AOptix
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Carriers are testing 'laser-radio' for bringing broadband to rural areas
A major step forward for wireless network infrastructure could also mean faster cellular speeds for you -- especially if you live out in the country. Technology Review is reporting that three US carriers are currently testing a new high-speed wireless solution that relies on laser and radio links, which can reach speeds of around 2Gbps at distances of up to 10Km (around 6 miles). AOptix, the company behind it, claims the links can be daisy-chained together to create much longer connections. It's being positioned as an alternative to fiber, which is prohibitively expensive for unpopulated rural areas. And it's also useful for cities where fiber installations involve mounds of municipal red tape.
Daily Update for April 9, 2013
It's the TUAW Daily Update, your source for Apple news in a convenient audio format. You'll get all the top Apple stories of the day in three to five minutes for a quick review of what's happening in the Apple world. You can listen to today's Apple stories by clicking the inline player (requires Flash) or the non-Flash link below. To subscribe to the podcast for daily listening through iTunes, click here. No Flash? Click here to listen. Subscribe via RSS
AOptix creates first biometric scanning tool for iPhone
California-based AOptix today announced an iPhone app and sleeve to perform biometric scanning for verifying the identity of people. The AOptix Stratus system turns an iPhone 4/4S into an iris, face, fingerprint and voice scanner that can be easily used by anyone who has used an iPhone before. The AOptix Stratus App for iOS costs US$199 and is available in the App Store today in a first public release. The app uses the AOptix Stratus MX iris and fingerprint accessory (available directly from the company), a sleeve that cradles the iPhone and provides standards-compliant capture of biometric readings. AOptix Director of Product Marketing Jeremy Pritikin, speaking to Mashable during a product demonstration, noted that the company chose the iPhone instead of creating its own Android-based device. "It is very secure as a platform, which is, naturally, important to our customers. [It is] very stable; you can buy the same device globally. They have a very strong ecosystem for supporting accessories like the one we created." The Stratus MX is not a consumer product, designed instead for use by companies and government agencies. The Stratus MX device and app couild be used at customs and border facilities, for remote healthcare, or during disaster relief efforts when traditional identity verification infrastructure may be compromised. Show full PR text AOptix Unveils the first Comprehensive Mobile Identity System Made for iPhone™ 04.09.2013 The portability, usability and open architecture of AOptix Stratus™ opens a host of new markets for biometric identity verification Campbell, California (April 9, 2013) – AOptix (www.aoptix.com), a technology innovation company that leverages optics to transform identity verification and wireless communications, today unveiled AOptix Stratus, the first comprehensive mobile identity solution "Made for iPhone" delivering iris, fingerprint, voice, and face recognition in a truly integrated solution. AOptix Stratus offers highly intuitive and accurate identity enrollment, identification and verification anytime, anywhere. Its power and mobility make AOptix Stratus the ideal solution for applications where biometric identity verification previously was impractical, cost prohibitive, or impossible. Additionally, it will replace the cumbersome mobile identity systems currently being used for a variety of applications. "Until now, biometric identity verification has been delivered either by fixed location solutions or difficult to use mobile products with limited functionality," said Alan Goode, Managing Director, Goode Intelligence. "By leveraging the capabilities of the iPhone, and its own deep experience in identity solutions, AOptix is providing an ideal mobile identity platform which will greatly expand the use of biometrics to many new applications and markets." The first mobile biometric product built with an open architecture, AOptix Stratus enables SI/VAR partners to develop applications meeting the specific requirements of their customers in a broad range of vertical markets, such as: · Public safety and border management · National and civil ID programs · Humanitarian aid and disaster relief · Defense · Healthcare "The launch of AOptix Stratus provides a capability for Smart Mobile Identity around iPhone that will open up a new range of applications for biometrics," said Dr. Peter Waggett, Emerging Technology Program Leader at IBM. "The product provides the basis for an ecosystem of Smart Mobile Identity products and apps that we will use to develop and deliver solutions." AOptix Stratus is the only mobile biometric device with iris and fingerprint recognition that is Made for iPhone. Employing familiar Apple iOS™ conventions, it is designed to be highly intuitive like the iPhone itself. Previous biometric identity systems have been difficult to use and bulky. AOptix Stratus resolves these issues, enabling the use of the product for many applications that cannot be addressed by traditional biometric systems. The AOptix Stratus family includes AOptix Stratus MX, AOptix Stratus App for iOS and AOptix Stratus SDK. AOptix Stratus MX is a sleek, rugged hardware peripheral that houses an iPhone 4 / 4S and contains a fingerprint sensor and an advanced AOptix iris imaging system. AOptix Stratus is an ideal complement to AOptix InSight, the company's high throughput product line, currently verifying the identities of over 50 million travelers a year. Used in combination, these products provide the foundation for new networked biometric applications, such as law enforcement. For example, AOptix InSight can perform iris and face enrollment at precinct booking stations while AOptix Stratus provides identity authentication wherever required. "Our objective in developing AOptix Stratus was to create a product family that would deliver the benefits of biometric identification to a host of new users," said Chuck Yort, Vice President and General Manager of Identity Solutions at AOptix. "We've received a great deal interest from law enforcement and border control, national and civil ID programs, and defense. We anticipate AOptix Stratus will be embraced by healthcare, disaster relief, humanitarian aid and other areas where identity verification is essential but previous biometric techniques have been impossible or unacceptable. We've received strong encouragement from our partners and end users throughout our development and beta process and are delighted that the product is now available for purchase." AOptix Stratus is available for purchase through AOptix systems integrator and value-added reseller partners around the world. More information is available at www.aoptix.com/identity-solutions.
AOptix e-Gate could improve global airport security, replace ID checks with iris scans
You're certainly not alone if you think that the current airport security process is far from ideal. AOptix hopes to streamline and speed up security procedures by replacing manual boarding pass and ID checks with a biometric kiosk called e-Gate. The new system, which verifies passenger identities by matching an iris scan with a boarding pass, just received (IATA) approval, and is currently being tested in three airports around the world. It's not as slick as a similar concept we saw earlier this summer, but e-Gate could be implemented with a trusted traveler program, creating special lanes for pre-approved frequent fliers -- similar to the US Customs Global Entry system in place today. We don't see it replacing X-ray machines and check-in interviews, but it could remove human error from the equation -- at least when it comes to verifying your identity. Jump past the break for the full scoop from AOptix, or you can check out the system for yourself at the Future Travel Experience in Vancouver. Update: e-Gate is in fact a potential component of Checkpoint of the Future, which we saw conceptualized in June.%Gallery-133007%
AOptix demos laser wireless links to replace fiber HD connections
Getting HD highlights out of our favorite sports may be getting just a bit easier, now that AOptix has successfully tested a Free Space Optical (FSO) laser communications link to replace traditional fiber runs for an unspecified sports network. With demos from the GM Building in New York and over 3.2Km in San Jose, the company says it can handle up to 10 Gbps,more than enough for uncompressed 1080i or 720p transmissions. Like every other new broadcast tech, it plans for a display at NAB 2008, so just keep in mind the next time the local public access station says they can't broadcast your little snowflake's field hockey game in HD because "there are no HD feeds at the park" they're just not trying hard enough.
