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Putin's Soccer Ball for Trump Had Transmitter Chip, Logo Indicates (bloomberg.com)

Russian President Vladimir Putin's gift of a soccer ball to U.S. President Donald Trump last week set off a chorus of warnings -- some of them only half in jest -- that the World Cup souvenir could be bugged. Republican Senator Lindsey Graham even tweeted, "I'd check the soccer ball for listening devices and never allow it in the White House." It turns out they weren't entirely wrong. From a report: Markings on the ball indicate that it contained a chip with a tiny antenna that transmits to nearby phones. But rather than a spy device, the chip is an advertised feature of the Adidas AG ball. Photographs from the news conference in Helsinki, where Putin handed the ball to Trump, show it bore a logo for a near-field communication tag. During manufacturing, the NFC chip is placed inside the ball under that logo, which resembles the icon for a WiFi signal, according to the Adidas website. The chip allows fans to access player videos, competitions and other content by bringing their mobile devices close to the ball. The feature is included in the 2018 FIFA World Cup match ball that's sold on the Adidas website for $165 (reduced to $83 in the past week).

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  1. Re:#HerTurnAgain2020 by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Interesting

    Hell, let Canckles run in 2020.. PLEASE, pretty please with sugar on top...

    She'd be sure to lose a third time. Why? Trump would be the incumbent and she's seen as a looser. And being the incumbent in a national presidential election is about as close as you can get to a "sure thing" win. That and because her likeability numbers are NOT any better and she brings all the same baggage as before along with some clear concerns about her health and associations with the likes of Harvey Weinstein AFTER her election (and yes, there are pictures). Trump would get to claim 4 years of 'uge economic growth, new trade deals and negotiating peace with NK. So far he's not started any new wars either so that's a plus. The tax cuts where nice too and I'm guessing he's going to get the wall before too long. Barring any major unforced errors, he'd be a shoe in, despite all the crazy trumped up press coverage.

    Yep, The best way to have Trump until January 20, 2025 is to nominate Hillary again. So, as much as I'd hate listening to her cackles and stump speeches for 9 months, PLEASE do it...

    However, I do understand the dilemma... Who else do you have over there? Sanders? The bench is pretty much empty at this point and I don't see many options rising up from the morass of yet. Maybe because Trump is already in campaign mode and when anybody pokes their head up to see what way the wind is blowing Trump snipes them. I've been watching this happen over and over.