Florida studying a possible universal ID for everyone

Gov. Rick Scott is on the prowl for new ways to reduce the cost and size of government.

He has a group patrolling for duplication in law enforcement. He wants agencies to scrutinize their budgets.

And he helped create a Government Efficiency Task Force of 15 business leaders and legislators, who will suggest cuts in state spending by up to $3 billion.

Your input is welcome at floridaefficiency.com.

Now, see what you think of this cost-cutting idea:

Issue Floridians a single ID card that would hold several kinds of vital information: your driver's license, car insurance, health insurance and voter registration.

Good idea?

Yes, says Julie Jones, executive director of the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles, who briefed Scott and Cabinet members on the plan in one-on-one meetings.

"This was my attempt to want to save money and create a product that's convenient for our customers," Jones said. "An individual has to carry three or four types of identification just to exist in Florida society... more

France to trial biometric payment with finger scanners in shops

SHOPPERS in France could soon be able to use their finger to pay for everyday shopping, in a move that aims to tackle fraud and speed up supermarket queues.

High-street bank Accord has been given permission by the French data protection authorities to start a six-month trial into the new biometric payment system.

The idea had been rejected by the Commission Nationale Informatique et Liberté on several occasions in the past because of fears that storing fingerprint data posed a privacy and security risk.

However the new system developed by Accord records the unique pattern of veins underneath a person's index finger - not the fingerprint itself.

The bank - which is owned by Auchan - will offer the service to a number of its current account customers and biometric readers will be installed in a number of its hypermarkets.

Customers begin by registering their finger data securely with their bank.

Touching the finger scanner at the checkout confirms the buyer's identity and the amount is then debited from their account.

The system is already proving popular in Germany, where supermarket chain Edeka has been using it since 2007.
France to trial biometric payment with finger scanners in shops - The Connexion

Pupils 'frogmarched by teachers to have fingerprints taken' so they could eat in canteen

"A school has provoked uproar after taking children's fingerprints without permission
from their parents.

Pupils were 'frogmarched' to be fingerprinted so they could use touch screens in the canteen to have money deducted from their account, thereby speeding up lunch queues.

Capital City Academy in Brent, north London, was later forced to apologise and wiped all prints it obtained before asking for consent.

It also introduced an opt-out for parents uncomfortable with the technology, allowing pupils to enter a four-digit pin code instead of scanning their print.

The revelation comes as teachers today warned schools are routinely taking children's fingerprints without permission from their parents.

As many as 3,500 schools take biometric data from pupils to speed up basic administration such as buying canteen lunches or borrowing library books.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1262087/Schools-taking-fingerprints-pupils-parents-knowing.html#ixzz0jzHYxd6i

Is a cashless society on the cards? - Telegraph

"Steve Perry, executive vice president of Visa Europe, says cash is expensive - a cost on society - and should be replaced by a cashless society"
Steve Perry, executive vice president of Visa Europe, has a different take on the folding stuff packed in our wallets that most of us take for granted. "Cash is expensive," he says. "We need to be using it less."
Expensive? Vintage wines, maybe. Designer clothes, yes. Modern art, almost certainly. But cash?
Why do you think supermarkets introduced cashback?" Perry asks rhetorically.
He has me stumped there. I tell him I always thought of it as a service for overdrawn students to drive a few more sales through the tills.
"No," he responds politely. "It's because they want cash out of the system so there is less to manage. Processing a transaction on a card can be cheaper than handling cash."
Perry is a leading cheerleader for the cashless society. It's hardly a surprising role, but its an argument he is finding increasingly easy to make. Last month, for example, the Payments Council announced to anguished outrage that in 2018 the cheque would be dead. ...more

Cash transactions on their way out | The Australian

SIGNS are emerging that Australia is moving towards a cashless society, with the number of consumers making ATM cash withdrawals dropping to the lowest point in more than six years.

Data from MWE Consulting, which specialises in debit and credit card analysis, showed that debit card ATM withdrawals per account fell about 6.3 per cent to 2.39 a month last year. That compared with 2.55 in the previous year and 2.62 in 2006, when monthly transactions peaked.

'We have been seeing a reduction in cash transactions on credit (card) for a long time . . . but what is significant is this (debit card) reduction, which accelerated in the last year,' said MWE managing director Mike Ebstein.

'I think that's a sign that Australians are beginning to move away from cash as their staple payment product.'

MWE estimates that between 65 and 70 per cent of all transactions in Australia were still cash. Typically, cash is used for transactions of less than $25.

For the first time, he said, figures showed a reduction in cash usage, indicating that "we are finally beginning to move towards a cashless society". ...more

I'm dreaming of a cashless Christmas - Telegraph

"f you’re anything like me, this was the day you finally realised it was time to start shopping for presents. Of course, if there’s one day you don’t want to be stuck in a queue at the cashpoint, it’s Christmas Eve. So how much money should you take with you while you brave the high street?

A couple of years ago, a Harvard professor called Greg Mankiw worked out that the ideal amount to have in one’s wallet at any time was $600 (£375), on the basis that time spent topping up at the cash machine is time wasted, and that you’re far less likely to be mugged or lose your wallet than you think. But I’ve got a different answer: absolutely nothing."

I don’t mean, of course, that we don’t need any money. But Mankiw’s findings are already out of date – because cash is inexorably becoming redundant. Last week, the Payments Council caused howls of outrage when it announced that come 2018, the cheque will be sent to the great till in the sky. But it won’t be long before notes and coins follow suit.
This is a bold statement to make: currency has been an integral part of our world, in one way or another, since 3,000BC. But the simple fact is that we can survive without it. In fact, abolishing notes and coins could make the world and its economies far less dysfunctional.
To understand why, let’s go back to first principles. Money has two main purposes: to be a medium of exchange (helping us swap things of value) and a unit of account (a yardstick against which things can be priced). The textbooks also say it should be a store of value, although anyone who has experienced inflation will realise it hardly fulfils that role these days.
But while pounds and pence will survive, notes and coins are no longer all that relevant. Cash transactions account for only 4 per cent of overall money use: next year, for the first time, we will spend more using our debit cards than with cash. ...more

Paper Cheques In Britain Are Set To Be Phased Out

"Paper cheques in Britain are set to be phased out by 2018 as the nation moves towards an increasingly cashless society.

The UK Payments Council has said that there will be a gradual move towards contactless smart cards and electronic payment systems, which will see the end of the paper cheque by October 31st 2018.

'There are many more efficient ways of making payments than by paper in the 21st century and the time is ripe for the economy as a whole to reap the benefits of its replacement,' says chief executive Paul Smee.

He goes on to add that the cheque is in long-term decline, with usage dropping by 40 per cent in the past five years alone.

The council has advised that it will be promoting the use of other payment methods, such as smart cards, so that consumers have an alternative to the traditional cheque when it is phased out.

According to BBC News, in three to five years it is expected that the use of cash will have been eradicated to such an extent that the nation will become a cashless society." ...Source

National Irish Bank to stop handling cash

"One of the country's larger banks has told to its customers that it is to stop handling cash in its branches.

National Irish Bank says it is moving to a Scandinavian model of 'cashless banking' - with an increased reliance on ATMs and debit cards.

NIB has told customers that its branches will no longer handle cash withdrawals or lodgements, nightsafe lodgements or foreign exchange cash.

They are instead urging customers to use ATMs or get cash back on their laser cards if they need notes. Branches will continue to accept cheques and postal orders.

The bank says the idea of 'cashless banking' will be rolled out over the next 18 months, and that the model is that used by its Danish parent company.

NIB says Irish dependence on cash is amongst the highest in Europe." ...source

BBC NEWS Video: The Cashless Society

BusinessWorld Online: A World Without Cash

"IT STARTED as a piece of economic science fiction. The cashless society, a society in which all bills and debits are paid through electronic media, is now more than ever a looming possibility; some say it can be realized as early as the year 2012.

Imagine working in one of the busiest districts of Tokyo. The fight for the last maki during the peak hours of your favorite sushi bar will have had you settling for the next best thing. Yet, the reassuring thought of not having to fall too far behind a long line of hungry customers counting the coins in their purses has somewhat made the extra time you spent waiting for your much coveted sushi all the more worthwhile.

That is the typical lunch break of Toru Nashimito as narrated by an international journal. Mr. Nashimito is a Japanese 40-year-old who, like much of Japan today, finds payment to the last centavo a convenient swipe-of-the-card (or cellphone) away. In but a few seconds, Nashimoto had paid for his $45 lunch tab. No change from the cash register. No waiting for confirmation. No pin code to enter.

A Global Trend

In Japan especially, cashless transactions are fast becoming the norm of everyday life. The Japanese are flashing their smart cards and their mobile phones on virtually all of their purchases, from magazines to fast food to public transport, even vendo machines.

Japan, however, is not alone. Joining the ranks of those countries converting to electronic cash is New Zealand. In fact, a recent report by her Retirement Commission reveals that electronic funds transfer (Eftpos) had already displaced cash as the most common method of payment for such things as groceries, power bills, and mortgages. According to the same study, the number using Eftpos had remained stable at 83%, while those using cash had fallen from 84% in 2005 to 77%, a whopping 6% shy of the now most widely used means of transaction.

The concept has become far from arcane, even to countries with relatively backward technologies such as the Philippines. The smart cards and mobile phones are embedded with unique antennas and integrated circuit chips that allow the devices to receive and emit electronic signals, which in turn, translate to electronic money. This is the same technology employed in Hong Kong’s widely used Octopus card. Launched in 1997, the card is now enjoyed by more than 13 million users.

Europe and the United States are expected to follow suit, albeit not as seamlessly as the transition of their eastern counterparts. Branded as the credit card nation, the U.S. is probably the best example of a country that has done away with cash. In 2005, only 31% and 15% of the public used cash and checks, respectively, while users of credit and debit cards ballooned to 51%. Slowly but surely, Americans are holding onto their cards rather than their currency, and analysts say that eventually e-cash will penetrate the iPod nation, if only for speedier transactions." ...more

Shoppers to use fingerprints or eye scans to pay for goods - Telegraph

The futuristic systems, like those used
by Tom Cruise in the science fiction film Minority Report, are being
developed by scientists for Barclaycard.

The company has announced it is investing a seven-figure sum in "contactless payment" technology.

This allows customers to use everyday items they carry around with them
- such as mobile phones, key fobs or even their eyes or fingerprints -
to make payments.

It means shoppers will no longer have to rely on cards.

Barclaycard, which is part of Barclays, has already introduced a
new-style cash machine in the United Arab Emirates enabling people to
use their fingerprints to withdraw money and shoppers in the UK may
soon be able to use the same technology.

Antony Jenkins, chief executive of Barclaycard, said: "It's possible
we'll see an end to plastic in the next five to 10 years with new
technologies to take its place emerging now. It could turn out to be
one of the shortest lived payment methods in history, going from being
ubiquitous to a museum piece in the same way as the video cassette."

Barclaycard also aims to have one million customers upgraded to its
contactless payment system OnePulse by the end of the year. OnePulse
enables people to buy items for less than £10 by touching their card
against a sensor, without even having to take it out of their wallet.
It can also be used as an Oyster card on London transport.

Barclaycard said people may soon be able to hover their mobile over the
price label of an item in a shop, confirm their purchase and take it
away without having to go to a checkout or get a receipt.

Mr Jenkins said: "If I had said to you 10 years ago that you couldn't
pay with a cheque at the supermarket, you wouldn't have believed me.
That is now the reality, and we see plastic cards going the same way
eventually." ...Source

Invisible RFID Ink Safe For Cattle And People, Company Says -- RFID Ink

A startup company developing chipless RFID ink has tested its product on cattle and laboratory rats.

Somark Innovations announced this week that it successfully tested biocompatible RFID ink, which can be read through animal hairs. The passive RFID technology could be used to identify and track cows to reduce financial losses from Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (mad cow disease) scares. Somark, which formed in 2005, is located at the Center for Emerging Technologies in St. Louis. The company is raising Series A equity financing and plans to license the technology to secondary markets, which could include laboratory animals, dogs, cats, prime cuts of meat, and military personnel.

Chief scientist Ramos Mays said the tests provide a true proof-of-principle and mitigate most of the technological risks in terms of the product's performance. "This proves the ability to create a synthetic biometric or fake fingerprint with biocompatible, chipless RFID ink and read it through hair," he said.

Co-founder Mark Pydynowski said during an interview Wednesday that the ink doesn't contain any metals and can be either invisible or colored. He declined to say what is in the ink, but said he's certain that it is 100% biocompatible and chemically inert. He also said it is safe for people and animals.

The process developed by Somark involves a geometric array of micro-needles and a reusable applicator with a one-time-use ink capsule. Pydynowski said it takes five to 10 seconds to "stamp or tattoo" an animal, and there is no need to remove the fur. The ink remains in the dermal layer, and a reader can detect it from 4 feet away.

"Conceptually, you can think of it in the same way that visible light is reflected by mirrors," he said, adding that the actual process is slightly different and proprietary.

The amount of information contained in the ink depends on the surface area available, he said. The U.S. Department of Agriculture calls for a 15-digit number to track cattle. The first three digits are "840" for the U.S. country code. The remaining digits are unique identifiers. The numbers would link to a database containing more information.

"It can say where it has been, who it has talked to, who it has eaten with, and who else it has been in contact with," Pydynowski said.

Ranchers and others in the agricultural industry can choose a covert stamping system, which would make it impossible for cattle thieves to tell which animals have been marked and easy for those checking for stolen cattle to determine a cow's source. Pydynowski said the technology is an improvement over ear tags, which can be detached from cows and other products.

The technology could verify that cuts of meat originated in a hormone-free environment, Pydynowski said, adding that consumers would destroy the system by breaking down the ink when chewing the meat. In other words, Big Brother wouldn't know whether someone ate a Big Mac or a filet mignon, according to Pydynowski's explanation. However, the government and agricultural producers and retailers could track e-coli outbreaks in spinach, he said.

The ink also could be used to track and rescue soldiers, Pydynowski said.

"It could help identify friends or foes, prevent friendly fire, and help save soldiers' lives," he said. "It's a very scary proposition when you're dealing with humans, but with military personnel, we're talking about saving soldiers' lives and it may be something worthwhile."

Invisible RFID Ink Safe For Cattle And People, Company Says -- RFID Ink -- InformationWeek

Chipping People

Technology has advanced to the point where it is technologically feasible to implant advanced microchips in humans, explains analyst Matthew Sollenberger in a recently released brief—part of a series on “wildcard” events by the futurist research and consulting firm Social Technologies.

“GPS, medical implant technology, and radio frequency identification (RFID) chips could be used for a variety of functions, from surveillance to identification,” Sollenberger says. “Chipping people would be simple, and could assist with child and elder safety, debit and credit payment, and personal medical records. But consumer opinion is sharply divided on the merits of human microchip implants.”

Drivers
• Cheap implantable devices and quick, low-cost implantation have made chipping easy and affordable. It takes about 20 minutes, and doesn’t require stitches.
• Chip tracking and scanning is reliable, thanks to wireless, GPS, and RFID scanning networks.
• Parents are increasingly looking to technology to provide child safety solutions. In fact, 75% of parents in the UK say they would buy a child tracking device.
Obstacles
• The idea of implanting a chip with tracking functions in the body tends to evoke strong feelings—especially considering that RFID implants are considered highly vulnerable to hacking, and the long-term health effects are unknown.
• Privacy advocates warn that human chipping would let “Big Brother” run rampant.
• Consumer and legislative moves to restrict the use of human RFID implants are already in motion, and several states already have laws prohibiting implantation of chips.

Business implications

“Ubiquitous RFID implants could reshape many aspects of consumer society, for instance by enabling new ways to personalize advertising and shopping,” Sollenberger suggests. “Kids could have implants that inform vendors of parentally approved purchases, and personalized health implants could help consumers choose what foods to eat.”

It’s quite possible that a culture of constant monitoring could actually increase demand for new security products, he offers.

“As consumers become accustomed to continuous tracking and expect to be able to monitor their valuables—from cars to children—they may begin to insist that everything be trackable.”

Additionally, the spread of human chipping and support networks could provide the groundwork for a major expansion of location-based services (LBS), such as marketing for new location-based games, targeting reward programs to a consumer’s location, or optimizing the flow of fast-moving consumer goods based on aggregate consumer-implant data.

What’s the probability of human chipping coming to fruition?

“The necessary technology is essentially in place—the outcome will hinge on what users want. There is at least a low probability of chipping becoming widespread within 10 years,” Sollenberger concludes.

Hope Katz Gibbs (hope.gibbs@socialtechnologies.com)
Leader, Corporate Communications
Social Technologies
1776 Massachusetts Ave. N.W. #815
Washington, DC 20036-1907
Phone : 202-223-2801 ext. 210
Fax : 202-223-2802
Chipping People

Credit card kiosk boosts giving

Tithing just entered the 21st century.

"You use your debit card at the gas station, you use your debit card at the grocery store," Noel said. "Why are we afraid to use the technology in church?

"Biblically speaking, they used to bring grains and fruits and animals as offering. Then they brought coins."

The desktop kiosk, which looks a lot like the cash register at any random Subway franchise — complete with card swipe — is merely the next step in tithing evolution.

Seems to make sense, too.

For many young people, carrying cash is about as practical as tithing every 10th head of oxen.

"I believe our society is moving to a cashless society," Noel said.