Filed under: Misc. Gadgets

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]

Continue reading Mythbusters RFID hacking episode canned by credit card company lawyers

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Filed under: Misc. Gadgets

The RFID hacks keep coming fast and furious — hot the heels of that Mifare / Oyster Card exploit, the crew at BoingBoing TV has posted up a little demo of how easy cracking the RFID encryption on an American Express card can be. All it takes is an $8 dollar reader easily available on eBay, some software, and the courage to walk around with a laptop waving plastic boxes at people’s butt pockets, but developer Pablos Holman says he’s hoping to develop a newer version that will allow him to be a little more discreet. The root of the problem is apparently the fact that the system uses local decryption rather than sending card info to a secure data center, but either way we’ve been worried about this for a long time — we’re sticking to loose change and the barter system from now on. Video after the break.

Continue reading RFID credit cards easily hacked with $8 reader

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Filed under: Misc. Gadgets

We’ve definitely seen some outlandish attempts at improving or outright replacing the humble credit card, but South Koreans will soon be able pay for purchases using the most easy-to-lose system we’ve seen yet — by inserting a special USB flash drive into a slot. The system, which is being rolled out by Shinhan Card and VIsa, also lets users pay for online purchases by sticking the drive into their computers’ USB ports, and Shinhan is also rolling out new terminals that will enable contactless payments using the device as well. Of course, the drive itself is locked down tighter than a drum, but we still aren’t convinced a bulky flash drive is a better option than phone-based or biometric payment systems.

[Via The Raw Feed]

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Filed under: Portable Audio

As far as we know, Evergreen’s Business Card MP3 Player doesn’t come pre-loaded with Flight of the Conchords’ most relevant jam, but you can’t deny it’d be a great fit. This all-white, ultra-simplistic DAP checks in at 86- x 55- x 6-millimeters, weighs just 36-grams and includes 1GB of storage space. You’ll also find a flip-out USB 2.0 connector, internal speaker and some sort of recording function. Slip one into your tight leather jacket pocket for a steep $126.19 — it should make sorting the recycling much less tedious.

[Via AkihabaraNews]

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Office Depot Featured Gadget: Xbox 360 Platinum System Packs the power to bring games to life!

Filed under: Displays

As if there wasn’t enough temptation to get into debt, credit card manufacturers are now looking to stick fancy displays and keypads directly onto cards. The “Credit Card Embedded Authentication Device” was put together by Innovative Card Technologies and eMue Technologies, and uses the screen and keypad to provide security for online and mobile based banking transfers: the user enters their pin into the card, which gives back a one-time use code to authorize online transactions. The card will get its “consumer debut” — whatever that means — in Paris this November, at the Cartes & IDentification event.

[Via Bsams]

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Office Depot Featured Gadget: Xbox 360 Platinum System Packs the power to bring games to life!

Filed under: Misc. Gadgets

Note to parents: if you’d like your tweens not to run up extraordinary bills on the shared credit card when they head out to the mall, start by passing on Barbie’s Fashion Fever Shopping Boutique playset. This innocent looking package allows youngsters to shop ’til they drop with fake plastic, but rather than actually hitting a credit limit and getting rejected, the card delivers the wrong message by simply allowing kids to spend as much dough as they’d like without any negative consequences. Take a look at the commercial after the jump.

[Via Gearlog]

Continue reading When good toys go bad IX: Barbie’s Fashion Fever fosters bad credit

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Office Depot Featured Gadget: Xbox 360 Platinum System Packs the power to bring games to life!

Filed under: Portable Audio

Looking for a small, light, credit-card-esque flash drive… which doubles as an MP3 player… which is covered in a “liquid” print? Well you’re in luck, kiddies, because some anonymous Chinese electronics maker has got you covered on all fronts. Enter the “USB Flash Card MP3 Player,” an ultra-thin, 2GB device that plays MP3s and WMAs, functions as a USB flash drive, and will give you absolutely no information about the song you’re listening to. Hey, if you wanted information, you would get a screen — this thing fits in your wallet. Available right now for the bargain basement price of $42.

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Office Depot Featured Gadget: Xbox 360 Platinum System Packs the power to bring games to life!