iButton Crypto (Slightly off topic)

[phil@Stimpy.netroedge.com]

Has anybody played with the iButton products?

http://www.iButton.com

They seem like coin shaped devices (sealed and waterproof) which can
transfer information (temperature, crypto, etc.) wirelessly by placing it
near a 'recepter' which is connected to either the parallel or serial port
of a machine.  A Linux SDK is supposed to be available, as are all the
data sheets (Dallas Semi makes a majority of the products).

Uses include recording history data (like temperatures) and holding other
data, or using them for doing authentication for accessing sensitive
servers and such.  Their 'Java' iButton can do some crypto stuff which
sounds interesting.

I ordered an evaluation kit for $25 (USD) for kicks.  Since the obvious
use was for authentication, I though some poeple on the GPG list might be
interested in hearing about this, too.


Phil

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Philip Edelbrock -- IS Manager -- Edge Design, Corvallis, OR
   phil@netroedge.com -- http://www.netroedge.com/~phil
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