Friday, May 7, 2010

Cool Technology of the Week

Massachusetts Data Protection regulations require us to encrypt mobile devices. Red Flag rules require us to implement processes to protect against identify theft. ARRA requires notification of prominent media for any inappropriate data disclosures.

This all sounds great, but what if you drop your wallet containing credit cards, identification cards, and maybe even your personal health information?

The answer - a Kevlar and Carbon Fiber wallet with biometric identification.

Tungsten W created such a wallet. Its features include:

*Fingerprint access only

*Bluetooth enabled for notification alerts - automated notification via bluetooth if your wallet strays more than 10 feet from your body

*Protected against RFID electronic theft - the case shields all contents from RFID scanners

A portable, monitored, personal safe you can keep in your back pocket and open via biometrics. That's cool.

6 comments:

Alan said...

Digital mobile devices already use some level of encryption for voice and SMS. What is the specific requirement in Mass?

Anonymous said...

Hey, that's cool. Once the crooks catch on to the game, not only will they steal your wallet, but they'll also cut off and steal your fingers so they'll be able to open your wallet!

Um, count me out for using such a device--for the above reason.

chicopanther

Anonymous said...

I can see this being useful if you don't trust your co-workers or roomate, but if you leave it behind (because you took your BT headset off to be polite during dinner) and someone picks it up, it's not hard to break open such a case. Housemates or co-workers would be less likely to dig through your wallet since they'd have to break the thing to get into it. Now, if the wallet could safely destroy the contents when tampered with, that might be more useful in case someone picks your pocket or something.

ChuckMcB said...

@chicopanther

Been happening for long time now:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/4396831.stm

Ali said...

I don't think I'd want a fingerprint reading wallet -- fingerprint readers, especially dirty and often-used ones -- don't always work (depends on technology, though, I guess.) I don't want to spend five minutes in the grocery line patiently pleading with my wallet to realize that a) I have fingerprints that are b) the same as the ones I put into the device and that c) are attached to a living human.

Nick Ward said...

@Ellen has it perfectly - I love the image that she paints so well - pleading with your wallet to open whilst the grocery store checkout line gets increasingly upset - beautiful