Pretty cool. :)

New York has now become the second state in the country to offer RFID-embedded driver's licenses. Following Washington State's lead last year, the radio-frequency identification (aka RFID) licenses will be offered at a $30 premium over the standard driver's license. The benefits of the RFID license include their ability to do double-duty as a driver's license and a U.S. passport for those who frequently enter New York from Canada, Mexico or the Caribbean (of course, you will still need a "real" passport to enter the state from other international destinations). Authorities say that only an ID number, no personal info, is stored on the chip. Regardless, as some embedded chips may be read from a distance -- and not necessarily a direct line of site -- authorities in New York will still offer standard licenses for those on the paranoid side... or they can run out and purchase an RFID-blocking wallet. Thanks for the tip, Yash!

One of our customers had a requirement for a more portable version of rfid Learning Table. While they went about procuring a suitable UMPC for running the Learning Table software, Alex Bell who is a NECS technician and myself tried to work out what was the best way to make a suitable slimline enclosure.

Now while I say “we” it’s really a case of me “imagining’ what such a case might look like and Alex actually having the skills to make one.

We are fortunate to have Alex as he always seems to have the tools and not inconsiderable skills needed to make pretty much any electrical or hardware component we need. In this case Alex went into a CAD application and designed us a new slimline case. Here is an early CAD drawing of it.

This is the first batch being cut on the mill.

And here is the final product.

It includes a modified circuit board that lowers the height of the final unit even more and a special shortened USB plug, that features an L shaped plug, to make it easier to tuck the cable around the back of the UMPC.

Of course this design will work just as well for Tablets, Laptops or the new Asus EeePC's as well.

Here is a side profile. The reader is approximately 6mm in height.

Thanks Alex and job well done!

We are currently working out final costings for these units, but expect these to be made available in our catalogue in the next month or so. If you have any questions about these, please feel free to drop me an email.