At its surface, a recently uncovered Apple patent application describes a Motion Based Input Selection. But a closer look reveals that Apple wants the iPhone to become your life’s omnitool. Using near field communication—or RFID, which isn’t in the current crop of iPhones—coupled with a cute, onscreen UI (like a combination lock), Apple’s patent describes a future in which iPhone users open their front doors and even pay for their next iPhone with a 3-digit pin. Many have already dubbed it the “iKey.” I’m not sure that I could stand waiting at Walgreen’s while the guy in front of me attempted to wield the iPhone’s accelerometers with enough dexterity to purchase some antacid and the latest edition of Sport Fishing . But given that a good chunk of the world is already benefiting from phone-based RFID shopping, there’s little question that the basic premise is a good one. [ Patent (PDF) and Telegraph and ElectricPig via Slashdot ]

If there’s one thing a security company should avoid, it’s tempting the hackers to unravel their promises . As we’ve seen time and time again, there are few (if any) completely uncrackable technologies, but Verayo sure seems confident about its next-generation RFID chips. Dubbed “unclonable,” this new product family — which is led by the Vera M4H — promises to make mass transit tickets, secure IDs and access cards more secure, and unlike the original , this one touts a “non-networked, unlimited authentication” feature. We also get the impression that the company has worked to drive costs down with this newfangled line, but we’re still not sure we’d trust our lives to this thing. Anyone down to really put these claims to the test

Sure, online checking accounts are but a mouse click away, but that’s how the Facebook crowd does banking. I want the future. Real-time Rainbows End type banking, with account information presented on the card itself, for all to see. The designers say the tech powering the card would be e-ink and RFID. One displays your accumulated spending, and the other to check purchase histories and match them up to bank account transactions. The built-in shame the card provides is powered by millions of years of evolution and your significant other’s glaring and/or verbal/physical abuse when you return home from the mall.

Sure, there may be a number of relatively easy ways to destroy or disable an RFID tag (tossing it in the microwave, for instance), but where’s the fun in that? There are plenty of good times to be had with this so-called “Rfiddler” built by Codeninja though, which disables tags (and potentially anything else in its sights) by emitting a strong electromagnetic field — not to mention some sounds that will cause anyone standing in its vicinity to take a few big steps back. Head on past the break for a video, and hit up the link below for the complete parts list if you’re interested in building your own. Continue reading Rfiddler zapper kills RFID tags dead, the hard way Rfiddler zapper kills RFID tags dead, the hard way originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 24 Dec 2009 05:41:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink

Sensitive data is no match for the Rfiddler rifle. It can burn out RFID tags and USB sticks by zapping them with a strong electromagnetic field generated by a hacked 0.6kJ photo-flash unit driving a 50 turn copper spool. So, in addition to frying data, the resulting flash from the gun will also fry your retinas. It even has a built-in MP3 player with a 2-watt amp for sound effects. Needless to say, if you do decide to build something like this, I wouldn’t go aiming it at credit cards, hard drives, passports or living creatures.

You know, RFID hasn’t done much for itself in the consumer market. To most average Joes and Janes, the tech is really only around for use in complex supply chains and warehouses that they’d rather block from their minds. Thanks to Roteno Labs, we now have at least one glorious example of just how awesome RFID tags truly are, as the RFiDJ project demonstrates how tagged coasters can be used to instantly switch playlists stored on an HTPC . You simply set a designated coaster on top of the machine, and within seconds a new playlist is activated. We hear that videos actually do speak louder than words, so we’ll just stop here and beg you to hop on past the break for a memorable encounter with splendiferousness

Sometimes it’s the unseen that’s the most terrifying. In the case of RFID we think there’s plenty to dread , but never actually looked at those scary, scary waves. Thankfully someone at the Oslo School of Architecture and Design did. Jack Schulze and Timo Arnall made this stunning video by using a specially-made LED wand , long-exposure photography, some animation, and a metric ton of patience. I, on the other hand, will be using the next few moments, my eyes, and an ounce or two of amazement to appreciate the supposedly paranoia-inducing beauty of RFID. [ PopSci ]

Designer Matt Brown created these sweet-looking laser-cut paper radios with a twist: They’re equipped with RFID chips that can interact with a speaker to broadcast messages or change the radio to a pre-decided station. Basically, you can program certain controls or sounds into the paper radio . Say you’re an artist who wants to bring attention to a local college radio station—you program that into the RFID chip, and then when the paper radio is draped on any speaker equipped with an RFID reader, it’ll change the station to the one you picked. Or you can have it broadcast short messages; Matt suggests a particular environmentalist star of 30 Rock might program in warnings to turn off your lights when not in use. It’s a very particular usage, but the radios themselves look so cool that we don’t really care if they’re 100% practical.

Meant to illustrate “designerly applications of RFID ,” the Nearness concept from London design firm Berg also illustrates how to strip all of the fun out of Rube Goldberg machines. The film Nearness explores interacting without touching. With RFID it’s proximity that matters, and actual contact isn’t necessary. Much of Timo’s work in the Touch project addresses the fictions and speculations in the technology. Here we play with the problems of invisibility and the magic of being close. Nearness is interesting and everything, but it needs some personality

With a name that sounds like it’s gone through Google Translate repeatedly, the team behind Freecom’s Hard Drive Secure must’ve put all their energy into the super-dee-duper RFID cards keeping your data safe. ‘Cause RFID is absolutely not defeatable , right? Basically, you wave a keycard to lock and unlock the data on the drive. That’s great, but while I’m hesitant about RFID cards after lousy experiences with my Amex’s ExpressPay chip, the Hard Drive Secure’s specs made me weary for other reasons: Includes 2 security keycards (1 user keycard, 1 master keycard) in credit card format which will lock and unlock the drive for use.