Jessica writes:
A year and a half ago, my favorite handbag bit the dust. Not being able to find something similar, I decided to make my own. I made a passport-sized prototype, at which point a friend suggested making RFID-shielding passport wallets. I researched, found an excellent copper mesh fabric made for data-shielding purposes, and a week later, Faraday Bags was born.When one of my customers said that she decided she needed a Faraday wallet after reading “Little Brother,” I decided to check it out. Imagine my surprise to find that the MC uses a similar device, also called a Faraday Pouch!
At any rate, I make RFID-shielding passport pouches in a variety of designs ranging from $15-$30. The patented copper mesh I use blocks RFID transmission between 10MHz and 20GHz (most “smart cards” transmit at 13MHz.)
My bags come in several fabrics or designs, but I’m very happy to consider custom work.
I think this is pretty cool, but I just _know_ I’d forget and put my cell phone in there. I’d have to have chargers in every room.
I live in America and this sounds illegal to me. I suggest looking up your own local laws to discover what privacy rights you have, before purchasing such an item.
In America such a item seems to breach the reasonable expectation of publicity that determines whom and when papers must be presented.
Uhh… I hope anon2 is a joke.
Number 2 has GOT to be kidding as nobody could realistically think that the statement made could be correct (and it isn’t). Either that or they wholly failed to grasp how this works and what it is for.
Huh, my sister-in-law just watched a CCTV video of some women walking out of the Barnes and Nobles where she works with $1100 worth of DVDs that they smuggled out in a metal-mesh lined bag.
I love the idea of a Faraday Wallet; a large Faraday bag might be overly tempting for some people…
Interesting idea.
But, must they all look so… steampunk?
The patented copper mesh I use
How can you patent a simple wire mesh? I was not aware an idea like a Faraday cage was patentable at this point in time. Unless she’s patenting a particular weave of mesh, which seems pointless as pretty much any shaped mesh would work.
Perhaps a sideline in… hats?
For London shoppers you could include a pocket on the *outside* of the mesh to put your Oyster card in. Passport = safe / Oyster = usable.
While I think the idea is totally awesome, I’m really more of a do-it-yerself type. Could I put my sewing skills to use and make my own with some nifty fabric and regular ol’ hardware store aluminum screening? Or must it be copper?
I want to know how much this cloth costs and what exactly it looks and feels like, because making a faraday coat & hat (with one unshielded cellphone pocket) would be awsome.