Wired]
Adam Savage's RFID implant activates, orders him to change his story
It's no secret that RFID isn't the most secure thing in the world, so we mostly took Adam Savage's story about Discovery telling the Mythbusters to back off an episode exposing the tech's flaws after a conference call with various cred card company lawyers as a bit of laughable corporate insecurity, but it looks like Adam got himself in a bit of trouble by sharing -- Discovery's now sending out a release in which he basically retracts the whole thing. "There's been a lot of talk about this RFID thing, and I have to admit that I got some of my facts wrong... Texas Instruments' account of their call with Grant and our producer is factually correct [and] the decision not to continue on with the RFID story was made by our production company, Beyond Productions, and had nothing to do with Discovery, or their ad sales department." Sure, that doesn't explain why he said that Tory "still gets a little white" when he remembers the phone call, or why he said RFID was "on Discovery's radar," but we're guessing it has more to do with simple exaggeration than devious conspiracy. At least we hope so.
Mythbusters RFID hacking episode canned by credit card company lawyers
Although it's no secret that RFID is easily hacked (see: train passes, passports, credit cards, one billion other cards, etc.) it's still not necessarily common knowledge, and it sounds like the major credit card companies want to keep it that way -- according to Adam Savage, Mythbusters was all set to do a show exposing the weak security behind most RFID implementations but was shut down by lawyers from "American Express, Visa, Discover, and everybody else... [who] absolutely made it really clear to Discovery that they were not going to air this episode." Since Discovery is an ad-supported channel, it's not surprising that it backed down, but we'd say that the credit card industry would be far better served spending money on actually improving security rather than lawyering up and trying to keep consumers in the dark. Video after the break.[Via Wired]
Nabaztag's Violet debuts "Mirror" general-purpose home RFID reader
While we'll always know Violet for its iconic bunnies, the company is branching out into a more direct RFID application. The Mirror RFID reader is a USB-pluggable little platter that can read RFID tags and launch an assigned action on the computer when it spots a tag it knows. Examples we saw included a tagged post card of Vegas launching a corresponding picture on the computer (lame), a tagged toy car bringing up a map (getting warmer), a tagged umbrella launching the weather forecast (now we're cooking with gas), and a cute little mini-Nabaztag figurine doing whatever it wants (en fuego / choose your own tired metaphor). We could see the reader being put to use for the computer illiterate, or children having their first go at a PC, but we're more excited to see what hackers can make of the tech -- old people and children are overrated. No word on price or release date yet, but Violet has a press conferenced planned for Monday, so we should know more then.%Gallery-30823%
MBTA affirms that vulnerabilities exist, judge lifts gag order on MIT students
No surprise here, but the kids from MIT were (presumably) right all along. The three students who were muffled just before presenting their case at Defcon have finally been freed; the now-revoked gag order had prevented them from exposing insecurities in the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority ticket system, but during the same court setting, the MBTA fessed up and admitted that its current system was indeed vulnerable. Of note, it only confessed that its CharlieTicket system was susceptible to fraud, while simply not acknowledging any flaws in the more popular CharlieCard option. Pish posh -- who here believes it doesn't have dutiful employees working up a fix as we speak?
RFID-activated retrieval system brings urns up for viewing
This one's a bit morbid, but the technology behind it all is actually quite interesting. Japan's own Nichiryoku has evidently created a unique urn retrieval system that enables family members with deceased loved ones to return to a reverent storage facility, swipe an RFID card, and watch their late mother / father / etc. emerge from the underground for viewing. Aside from saving space and money, this also provides mourning kin with a sense of security, as we're told that the urns are kept where even minor acts of God won't disturb them. Check out a demonstrative video just after the break.[Via CScout]
