Bank transfer via quantum crypto

[Ivan Krstic]

On /. today:

An anonymous reader writes with today's announcement that "the Austrian 
project for Quantum Cryptography[1] made the world's first Bank Transfer 
via Quantum Cryptography Based on Entangled Photons; see also 
Einstein-Podolski-Rosen Paradoxon[2]." (For more background, see the 
recent Slashdot post "Quantum Cryptography Leaving the Lab."[3])

[1] http://www.quantenkryptographie.at/
[2] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/EPR_paradox
[3] http://science.slashdot.org/science/04/04/12/1336238.shtml?tid=134

I have to agree with Perry on this one: I simply can't see a compelling 
reason for the push currently being given to ridiculously overpriced 
implementations of what started off as a lab toy, and what offers - in 
all seriousness - almost no practical benefits over the proper use of 
conventional techniques. Besides, any of the ultrasecret applications 
that *might* (I remain very skeptical) call for such a level of 
confidentiality - things like military communication or diplomatic 
message exchange between a country and its ambassadors - are all too 
likely to be out of the range currently offered by these QC setups (last 
I read, if I'm not mistaken, it was about 50 km or ~30 miles). Fine, the 
range might improve - but I doubt that the amount of money and hassle 
required to set these up will.

Cheers,
Ivan

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