Smartphones, it seems, can do anything.
I use my phone to get into Braves games, but in Iowa, people will soon be able to use them to get into bars.
The Des Moines Register reports Iowa may be the first state to replace traditional driver's licenses with a smartphone app. Drivers who want to keep their plastic ID can do so.
I'm generally an early adopter, but I am not sure about this technological advancement.
My first thought was that kids would quickly figure a way to hack new IDs for purchasing alcohol, or, heaven forbid, voting.
My second thought was more cynical.
What if police want IDs to be on our smartphones so they can search it for other information?
Also, will police think people are pulling guns when people reach for an iPhone?
Maybe I am just being paranoid.
Or maybe not.
A separate Register story says police officers will have to take the driver's phone to their car to be scanned and this opens "all sorts of questions."
In California, a 35-year-old highway patrol officer stole nude photos from the phone of a woman he arrested for DUI . Even worse, he admitted doing it multiple times.
According to the officer, Sean Harrington, stealing nude pics from phones was a "game" he learned from other officers.
When sending the woman's photos to his colleagues, Harrington described the woman as a "horse face" whose looks are "like a 5 or a 6 at best."
Maybe a judge will make sure our phones are not searched unlawfully.
Or, maybe not. Today, a Georgia judge was convicted of conspiring to plant drugs on a woman who accused him of propositioning her for sex.
The Register's story says the digital ID will be accepted at airports. If the TSA officer says he needs to take your cellphone into his office for a few seconds you have cause for concern.
Iowa officials say the first digital licenses will roll out in 2015.
Thirty-five states allow drivers to show police digital proof of insurance, including Georgia.
The Iowa app will be made available at no extra cost, and state officials say it is "highly secure."
Smartphones are hacked and stolen at an alarming rate. My wallet has never been hacked, to my knowledge.
Yeah, it might be a good idea to stick to the plastic.
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