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RFID Cards to Include Tin Foil Hats?
An anonymous reader writes "The tinfoil hat finally gains government approval. From the story: 'Wrap an RFID chip [of the US passport] inside a Faraday cage, and the electromagnetic waves from the chip reader can't get in and activate the chip. The State Department says it may use the principle to give travelers an added sense of security. No, there won't be rolls of aluminum foil included with every passport. Instead, the passport cover may include a network of wires woven into the fabric. Fold the passport shut, and there's your Faraday cage. Even Schneier agrees that a properly shielded passport cover should solve the problem. He wonders why this wasn't included in the original plans for the new passports. 'It took a bunch of criticism before they even mentioned it,' Schneier said. And he hopes the anti-snooping technology is thoroughly tested before the new passports are introduced next spring.'" We've also seen this suggested in the past.
Was that a rational thought from the government? I know it's cold enough for hell to freeze over, but...
Wow.
I can't wait for people to start selling clothing with built in faraday cages, or a stylist alternative to the woeful 'tinfoil hat'... a (insert favorite h4x0r phrase here) hat with a built in faraday cage!
Excuse me, I don't mean to impose, but I am the ocean
It is time to make a new conspiracy theory. The current one that they government wants to use our passports to spy on us just got defunct. Maybe we can not trust the government issue Aluminum foil and it will be some sort of hidden spy method.
If something is so important that you feel the need to post it on the internet... It probably isn't that important.
Something like 666 strands per inch. Remember only the BAD GUYS have something to hide. Fear not.
Personally I have found that if you use a double layer of tinfoil when fashioning your headwear that it more than doubles the effectiveness! This is due to a resonance effect between the two layers of tinfoil which resonates precisely at the frequency of the government's invisible brain lasers.
In addition, if you fashion two antennas on the top of your hat instead of the usual one, it increases the effectiveness by an additional 37 percent.
(+5 Misinformative)
Those who would give up liberty in exchange for security and DRM should switch to Microsoft Palladium!
... of tin foil companies were up by more than 5 points today.
Instead of the usual 20 year old condom, it is a used one.
They want you to wear tin foil hats. It enhances the ability of the orbital mind control lasers to control you. The only sure protection is to shove your head up your ass.
I for one welcome our new RFID overlords.
"You'll get nothing, and you'll like it!"
I heard that, in order to cut costs. they will put wires only in the front cover.
Nobox: Only simple products.
In my book, that means about, oh, two strands per inch." (emphasis added)
Modifying the cover of your passport already?
Do not look into laser with remaining eye.
In Soviet Russia, RFID shields YOU!
i'm personally going to wait for o'reilly to release "passport hacks" before i start tinkering...
Get your torrents...
Can't you see??!! They're just going to connect the "shields" to the tag!!! They're building antennae into these things!! Run away! Flee while you can!
It is pitch black. You are likely to be eaten by a grue.
Later, of course, Faraday discovered that the cage prevented electromagnetic waves with wavelengths greater than a quarter of the mesh size from escaping, and it is in this form that it has entered technical terminology.
This information brought to you by the Department for the Dissemination of Less than Reliable Data.
Panurge has posted for the last time. Thanks for the positive moderations.
I think the brightly coloured shirts, large cameras around the neck and loud complaining will already tip off most airport personnel as to the identity of most US Citizens.
iamnotacrook, It was a post I originally wrote on Groklaw some time ago. It was intended to be extremely funny. Apparently some people agree. I'm sorry that you do not get the joke.
Those who would give up liberty in exchange for security and DRM should switch to Microsoft Palladium!
The best solution is to eliminate the stupid idea that you have to show ID in order to buy wine.
You need to put the layers of foil with the SHINY SIDE OUT. If you put the shiny side in, it will actually MULTIPLY the strength by bouncing the waves between the layers, acting as a MASER. It's a scientifically proven fact that Government Mind Control Rays are reflected and dispersed 68% more effectively by the shiny side of foil than the dull side.
The truth about Scientology, Xenu, and you: Operation Clambake