Passport Card goes into production

Do you visit Canada, Mexico, Bermuda or the Caribbean regularly? Don't want to carry your passport with you every time you leave the country? The State Department today announced that they've begun production on the Passport Card, an RFID-enabled card that can be used by frequent visitors to the aforementioned countries/regions in place of a passport for land and sea entry (not for air travel).

The chip embedded in the card contains no personal information, but does have a unique ID number that can be read as you approach the border. This number can pull up your information on a secure government database, so that when you reach the border agent, you can presumably breeze through quickly.

Some people may cry "Big Brother," but for those who commute across the border every day, the Passport Card can probably make life a bit easier.