biometrics
Latest
Nuance's 'Nina' vocal assistant SDK may voiceprint users for authentication
Nuance has introduced a brand-new voice interface for smartphones that it's calling Nina -- you can see it in action in a video just posted online. Nina is a mobile OS interface that's open to third-party developers, so it's essentially a Siri that any app developer (willing to read through the documentation and implement the API) can use in their own apps. And it comes with an extra feature: in addition to simply understanding commands and feeding back information, Nina can also use your voice as a passcode, double-checking who you are just from your vocal tones. Nina is an open API, according to Nuance. Developers interested in implementing it can find out more via Nuance's website. Hopefully we consumers will start seeing more of these technologies showing up in apps soon. [via Engadget]
Voice assistant 'Nina' lets any app obey commands, makes speech your password
Voice recognition technology from Nuance is all over the place -- in everything from Smart TVs to Beemers. But today, in response to the growth of device-specific voice assistants like Siri and S-Voice, the company wants to take things down a different route: launching a mobile SDK for iOS and Android that any third-party app can employ. Baptized "Nina," the voice assistant won't only be able to understand instructions, but will also identify the speaker using vocal biometrics. That means Nina could potentially pay a bill, arrange a bank transfer, book a vacation or even interact with government services without ever requiring you to enter a password. The video after the break shows just how intimate things could get -- assuming you're able to find a spot where the two of you won't be overheard.
BioSoles know you're you within three steps, deter shoe bandits
It's no secret that everyone has a unique swagger -- so much so it can be used for identification. Many are working on this for biometric security, including a team at Carnegie Mellon University and Autonomous ID, who are collaborating on shoe insoles that monitor pressure and gait to confirm the identity of the wearer. So far, tests have shown a detection rate above 99 percent within just three steps, meaning they can alert you before that opportunist even makes it out of the locker room. It's thought the cloud-connected BioSoles could be implemented in security access, although we're not sure this offers advantages over similar, static technology also in development. We do, however, like the idea that subtle changes in your strut could be used to provide early indications of conditions such as Alzheimer's, Parkinson's and diabetes. It's likely that the insoles won't be available any time soon, so until then, keep an eagle eye on those expensive kicks.
Nuance Dragon ID secures phones, tablets and PCs with your voice
Do you wish your phone would wake up when you commanded it to, like Galaxy S III? Well, it's not gonna happen (at least not without some hacking). But, your next phone might just sport the feature, all without having to be saddled with the rest of TouchWiz. Nuance is bringing its powerful voice recognition tech to OEMs and offering them the ability to not only unlock phones with voice controls, but lock them down using biometrics. In that way, it's actually got a leg up on S Voice. Dragon ID isn't a gimmick -- it's a security feature. In fact, if properly integrated, it can recognize multiple voices and open up to custom homescreens for each user. Sadly we have no idea when or where this tech will first show up, but we wouldn't be shocked to see it on both Android and Windows 8 tablets, as well as smartphones and PCs in the near future. For a few more scraps of info, check out the PR after the break.
Microsoft patents pressure-sensitive controller that identifies who's holding it
Iris scans are old hat. The future of biometric identification is in registering and identifying a person's unique hand pressure profile – at least, that's what someone at Microsoft believes. The megalithic multimedia mogul has been granted a patent for "personalization using a hand-pressure signature," specifically in conjunction with game console controllers.A device outfitted with this technology would include internal memory and a processing unit. Once gripped by a user, the device would register the pressure exerted by the user's mits and compare that to a stored database of recognized pressure profiles. Once a match is found, the device (in this case a 360) knows who is holding the controller and can then display advertisements information appropriately. Despite this patent being specific to controllers, we could see the usefulness of this technology in cell phones, tv remotes, or essentially any hand-held electronic device, should it ever come to fruition.
Microsoft patent details pressure-sensitive Xbox controller for storing players' profiles
Biometrics and laptop security go together like business meetings and boardrooms, but this Microsoft patent hints that gaming could be the next frontier for fingerprint recognition. The claims for "personalization using a hand-pressure signature" detail a product that may look like your standard 360 controller, but it features sensors to detect a user's identity. It seems that, based on each gamer's unique hand pressure patterns, the controller can determine who is holding the device at any given moment and deliver personalized content based on that user's gaming profile. Whatever Microsoft's mystery controller may be, E3 is just a few weeks away, so perhaps we'll learn more then.
Fujitsu dabbles in palm reading, hopes to bring biometric sensors to tablets
When you think about it, there's no reason that biometric recognition can't provide security on tablets -- well, aside from the need for a sensor thin enough to fit on a slate. Fujitsu has been on the job, making significant progress since showing off its clunky palm vein reader. The company's latest development on the biometric front is an authentication sensor that measures a minuscule 5mm thick, which is slight enough for use in tablets. Fujitsu employed its PalmSecure technology for reading users' palm vein patterns without requiring physical contact with the sensor. This super-thin module is still in the thick of research and development, but it's likely destined for your tablet someday down the line.
Rumor: Valve working on 'Steam Box' console standard with customizable controller, biometrics
Valve has already revolutionized PC gaming distribution with its industry-leading Steam platform, and now it has its sights set on bringing that same level of innovation to your living room, according to a report from The Verge.Valve is said to be working on hardware and software specifications for a "Steam Box;" which will actually be a unified console standard available to interested hardware manufacturers, rather than a specific console produced by Valve itself. Similar arrangements have been tried previously in the home console market, most notably the Philips CD-i and 3DO Interactive Multiplayer standards. Should rumors be believed, the Alienware X51 has already been developed to Steam Box standards and will be retroactively infused with Valve's software once it becomes available. The hardware backbone is currently said to be an Intel Core i7 with eight gigs of RAM and an Nvidia GPU. Devices built on the standard will reportedly run any PC title, and will also support other digital distribution platforms like EA's Origin service.A patent for a controller with interchangeable parts, filed by Valve, has also been discovered by The Verge. Diagrams show functionality strongly reminiscent of the MLG Pro controller by Mad Catz, as well a use case depicting interaction with a local gaming device and a networked "gaming server device." The rabbit hole goes much deeper, however, as "sources" claim that mood-tracking biometric systems will be implemented into the system, either in the form of bracelets or directly into Steam Box controllers. This would allow a game to measure the player's pulse rate and galvanic skin response, the gameplay/design implications of which are numerous.Should all this prove accurate, Valve's official announcement will happen sometime between GDC and E3, and will cause the fabric of reality to fold in on itself.
Mitsubishi Electric's EMIRAI concept goes back to the future, refuses to fly (video)
The Jetsons were a lie, people. If you want a flying car, glue a parachute to a Matchbox racer. Automotive companies like Mitsubishi Electric have a distinctly different idea about our auto future, one where we'll all be driving in a 1980s-by-way-of-2011 Tron roadster with seatback-embedded (glasses-free) 3D TVs and a big 'ol curved rear projection display. At least, that's the vision put forth by the company's EMIRAI concept, shown off at this year's Tokyo Motor Show. The demo vehicle's biggest innovation, supposedly on deck for the next decade and beyond, is its biometrically-sensitive interface, which can adjust the position of your seat based on current heart rate and facial temperature. There's also a driver side touch panel configured to recognize handwriting (Japanese, for now) and dynamically-changing buttons, mounted on the W-shaped "steering wheel," that rise and fall in correlation to the dashboard's UI. It's neat stuff, no doubt, but we'll let you go ahead and get excited at your own risk. Because until production models hit showroom floors, it's all still very much promises, promises. Check out the video after the break for a brief peek at the wheels of tomorrow.
Sony patents biometric controllers, handhelds
Everyone's getting into the biometric controller business -- without actually getting into it. Nintendo's Vitality Sensor caused a lot of blood pressure spikes upon its announcement, but was delayed into oblivion. And don't hold your breath for Ubisoft's Innergy. The next device to get feedback from your body as you play, and to possibly be canceled before release, comes from Sony. Siliconera found a patent for biometric controllers, and even handheld game systems with sensors built in. They're designed to read your heart rate, electro-muscular data (muscle contractions) and skin conductivity (i.e. moisture). Rather than putting this technology to use in relaxing, mellow experiences, as the other companies planned, Sony's patent envisions "hardcore" applications, like weapons that increase or decrease in accuracy depending on your stress level, or characters who act more nervous as you grow more agitated.
Sharp FanLabs goes inside soccer fans' minds, measures loyalty with brainwaves (video)
No matter what country you're in, you'll find at least one body-painted sports nut willing to act a fool in the name of fandom. To figure out what makes these hooligans tick, Sharp's setting up trucks outside EuroCup 2012 matches to measure fans' brainwaves using biometric technology. Once inside these mobile FanLabs, volunteers will watch the game while wearing the company's NeuroSky headsets -- a super sensitive EEG that uses dry electrodes to measure cerebral activity. By looking at brainwaves, along with heart rate and vocal excitement, scientists hope to reveal what levels of attention, stress, relaxation and excitement a fan goes through while supporting a specific team. Even if you're not lending your melon to science, you can still join in the fun online, and see how you stack up against fans from around the world. So, bust out the body paint, grab your foam fingers and check out the video after the break.
Phil Harrison sees dominant Apple, biometric screens in the future
Edge Online polled Phil Harrison, formerly of Sony and Atari, and now of Gaikai, about the future of gaming and technology in general. He very quickly identified one trend that it's hard not to see coming: continued growth for Apple's game platforms and the App Store. "At this trajectory, if you extrapolate the market-share gains that they are making, forward for ten years – if they carry on unrestrained in their growth, then there's a pretty good chance that Apple will be the games industry." He had some predictions about the way games are presented, as well. Specifically, still on screens, but much fancier ones. Because of the declining cost of flat-panel displays, and the TV's place as a new "social hearth," those will continue to be in wide use, but in much higher resolutions and with both touch and biometric input. " I think there will be an industry that will appear out of 'personal biometrics' where as a human being you will take more control of your own health and well-being by getting data from your own body," he said. According to Harrison, private biometric data about the user's own lifestyle will be monetized by the game industry as soon as the healthcare industry delivers the technology. Vitality Sensors for all!
NYU medical center goes sci-fi, scans patients' palms
NYU's Langone Medical Center is getting a jump on that whole 21st-century medical care thing by ditching the clipboards and paperwork for palm scans and digital databases. On June 5th the hospital threw the switch on an electronic patient-tracking program from Epic Systems and paired it with biometric identification technology from PatientSecure, which scans the veins in persons hands using near-infrared light. Instead of being forced to fill out forms with your insurance info and social security number every time you visit, you simply place your hand on a scanner and -- ta-da! -- your records come right up. By combining the vasculature scans (which are even more unique than fingerprints) with patient photos, NYU should be able to minimize misidentification and cut down on duplicate records. Rather than go out on some cheesy pun about palm reading, we'll leave the predictable word play to the folks at ABC news -- check out their coverage after the break alongside PR from the Langone Medical Center.
Russian ATM uses voice analysis to tell when you're lying
Credit card applications via automated teller are all the rage abroad these days. That's why Russia's Sberbank is using Speech Technology Center's voice recognition system in its new ATM to tell when you fudge your financials to get approved. Like a polygraph, the technology senses involuntary stress cues to ferret out fib-filled statements -- only instead of using wired sensors, it listens to your angst-ridden voice. Designed using samples from Russian police interrogation recordings where subjects were found to be lying, the system is able to detect the changes in speech patterns when a person isn't telling the truth. Of course, it's not completely accurate, so the biometric voice data is combined with credit history and other info before the ATM can crush an applicant's credit dreams. And to assuage the public's privacy concerns, patrons' voice prints will be kept on chips in their credit cards instead of a bank database. So, we don't have to worry about hackers stealing our biometric info, but we're slightly concerned that we'll no longer be able to deceive our robot overlords should the need arise.
Fujitsu fingerprint / palm reader does large-scale biometric identification, won't tell fortunes
So it can't predict the future, but the latest biometric reader from Fujitsu can tell that you're one in a million -- quite literally. Looking something akin to the love child of Simon and a Polaroid camera, this as-of-yet unnamed device is apparently the "world's first biometric authentication technology that combines data on palm vein patterns with fingerprint data from three fingers." That's a mouthful, but Fujitsu says the combination of these two biometric authentication techniques allows for accurate identification of an individual in a pool of one million in just two seconds. What's more, it expects to up that capacity to groups of ten million by the end of 2011. For professional evildoers rocking three fingers and a palm, maybe now's a good time to start rethinking your career path. [Thanks, Pavel]
NEC turns your arm into a touch-sensitive remote control
You may ask yourself, why bother tapping touchscreens or physical buttons when an accelerometer can be strapped to the wrist, turning any ol' arm into a wireless touch panel? That's the claim that NEC is making today. A wrist-worn band of compact acceleration sensors divides the arm into seven sections along the upper, middle, and lower arm that can then be assigned as virtual inputs to an electronic device. No more reaching into a bag to answer the phone, no more plucking at the strings of a guitar to create song -- everything is controlled through a natural tap of the arm or clap of the hands. Once in a lifetime tech that feels the same as it ever was.
Under Armour's E39 performance shirt is electric (video)
If athletic events were accessorized with coffee, comfy pajamas, and a particular knack for sedentariness, well, we'd be champs. Alas, sports are more typically characterized by movement which, we're told, increases the participant's pulse, breathing, and likelihood of turning an arm into a tattooed sleeve. Nevertheless, we can't help but be intrigued by the Under Armour E39 ("E" for electric) compression shirt. The performance tee features a removable "bug" sensor equipped with a triaxial accelerometer, processor, and 2GB of storage flanked by additional monitors that measure the wearer's heart rate and breathing. A system provided by Zephyr can then analyze the athlete's individual movements and biometric data to help identify performance issues like when the body is moving out of sync thereby slowing down an athlete's linear speed. Scouts, coaches, and trainers can collect the data over Bluetooth from smartphones, tablets, or PCs to measure and potentially improve performance. An athlete measuring a low G-force for their particular sport could, for example, be put on a strength training regimen to help improve explosiveness. In the future, Under Armour sees the data being collected and analyzed in real-time allowing coaches to replace under performing players right on the field. The NFL has already equipped a handful of players with the E39 shirts during its annual Scouting Combine event -- the results of which you can see in the video after the break.
AIRPrint performs ranged fingerprint scanning, won't let the terrorists win
While ears may be the new biometric du jour, Advanced Optical Systems (AOS) is doing its best to keep fingerprints as the preferred method for identifying enemies of the state. The company has built a fingerprint scanner with the ability to accurately read a print up to two meters away, and our military views the system as a means to reduce the risk to soldiers at security checkpoints all over the world. The AIRPrint system is a significant upgrade over previous biometric security systems because it allows a person's identity to be confirmed by military personnel from behind the safety of a blast wall or armored vehicle, which keeps our serviceman out of harm's way. AIRPrint uses a source of polarized light and two 1.3 megapixel cameras (one to receive vertically polarized light and another to receive horizontally polarized light) in order to produce an accurate fingerprint. The prototype is able to scan and verify a print in under five seconds, but the device can presently only process one finger at a time, and that finger must stay a fixed distance from the cameras to get a precise reading. Despite these current limitations, AOS claims that soon the equipment will be capable of reading five prints simultaneously while a person is moving toward or away from the device. The system will be ready for market in the third quarter of this year, which is bad news for terrorists and soccer hooligans, but a windfall for Big Brother.
Germany slapping RFID tags on its populace for the sake of brisker bureaucracy
ID cards and RFID tags are similar in one key respect: they get a lot of bad press -- one for constricting civil liberties, the other for being a lousy security risk -- and yet are widely used around the world. It's fitting, therefore, that Germany has decided to marry the two for the latest version of its own personalausweis. Dutch company NXP has begun production of the requisite RFID chips for these new slices of plastic, which will roll out from the beginning of November this year. The Deutsch state sees a vastly expanded role for the modernized cards, including validating your identity for online shopping and communicating with your local authority (e-government, they call it). And, of course, your biometric data is loaded onto the chip as well, just to make things nice and neat. You know, we remember the good old days when identity theft used to be hard.
Apple's biometric heartbeat patent: And the beat goes on
The US Patent and Trademark Office has posted information about a really interesting patent that Apple applied for in January. Patent application 20100113950 describes a new technology that would bring a heart monitoring biometric security system to electronic devices. Biometrics are nothing new. These technologies are being currently used to recognize fingerprints, eye scans, and sometimes voice. This is the first time it's being done as an EKG, measuring electrical activity in the heart. The patent allows for building monitoring sensors into a case, screen or even earbuds. Depending upon the method used, when someone holds the device or swipes a finger across the screen to unlock, embedded leads will read the EKG information and allow the device to perform actions based upon result. A built in EKG has far-reaching medical potential, but the patent deals mostly with issues of authentication. Different profiles can be saved on the device, similar to having multiple user accounts on a computer. This would allow multiple people with different profiles to be accurately authenticated and provide differing device capabilities. Uses can include anything from preventing children from using certain apps, to allowing the proper user access to online banking and other financial transactions. It can also be used to save different user information that's embedded in apps allowing a great deal of personalization such as one device keeping individual Dropbox information, allowing the proper Dropbox to be accessed by the person holding the device. [via 9to5Mac]
