Sony: New Concept Envisions in 2030 With Pay As You Go Power

Posted by Andreas Christodoulou

Description :

Sony is looking to revolutionize the inefficient way in which we consume power.

A new concept video from the electronics giant shows how we could use power more efficiently in the year 2030 by switching to smart outlets with authentication and wireless charging on a broad scale, assuming we survive the Zombie Mayan Apocalypse.

The prototype power outlet, integrated with a short-range wireless FeliCa transmitter (and a new RFID over power line technology), allows the user to swipe a pay card across the faceplate and pay for energy on the spot. What makes it truly interesting is if humankind keeps progressing towards alternative energies (such as wind, solar, and biomass), then our outlets could give us options as to what source from which we obtain our power.

The video description below notes that with this outlet, "the user can actively control and manage power consumption on a user basis as well as on a device basis."

Imagine not having to use power from the electric company for a TV-viewing session, instead drawing from a battery in your house that contains stored power from your solar- and wind-power generation sources. These outlets, if available all over a city, can offer people with electric cars the ability to charge up and pay for that energy easily.

The proposed power control center app (for tablet or smartphone) would enable consumers to observe how much power is available from various power sources in the home. With the app, one could check how much juice the electric car in the garage contains, enable or disable outlets in various areas of the house, or remotely control devices connected to a power outlet.

In a recent press conference in Tokyo, reps at Sony spoke about the developments, says AV Watch (check out their hands-on pics, too). A timetable for commercializing these smart outlets seems "ten years away," according to Taro Tadano from Sony Japan's business development department. Admittedly, he wants to speed up the process of development and integration, but reliability, safety, and patent battles present several roadblocks.

While the overall idea seems grand, one must also wonder about cost.

Regardless, he and many others at Sony are working hard to strengthen relationships with various Japanese companies related to this field with hope of moving this past the concept stage and into reality. 

One cannot help but admire the craveworthy Sony concept products (from 2030) also shown in the video, such as: a TV that you turn on by facing a wall and drawing a rectangle with your hand, a flexible tablet, and easy wireless charging.

ARTICLE OF THE DAY: Some Emergent Internet Applications

Feel free to Like, Share & Comment! 👍

*by andreascy*

Hackers Can Wirelessly Read Your Credit Cards Through Clothes And Wallets

Posted by Andreas Christodoulou

Description :

Pickpockets no longer need to touch their victims - they can use cheap technology to read credit cards through peoples’ pants. Hacker Kristin Paget proved as much with a demonstration at the Shmoocon hacker conference in Washington last week. 

With a $50 Vivotech RFID (radio frequency identification) credit card reader, she wirelessly read a volunteer’s credit card standing near her on a stage before using a $300 magnetizing tool to put the data onto a blank card, reports Forbes’ Andy Greenberg. 

Paget then used a credit card-swiping iPhone attachment and voila! She stole $15 bucks from her “victim” before paying him back immediately, Greenberg wrote. 

Fears that hackers will steal personal or banking information have also sparked an industry of wallets, passport covers and individual credit card holders made of stainless steel or even aluminum foil to block unwanted radio signals from lifting information. 

While Paget’s demonstration has been possible for years, questions about contactless payments are rising to the surface as RFID-enabled credit cards become ubiquitous (just look for a triangle made of arches to see if your credit card is RFID equipped). 

In Canada, Visa’s payWave and MasterCard’s PayPass make it easy for consumers to tap their RFID-enabled cards on a terminal and pay quickly at thousands of merchants across the country, including Impark and McDonald’s. 

The terminals may not accept transactions of more than $50. 

MasterCard uses encryption technology and Visa embeds chips to prevent theft over the contactless systems, according to their websites. Both say the cards must be waved very near to the machines to work, and Visa adds that “only secure readers at authorized merchants” can process its cards. 

But with the right machine, stealing credit card numbers, expiry dates and transaction codes is as simple as waiting for people to walk by on a crowded street, said project scientist and hacker 3ric (pronounced Eric) Johanson. 

Consumers shouldn’t be too worried - at least not yet, Johanson said. Criminals will choose the easiest method to steal credit card information, which at the moment is hacking insecure websites “from the comfort of their own home,” he said. 

If data was stolen, it would be difficult to use online as most websites require an address for confirmation, he said. Each contactless transaction involves a unique CCV code, but an “ample” number of those can be collected in just a few seconds, he explained. Scams would only be detected if the consumer used their card before the attacker had time to make fraudulent purchases. 

Despite the logistical challenges, it’s just a matter of time before RFID hacks become commonplace, Johanson said. There are additional steps credit card companies can take to protect consumers, such as demanding a pin number, yet that’s unlikely to happen because it would slow down the payment process, he said. 

“My general advice to people is to demand that their credit card companies offer them a non RFID-enabled card,” he added. 

By the end of 2012, all Canadian passports will come equipped with RFID technology, according to Passport Canada. The RFID information will only become accessible if bar code on the second page has already been scanned, meaning the passport needs to be open for people to get data. New American passports already have this technology. 

*by andreascy*