A ROBUST memory chip that could slash the cost of making "smart"
identity cards has been unveiled. Motorola is talking to the
British government about using the technology in identity cards
and in car tags that will allow drivers to pay road tolls
without stopping. Until now, designers of identity card and
tagging systems have had two options. The first is to use
magnetic strips such as those on bank or credit cards. Such
cards cost only a few pence each, but they can store only a few
hundred text characters, which can only be read by swiping the
card through a contact reader. The second option is smart cards.
Their solid-state memories give them a larger data capacity.
They can also be read remotely, but they are relatively
expensive. Some need a built-in battery to hold the data inside
"volatile" RAM chips. Other smart cards need relatively large
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