OT: FYI Credit Card Reader.
 

Credit cards at risk by a portable RFID reader. Careful folks!

VIDEO

Welcome to 2006? This was a concern since then. I think some credit card companies responded by encrypting the data, or removing name and the security code. Bottom line if you want to be sure don't use RFID enabled credit cards.

Yeah but if you travel to places like parts of Europe, you need RFID to even buy things at some places. For example, the public bike rental system in Paris.. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/V%C3%A9lib'

Well good thing I am to broke to go to Europe. :lol:

From the linked article (emphasis mine):

1-day and 1-week subscribers are given a printed ticket with their subscription number that they will need for future rentals during their subscription period, while 1-year subscribers will be sent a RFID card.

so you don't need an RFID credit card, they send you a card. Just like London's transport network uses an (optional) Oyster card that's RFID enabled. It's not your credit card and if you don't like it you don't have to use it.

Well in Europe, at least in France, it is more and more difficult to use a US credit card. All the cards there have a chip and you are required to enter a 4 digit code to validate purchases (no signature required). Most retailers don't even know how to scan traditional cards, in most cases you have to show them and then let them know that you are supposed to sign the paper slip.

Yes, exactly...

To contango:

I was just providing an example with the bike rentals.. Even some restaurants don't take magnetic strip CC's in France. The waiter will walk up to you with a hand held RFID scanner device.

Also, perhaps I don't want to purchase a 29 euro 1-yr subscription. My point wasn't that renting bikes in Paris is impossible without an RFID CC. My point is that the RFID is convenient to have.

What happened to just paying with cash? Well with that specific example it might be an issue, but for everything else I had no issue using cash.

The credit cards use EMV chips which are different than RFID cards. The VéLib subscription card is RFID and must be purchased with a credit card. The VéLib card has only a value of 29 Euros (1 year of use).

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/EMV

I see, but what in the case of restaurants, etc?

The portable wireless reader allows you to insert your card (chip in the machine) and enter your PIN number for validation. Same as the desk units but these sometimes have a thin slide scanner on the side for old type (US) cards.
It is very annoying especially traveling at night and finding yourself out of gas. Most gas stations are unattended and their card readers only accept the new types. It happened to me last year. I barely reached a small town in the countryside where I ended up having to convince a guy in front of a bar to hop in my car and accompany me to one of only 2 gas stations in town, of course on the outskirts. He paid with his card, I gave him cash with a tip for his trouble.