memorandum

to: Jack cook

from: Liying wu

subject: Article review 1

date: 1/10/2005

Source Citation:

Myers, W. (2000, July). On Trial at the Summer Olympic Games: Smart Cards. IETT Journal

Computer, 29(7), 88-91. Retrieved January 1, 2005, from IEEE Xplore Database.

Summary:

The article focuses on the topic of smart card. Based on the technology, there are four major types of cards: magnetic stripe, microcontroller cards, memory cards and optical memory cards. The author then explains the advantages and disadvantages of each type of card. In general, only the microcontroller card is considered to be “smart.” Unlike other cards, a microcontroller card has a chip containing build-in programming, which has the ability to encrypt data and store it in memory areas designed to be unreadable by agents without the key. The author also projects the future market for smart cards and he concludes that the market depends on the acceptance both the technology and of the application among consumers.

Research Questions:

1. What is a smart card?

Outline Ideas:

1. Four types of cards based on technology they employ

2. Advantages of microcontroller smart card

3. Disadvantages of microcontroller smart card

4. Future security technology to support smart card

5. Will smart card become popular among U.S. consumers in the future?

Direct Quotes & Paraphrases:

1. “Smart cards could alter everything from banking to medical care – and may make the old science-fiction notion of a cashless society real.” (Myers, 89)

2. “Almost everyone on earth will eventually have a smart cared, but it may take a few decades yet. The governing point is that the rate of growth of smart-card applications depends fundamentally on the rate at which human beings can grow comfortable with the application, and less on the rate of technical change.” (Myers, 91)