[148404] in cryptography@c2.net mail archive
Re: [Cryptography] Kindle as crypto hardware
daemon@ATHENA.MIT.EDU (ianG)
Wed Dec 11 13:18:25 2013
X-Original-To: cryptography@metzdowd.com
Date: Wed, 11 Dec 2013 14:27:29 +0300
From: ianG <iang@iang.org>
To: cryptography@metzdowd.com
In-Reply-To: <21160.1213.961419.125892@desk.crynwr.com>
Errors-To: cryptography-bounces+crypto.discuss=bloom-picayune.mit.edu@metzdowd.com
On 11/12/13 09:22 AM, Russ Nelson wrote:
> John Gilmore writes:
> > What ever happened to those old Java-rings or iButtons with the 1-wire
> > interface? They were designed for almost exactly this application.
Yes, designed but never demanded. This is the old /design a better
smartcard moustrap and they'll beat a pathway to your door/. And yes,
the iButton was basically a variant on the smartcard.
People want their iToy to do everything. When contemplating a smartcard
or an iButton, the thought was either that (A) you plug your thing into
the network (ATM, POS, etc) and it would work, or (B) you would plug
your thing into your own personal device (laptop, iPhone, Android or
Palm Pilot for those who remember).
Case A succeeded in a thing called Chip&PIN but the lead time was
decades and the rollout cost is in the billions. So it only happens in
a totally controlled market. I'm not even sure it has reached US of A yet.
Case B never succeeded because a system that did it all on the personal
device always wins in the marketplace over a system that requires two
devices.
iang
> > (Touch the ring to a point on a device or wall, it authenticates or
> > decrypts. No UI beyond that, except for initial programming.)
>
> They cancelled the product, but still have information about it on
> their website:
> http://www.maximintegrated.com/products/ibutton/jibkit/javaringfaq.cfm
>
> There are some for sale on EBay right now, $29 "More than 10 available".
>
_______________________________________________
The cryptography mailing list
cryptography@metzdowd.com
http://www.metzdowd.com/mailman/listinfo/cryptography
