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Thin, Flexible Printable Battery For Smartcards

Posted by chrisd on from the don't-hate-me-because-I'm-well-engineered dept.

cornflux writes "This would be a nice way to power a really smart smartcard: Power Paper, Ltd. has created an alkaline-like energy cell that is (among other things) thin, flexible, and "green." Furthermore, it is printable via a silk-screening process onto paper, plastic, and other flexible materials. ABCNEWS.com has the story."

2 of 83 comments (clear)

  1. Linux on a credit card by MBCook · · Score: 0, Offtopic

    At this rate, when will we have Linux on a credit card? And are penguins accepted at Olympics? Because they won't take my American Express ;)

    --
    Comment forecast: Bits of genius surrounded by a sea of mediocrity.
  2. Is this good for civil liberties? by Walter+Bell · · Score: 2, Offtopic

    Before 9/11, I would have been thrilled to see something like this which could be used to improve existing security systems. (For instance, I'll be the first one to buy a SecurID-style setup that uses these things in authenticators the size and thickness of business cards - kiss replayable passwords goodbye.) However, with the ever-present push to implement a national ID card system, this technology is just another facilitator to making the USA even more of a police state.

    With traditional smart card systems, the government could force us (through "voluntary measures" of course, which would be required in airports and to drive) to carry a card that contained our biometric IDs, medical records, and discipline records from grade school. These are horribly intrusive devices, but they pale in comparison to an active, powered smartcard. Think of the possibilities: GPS tracking and reporting, for starters. How about making these cards transmit an "I'm here" signal every few seconds, so that the government knows when you're in the area? Forget tracking and triangulation on cell phones (you can turn them off) - they could force us to carry a card around with us that tells businesses and government agencies where we are, what we are doing and saying, and everything about our past.

    Think I'm paranoid? Listen to a few of Ashcroft's speeches on CNN and think again. They'd do it in a heartbeat if they could get popular support. And that won't be hard to do if we lose a couple more tall buildings.

    ~wally