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Xerox Exploits Printer Flaws To Make Pseudo-Holograms
Red Wolf writes "A chance discovery by Xerox lets printers superimpose glossy images on regular printouts, creating the possibility for document authentication along the lines of holograms on credit cards. The new technology, called Glossmark, can use ordinary office printers to superimpose a glossy image on an ordinary printed document in a way that can't be photocopied or otherwise easily reproduced."
If it's easily available on a commercially available printer, how does it provide great security?
You couldn't copy the original image. You'd have to have to separate source images (the bg and the layover) to counterfeit successfully. It's just another wall, really.
On another note, how cool a job do these "Xerox Scientists" have?
From the books I've read about Xerox, it sounds more frustrating than cool to work in their R&D. You invent all this neat shit, and the copierheads at Xerox dont "get" it, so Xerox doesn't market it.
Your only hope is to go to work for the other company that will eventually pick up the technology and make a mint with it, or to leave and found your own company to make what you invented.
And with all the "intellectual property" crap being thrown into employment contracts these days, the latter of those two options is probably right out the door. If Bob Metcalfe was working at Xerox these days, he damn sure wouldn't be allowed to leave and start 3Com to sell ethernet hardware that he whipped up on Xerox's dime.