Tiny chips in everything...

I had to replace my debit card recently.  The old one has the new PayPass RFID payment system on it -- it allows you to tap your card against a reader to pay.  For small purchases, you don't enter a PIN or sign your name. 

I decided to dissect the card to see what the little RFID chip looks like.  Looking at the card on-edge, I was able to see a slight bump that showed where the impossibly thin chip was hiding.  I cut it out and peeled the layers of the card apart.

Here it is:


Apparently the chip has a 2-3cm range, so someone could conceivably bump up against you (with your card in your wallet in your back pocket) with a reader and grab your account information. 

Carnaval in SF:

Yeah, it's like that...



... featuring sexy women in sexy costumes, not-so-sexy photographers hovering around them, and a broken fourth wall courtesy of yours truly.  Bonus points if you spotted Frank Chu before reading this.

Oh, and Z = Y^2 - X^2:



More pix:

( Even more... )

Table with fractal drawers

It might be useful, not just eye-catching, as small items tend to get lost in large drawers.

More here