Obscure Research Blog December Archive

RF360 smart integrated circuit platform for the government identification market The Texas Instruments RF360 is the first contactless smart integrated circuit (IC) platform developed specifically to meet the rigorous demands of the government electronic identification market. It integrates TI's ultra-low power MSP430 microcontroller, advanced embedded Ferroelectric Random Access Memory (FRAM) and high-performance RF Analog Front-End (AFE) technologies. Leveraging a low power architecture and enhanced write capability, the RF360 smart IC platform provides fast chip transaction speeds enabling governments to quickly and efficiently produce a multitude of passive electronic identification (ID) such as electronic passports (e-passports) and national ID cards. (See http://www.ti.com/govid .)

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"Answering the Security Call

The RF360 platform provides both the memory and processing power to accommodate current and future security and encryption requirements, such as Basic Access Control (BAC) and Extended Access Control (EAC) requirements developed by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO). It integrates advanced security countermeasures and is designed to meet the stringent requirements of the Common Criteria EAL5+ security certification per the BSI (Bundesamt für Sicherheit in der Informationstechnik) Smartcard protection profile (BSI-PPP-0002). The RF360 platform features innovative, fast hardware co-processors on chip which support both public key cryptography (RSA, Elliptic Curve) and symmetric key cryptography (DES/Triple DES, AES). The RF360 architecture supports both contactless (ISO/IEC 14443 air interface protocol) and contact (ISO/IEC 7816 smart card interface protocol) communication."

Using 2.4 GHz RF to monitor good health habits is counterproductive if the monitor itself adversely affects your health.

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Nordic Semiconductor - News December 6th, 2007
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NEWS FROM NORDIC SEMICONDUCTOR

Combating the obesity crisis: US healthcare and wellness program providers to offer reward incentives to individuals achieving recommended daily activity levels measured using 2.4GHz wireless networking technology

Comprised of wearable, coin-cell powered ultra-low power (ULP) wireless sensors based on Nordic Semiconductor 2.4GHz transceivers, the ActiHealth BodyLAN monitoring system from FitSense provides guidance and timely motivational feedback to start and maintain active and healthy lifestyles. Accuracy and reliability in field trials has persuaded leading US healthcare and wellness providers(1) to offer reward incentives for policy-holders that achieve recommended daily activity levels as measured by ActiHealth - as it reduces healthcare costs(2)

For more information, please goto: Nordic Semiconductor - News.

Nordic Semiconductor

OUT IN THE FIELD
[06] San Francisco Bails on Open Voting

For better or worse, we can typically count on San Francisco to push the Status Quo. This week, however, San Francisco decided to stick with business-as-usual by choosing closed-source electronic voting machines. Admittedly, the established companies are offering only closed-source solutions, and clearly this is an area where enlightened minds in our community have not yet commercialized their ideas. Thankfully, the Open Voting Consortium is taking action on the issue.