Simsalabim, your oyster card shall be mysteriosly transformed into a chip and some wires.

May 8, 2008 5:41 AM

Several websites have been trying to out do one another in the melt your oystercard using nail polish remover stakes. I like Skeptobot's idea of using an Oystercards RFID chip in a magic wand. But, so far, for me Chris Woebken is winning, not least because he ties it all in with an interesting discussion of e-money. Add a video of a magnetic glove being used to give Darth Vader like powers. And only one word remains - genius.
posted by munchbunch (21 comments total)

What.

What do RFID chips have to do with magnet gloves? And how do magnet gloves move vodka?
posted by DU at 5:49 AM on May 8, 2008 [1 favorite]

I love these, but what happens when you take one of these cleverly hacked Oyster cards for a topup? Will the nice man at the Sainsbury's refill my magic wand?
posted by rokusan at 5:50 AM on May 8, 2008

You can top up the cards, either with cash or a card, at the station machines.

I suspect the bigger problem would be that as soon as the staff saw you using one at a station, you'd be assumed to be some kind of fare-dodger and end up with a load of hassle.
posted by TheophileEscargot at 6:12 AM on May 8, 2008

Yeah, vodka's not metal! What gives?
posted by cowbellemoo at 6:17 AM on May 8, 2008

Oyster was the name of my cat. He died. This makes sad.

The vodka is cheap and ornamented with metal, like Goldschlager, but with iron. It is awful, almost as bad as Goldschlager.

RIP Oyster.
posted by kingfisher, his musclebound cat at 6:33 AM on May 8, 2008

....What in the name of J. Edgar Hoover is an oystercard?
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 7:43 AM on May 8, 2008

It's the reloadable transit pass for the London (UK) transit system.

I have no idea why it's called Oyster, though. Perhaps as in 'the world is your oyster'?
posted by dirtynumbangelboy at 7:47 AM on May 8, 2008

Pretty cool. If I could embed one of those chips in my hand I'd never have to worry about forgetting my Oyster card again.
posted by gfrobe at 8:56 AM on May 8, 2008

Pretty cool. If I could embed one of those chips in my hand I'd never have to worry about forgetting my Oyster card again.

Flagged as terrifying.
posted by Faux Real at 9:07 AM on May 8, 2008 [2 favorites]

I have no idea why it's called Oyster, though. Perhaps as in 'the world is your oyster'?

"The Oyster brand name was agreed after a lengthy period of research managed by TranSys, the company contracted to deliver the ticketing system in London, and agreed by Transport for London. A number of alternative names were considered; however, Oyster was chosen as a fresh approach that was not directly linked to transport, ticketing or London. According to Andrew McCrum, now of Appella brand name consultants, who was brought in to find a name by Saatchi and Saatchi Design (in turn contracted by TranSys), Oyster was conceived and subsequently promoted because of the metaphorical implications of security and value in the component meanings of the hard bivalve shell and the concealed pearl. Its associations with London through Thames estuary oyster beds and the popular idiom 'the world is your oyster' were also significant factors in its selection as was the uniqueness of the word Oyster." ^*

posted by ericb at 9:11 AM on May 8, 2008

I wonder if this would work with SmartLink cards.
posted by oaf at 9:33 AM on May 8, 2008

Oyster is the world's largest contactless transport card scheme in the world.

8000 buses
300 stations
Handles 64% of 3.7 million bus journeys and and 2.7 million underground train journeys A DAY.
Annual ticket sales revenue - £1.8 billion (approx $3.6 billion)
Target - 7 million London commuters
posted by Duug at 9:55 AM on May 8, 2008

So, why exactly would I want a glove that pushed the alcohol away? That seems entirely too counterintuitive.
posted by quin at 10:31 AM on May 8, 2008

I think this is the best Oyster card hack I've seen.
posted by tapeguy at 10:59 AM on May 8, 2008 [2 favorites]

Here in Hong Kong we have the Octopus card - and instead of people tearing open their cards to get to the chip, we can just buy watches or other small gadgets that have a chip in them, that can be recharged at any convenience outlet in the city. So to all those people in London being smartarses I say "why not turn your tiny rebellion into an actual business and enter into an arrangement with Oyster to market and distribute Oyster chips in a variety of form factors?".
posted by awfurby at 7:19 PM on May 8, 2008

DU nailed it for me.
posted by Frasermoo at 7:58 PM on May 8, 2008

Let me know when someone comes up with some interesting hacks for my Narwhal card.
posted by DecemberBoy at 8:57 PM on May 8, 2008

I was thinking the same thing, awfurby. If Hong Kong can put their Octopus card chips into sim cards, why can't London? And why can't I use my Oyster card to buy milk?
posted by goo at 3:59 AM on May 9, 2008

I'm waiting for a Dugong card myself, DecemberBoy. Or maybe a Vestimentiferan worm card.
posted by goo at 4:02 AM on May 9, 2008

I think this is the best Oyster card hack I've seen.


That's awesome. If Monty Python were new today, that's precisely the sort of thing they'd do.
posted by dirtynumbangelboy at 6:13 AM on May 9, 2008

And why can't I use my Oyster card to buy milk?

You can. Sort of.
posted by essexjan at 1:19 AM on May 10, 2008