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Exxon And Timex Release The Speedpass watch
introverted writes "Exxon and Timex have released a Speedpass-enabled watch. From the article, this sounds like a regular Timex watch with an RFID chip in it. According to a radio news story, you can not only use the watch to buy gas, but at some locations in Chicago you can also use it at McDonald's. The watch is available from Timex. This was first mentioned on Slashdot in March last year."
Swatch have been making them for years.
It's been a Mobil item for some time. Exxon is now equipping their stations faster and should catch up with Mobil-branded places.
The RF chip is in the band, not the watch.
I swapped the Timex watch body for a decent Casio
The watch works much better at the POS terminals inside the stations/stores, where the key tags have always had mediocre luck.
They both work well on the pumps.
"Win treats sysadmins better than users. Mac treats users better than sysadmins. Linux treats everyone like sysadmins."
Get them to pay for the privelege! But what if someone steals my watch?
What if someone steals my credit card? Come on, its the same threat you can make about anything (what if someone steals my wallet?).
Good quote, too many chars. Seriously, the slashdot 120 char limit sucks!
A chain of grocery stores near my home ran a promotion: spend at least $30 and pay with your speedpass, get a free Timex/Speedpass watch.
The grocery chain is running a pilot program in my area-- as soon as we found out about it, we went up to the customer service desk, hooked our speedpass into their accounting system and a month later had a new watch!
If you lose the tag, cancel the credit card.
Not sure how it works in Canada, but here in the Chicago Area, the Speedpass has a unique number that is tied to a credit card. Lose the Speedpass, you just cancel the pass and not the card itself.
As for the privacy aspect, I've had one of these for about three years and it sure comes in handy. It gets cold here in Chicago as well so the less time standing by the pump, the better. We can also use them at McDonald's. I don't have to juggle the kids, keys, and cash. My Speedpass in on my keys, so I just juggle two things.
If it is of some value to someone to know how many happy meals my kids eat or how often I fill the tank of the Jeep, they are welcome to it.
Viv
Gmail invites for ip
I hope you do not really think that signing the back will help much. For one, many places take CC's without a live person seeing the card like the self check-out's and gas stations. Every one of my CC's has a signature of "See ID". One out of ten times, someone will ask for my ID.
There is CC protection with the SpeedPass, same as with the CC itself. Using the SpeedPass is no different then authorizing a business to charge a specific CC every month for a continued service.
Don't let your lack of information get in the way of making an informed decision.
From the SpeedPass web site:
Steps to take when you discover an unauthorized Speedpass purchase on your credit or check card linked to your Speedpass:
1. Contact your financial institution immediately to report any disputed purchase made with your Speedpass, and to request a credit. Be sure to follow your financial institution's instructions for disputing charges. This Agreement does not change the procedures or rights you have with your financial institution.
2. If you are unable to resolve the situation satisfactorily, contact Speedpass Customer Service (toll free 1-87-SPEEDPASS, 1-877-733-3727). We will process a credit to your financial account if the disputed purchase made with your Speedpass is unauthorized.
Bad boys rape our young girls but Violet gives willingly.
One trick is to NOT sign the back of your credit card. Instead, write the words, "Please ask for ID". Some clerks won't bother to look for the signature but most will check and ask you for ID. This may also make your stolen card less likely to be used or sold.
Without the RFID, I can't read your credit card number through your closed wallet in your pocket just by standing next to you with a RFID receiver. I'd say this is considerably less secure than using a credit card at the pump.
"You're right," Fisheye says. "I should have set it on 'whip' or 'chop.'"
My father works for Shell, and I remember him telling me about the robotic fill-up system they'd developed a few years back. Although he wasn't terribly forthcoming with the nitty-gritty details, I imagine it simply operated based on a database of your cars' particular measurements coupled with a few at-the-pump IR measurements to fine adjust. The coolest part of the system was when he told me that it could fill an entire 15-gallon tank in (I believe) a little under a minute when coupled with an RF payment system.
But they couldn't use it, because there are federal regulations governing the pressure allowed on a gas pump. Not for safety reasons relating to the car, but so that the jack-holes that try to top-off their tanks can't send a boatload of gas spewing out in all directions. The system was well past prototype stage, as result, because they were trying to convince whatever governing body (EPA, probably) that, "hey, this is a robot! It doesn't try to top-off. The pressure regulation is kind of pointless in this situation."
Unfortunately, nothing ever came of it, and so Shell's newly re-done stations simply have the highest pressure allowed by the regulations.
Unless there are some very sensative RFID antennas out there, I wouldn't feel weird at all about carrying it around.
Religion is a gateway psychosis. -- Dave Foley
And some places will specifically not accept that. The Post Office, for instance. Big sign on the counter:
"Credit cards MUST be signed. The words "Ask for ID" are not acceptable."
It's way harder to steal somebodies CC number. You have to own (or have good access to) the magnetic card reader.
With RFID, this poster is speculating that the RFID reader not be visible, or even super-close to the RFID chip. With a credit card, you know every time the number is pulled from the card, because you swipe it.
With RFID, you might not even know your number was swiped, because of the radio nature of these devices.
While I'm not saying it would be easy, I think it would be significantly easier to steal an RFID code than to steal a CC number (the traditional way)
Online Starcraft RPG? At
Dietary fiber is like asynchronous IO-- Non-blocking!
With RFID, this poster is speculating that the RFID reader not be visible, or even super-close to the RFID chip. With a credit card, you know every time the number is pulled from the card, because you swipe it.
/always/ printed in full on the merchant's sales receipt.
You don't eat out much, do you?
It's way harder to steal somebodies CC number. You have to own (or have good access to) the magnetic card reader.
Cell phone w/digital camera or a James Bond cig lighter...
Very fast and relatively cheap way for a dishonest waiter or waitress to quickly snag hundreds of numbers. If someone was really organized, they wouldn't even use the numbers, but sell them.
While I'm not saying it would be easy, I think it would be significantly easier to steal an RFID code than to steal a CC number (the traditional way)
Nah, CC is way easier. CC numbers are still printed on a third the receipts I get back (the other 2/3rds just show the last 4 digits), and they're