Credit where credit's due

Privicom of Chevy Chase in Maryland wants to make buying by phone easier (WO
00/08772). Having to read out your credit card details takes time and they may
be overheard. Privicom’s card reader, small enough to be carried in a wallet or
purse, has a magnetic head, audio amplifier and speaker. You hold the reader to
a phone while swiping the card through a slot. A burst of beeps travels down the
line and is decoded at the other end by a matching sensor, which prints or
stores transaction details.