new web security product

I wouldn't pass this along normally, but it seems to allow folks to use
their credit cards at home securely.  Bye-bye, First Virtual... ;)

	http://www.cnn.com/TECH/9601/encryption/index.html
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"Ed Carp, KHIJOL SysAdmin" writes:
> I wouldn't pass this along normally, but it seems to allow folks to use
> their credit cards at home securely.  Bye-bye, First Virtual... ;)
> 
> 	http://www.cnn.com/TECH/9601/encryption/index.html

I don't think its going to fly. No one wants to pay for an unneeded
$100 piece of hardware to encrypt the same credit card over and over
again, when a nearly zero marginal cost piece of software can do the
same thing.

Perry

Ed Carp writes:
> : > I wouldn't pass this along normally, but it seems to allow folks to use
> : > their credit cards at home securely.  Bye-bye, First Virtual... ;)

Perry Metzger writes:
> : I don't think its going to fly. No one wants to pay for an unneeded
> : $100 piece of hardware to encrypt the same credit card over and over
> : again, when a nearly zero marginal cost piece of software can do the
> : same thing.

Jeff Hupp writes:
> 	I am not even sure it IS an encryption device. ......
> 	It may just be a low cost? mag stripe reader...

Let's assume that it is an encryption device, though I agree that this
is left unclear.  This is by no means the first announcement of such a
device.  I suspect it is targeted at physical merchants, and intended
more to compete with the likes of Verifone terminals than anything else.
 I doubt that anyone's basing their business plan on the idea that
consumers will spend $100 each for a device that helps them to spend
more money, but has no other direct utility.   -- Nathaniel
--------
Nathaniel Borenstein <nsb@fv.com> (FAQ & PGP key: nsb+faq@nsb.fv.com)
Chief Scientist, First Virtual Holdings

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