For those who have everything: SmartSwipe
SmartSwipe encrypts and encodes your credit or debit card information before it reaches the vendor.
When typing details from credit or debit cards into a website, many of us are anxiously aware of the possibility that “some tech-savvy weevil is tracking every keystroke.” SmartSwipe, a card scanner that encrypts and encodes your card’s info before it reaches the vendor, can give you peace of mind. When purchasing an item online, plug it into a USB port and “swipe your card through its jaws.” Your protected digits go directly to the vendor. SmartSwipe also removes the tedium of typing out your details, making “dispensing cash” fun again. The only downside: It doesn’t yet work with Macs.
$60, brookstone.com
Source: Financial Times
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