 
The KeyCardtmSmartCard TechnologyA KeyCard tm is an ISO standard smartcard, like the new prepaid phone cards and cash cards, that is inserted into the radio via a bright orange, blinking, card-loading tongue, on the front panel. Once loaded, it stores each cardholder's favorite radio stations, tone control settings, and other feature preferences. When the KeyCard tm is removed, the radio is unusable, and will not work unless one of its two matching KeyCards is reinserted.  Although KeyCards and other smartcards look like credit cards, they are worlds
apart in terms of capability. While a credit card uses a short strip of magnetic tape to record a few dozen characters of information, a smartcard has a tiny computer chip embedded in the surface of
the card , that holds upwards of eight pages of data. It also has complex data encryption circuits that make these cards virtually fraud-proof.
These capabilities have made smartcards popular as prepaid phone cards and cash cards for small purchases, including the highly-publicized test at the Olympics in Atlanta. There is a growing list of other applications being developed here, and in Europe. In Germany, smartcards are being used as health insurance cards, with stored medical data. In Spain, they are the equivalent of social security cards, with stored employment data. Some companies have used them as employee identification cards with encoded fingerprint scans for high security jobs. KeyCard tm has already been introduced on several Blaupunkt models available in Europe, and it has been found to be superior to detachable faceplate car stereos for several important reasons. First, a KeyCardtm is much easier to carry than a detached faceplate; Just slip it in your wallet, purse, or pocket.  Second, unlike detachable faceplates, each KeyCard is virtually unique and not interchangeable from unit to unit. While
industrious thieves sometimes find sources for replacement faceplates, the nature of the KeyCard prevents thieves from replacing them. Third, radio presets and system preferences are saved in the
KeyCard's memory, not in the radio. Now, two drivers can each set up the same car stereo to accommodate their differing listening habits. A Blaupunkt dealer can also set up two different KeyCard
radios to recognize the same pair of cards. This way, both drivers can each have one card to use in both cars.
While no theft deterrent system can be totally foolproof, Blaupunkt's KeyCard tm Security System has worked so well in Europe, that the company is offering a theft replacement guarantee on dealer installed 7 Series KeyCard tm radios sold in the U.S. 
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