In fact, there's a different picture on every page.
Thursday, October 04, 2007
Know what I got in the mail today?
In fact, there's a different picture on every page.
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In fact, there's a different picture on every page.
9 comments:
Cool! I musta missed out by just a couple of months ... oh well, next time. Though 10 years from now we probably won't even have passports - it'll be all direct eye scans and computers or something ...
I feel validated as a world traveler, because recently I had to send off my passport to get extra visa/stamp pages. They did a shoddy-ass job, though, so I'm hoping the next time I'm in Russia I won't be given problems...*sigh* But I will.
-Brooke S.
Eh, they're pretty, but they're also the evil RFID type. I'd look into an RFID-blocking passport cover.
I wasn't allowed to smile for my new Canadian passport, because it makes it harder to scan with facial recognition software...or so I was told.
Is it legal to put pictures of your passport online? For some reason, I thought it was illegal to photograph them.
Melissa
Kristin - You have more faith in the government adopting new technology than I have, I think!
Brooke - That sucks! Can't you complain to the State Dept about said shoddy quality?
Matthew - According to the State Department the chip can only be read at a maximum distance of 4 inches, although nonetheless they claim to have shielded it such as to prevent attempts by unauthorized folks to read the data on the chip.
Sean - Well, I got my passport pic taken at walmart by some woman who couldn't figure out how to focus the camera. I don't know if you can tell, but to me it's obvious that even though I'm smiling I'm thinking "My god, you're a dumbass." But the State Dept processed it without any problems...
Melissa - well, I blocked out all of the pertinent identifying features (I don't want random folks knowing my passport number and DOB, etc). However, I would suspect that if it were illegal to photograph them they would have included some sort of warning against such behavior.
Jane - 4 inches is all someone would need to get to bump up against you with a 'sniffer'.. an rfid reader hidden in their sleeve. if it's in a purse or something.
Mind you, they scan the machine-readable code along the bottom of one of the pages, as well as look at your picture (which has been inlaid with part of the image, along with the RFID. According to this site (http://tech.yahoo.com/blogs/null/6808), you need the passport number and expiry date to decode everything. I'll have to wait until I get mine to test it out.
Supposedly they wove some kind of metallic fiber into the cover, but sometimes they say things just to make you feel better about it.
I would also block out your signature, just to be safe.
Call me a privacy freak, but.. it's a scary world out there, and it takes all kinds.
I didn't mean to write a story, but hey. Until next post, Cheers!
Just looked up a few quick products..
You can get a nice leather passport case at http://www.difrwear.com/purchase.shtml.. or little tyvex packets (That no-rip fabric-paper stuff) with a metal lining inside. http://www.idstronghold.com/products.php?s=2&b=2
The leather case is $20+$3 shipping, and the sleeves come in packs of 3 for $15. Personally, I'd go for the leather case, but that's just me.
I'm not recommending either of them, just pointing out what kind of products are available.
RFIDiot, the site linked to by that yahoo article, says that the sleeves do block all rfid from the US passport.
Once again, cheers!
well, i'll take a look at the passport cases... although i guess i'm just not as concerned about it as you are.
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