Sound-Based System Promises Chipless Phone Payment 186
CWmike writes "While near-field communication gradually emerges to turn mobile phones into payment devices, startup Naratte is introducing a system it claims can do roughly the same thing without adding a chip to the handset. On Monday, Naratte introduced Zoosh, a technology that lets phones exchange transaction information via inaudible sound waves. As with NFC, the phone user would just put the phone near to a point-of-sale terminal to redeem a coupon or make a purchase. NFC provides short-range radio communication between phones and point-of-sale devices so users can just tap or point their phones at the device to make a purchase. NFC uses specialized chips, which are already built into a few phones such as the Google Nexus S sold by Sprint Nextel, and are expected in more handsets in the future. Zoosh involves software that utilizes the speaker and microphone in a handset to send and receive audio signals with another device, similar to the way early modems exchange data by sending tones through the handsets of desk phones cradled in coupler devices. The company has posted a video that shows how it works. Between this and barcodes (which Starbucks says is working well already, thank you very much), is NFC already irrelevant?"
I completely refuse (Score:5, Insightful)
Right now, I have an AMEX in my wallet. It's the best. Unlike my six other credit cards, my AMEX has no chip, no PIN, and no magic. Ok ok, it has a magstripe. The point is that in order to use it, I open my wallet, swipe my card, sign my signature, and walk away. That's great. It's convenient because it takes fewer than 10 seconds, and it's super-secure, because it requires me to take out my wallet, and to use my card within a millimetre of the magstripe reader. And it's super legal too, because my signature is a legal tool that means something, and it's very criminal to forge someone else's signature. Finally, it's super-safe for me, because if anyone, anywhere in the world uses my credit account for any reason in any way, I'm not responsible for the charge. That's perfect.
The reason I don't use my other credit cards is very simple. They suck. The chip can be read from many yards away, through my pocket. So it's not secure. I need to remember a different PIN for each, so it's not convenient. I'm not allowed to use the same PIN for each -- that's against the card agreement, and rightfully so. And here's the worst part. If someone else uses my card, and uses my PIN, it doesn't matter how they got it it, I'm still responsible to pay it. Read your agreement. Ask for it. That's what it says. It says that you are responsible for any purchase made using your PIN. My PIN is not 32 characters long. It's just a handful of digits that anyone could notice, and remember easier than a phone number.
Now, we're talking about using my phone. A device that can break, die, crash, or get lost. Unlike my wallet, my phone moves from my pocket to my hand way more often. It discharges too. So now if my battery dies, I won't be able to buy a new one. Suck on that for a while. How's that for a buried shovel? So it won't be safe. It won't be secure because whatever information is being passed is being passed through the air, and is no more secure than any airwave transmission. And by using ordinary soundwaves, it can be detected by any microphone that ever existed -- including other phones. My credit card can't intercept other credit cards, unless it's covered in cheese when I swipe it. And by the way, jamming is just as bad. So it's not secure in any way.
Not to mention the most annoying part of all. I just refuse to use a modem ever again. I don't want to hear that sound again. I don't want to wonder why my 16800 is connecting at 14400. I don't want to know why no one has ever gotten 56000 ever, with any 56000 modem. And I don't want to have to explain to someone what BAUD means ever again.
I'm done with that shit.