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Qualcomm says its new in-display fingerprint sensor is 50 percent faster
The second-gen scanner is 77 percent larger than the first version.
The Galaxy S10's fingerprint reader was thwarted by a 3D printer
The fingerprint reader in the Samsung Galaxy S10 has caused a few issues already, such as incompatibility with some types of screen protectors. The in-display scanner uses ultrasound to read the physical ridges of your fingerprint, supposedly making the device more secure -- thieves shouldn't be able to press a photo of owners' prints against the reader to unlock the device, for example. But it seems people are already finding ways to thwart the sensor.
Samsung is giving away a screen protector with the Galaxy S10
If you're planning to snag a Samsung Galaxy S10 or S10+ when they arrive next week, you might be pleased to see your new phone will already have a screen protector installed. While the plastic protector might not be as tough as other glass-based options, Samsung has a good reason to include it -- some third-party protectors may not work with the in-display fingerprint scanner.
Oh look, another "easy" way to spoof Touch ID on the iPhone 5s
I'll be honest: I'm getting kind of tired of seeing words like "easy" and "simple" being used to describe the ridiculous how-to videos showing that it's possible to trick the Touch ID sensor on the iPhone 5s into believing you're someone you're not. The latest in what is sure to be a never-ending string of "me too!" hackers claiming they have figured out the best way to fool the iPhone is SRLabs, though I'm not seeing how this could possibly be categorized as "easy." Here's a list of the steps to pulling off this spoof (you can check out the process used by the Chaos Computer Club on our original article regarding the trick). First, snap a photo of a perfect print from the finger that will unlock the device. Without the victim knowing, of course. Use digital photo software to separate the print from the rest of the image and then "retouch as required." If your spouse or nosy friend has recently been taking Photoshop classes, this might be why. Print the image of the fingerprint on translucent plastic using black toner. Place the image of the print over a piece of photo-sensitive copper circuit board and then expose it to intense UV lighting. The folks from SRLabs used a face tanner for this. You have one or two of those laying around, right? Develop the circuit board in a bath of Sodium Carbonate Monohydrate or Potassium Carbonate. You know, just whichever one you have in the pantry. Etch the fingerprint into the copper by placing the copper board into an etching solution. Cover the print mold with graphite spray to help spoof the capacitive properties of a normal human finger. Cover the print in wood glue, let it dry, and then peel it from the mold. Oh, and the most important step of them all: Steal the phone from the victim, without them knowing it. If they find that their phone has been stolen, they can remotely wipe the device, which would mean you just did a lot of hard work for nothing. Then unlock the device. You only have a few attempts to do this correctly, because if you fail multiple times in a row the device will demand the numeric passcode and your plan is foiled. Easy! Right? RIGHT!? Seriously though, every time one of these groups comes forward with another slightly tweaked method for fooling Apple's top-of-the-line smartphone, I can't help but think how much easier it would be to just steal the phone in broad daylight and then torture the owner into unlock it themselves. If there's anything on your phone that would warrant someone to go through these insane steps to breach its security features, you should probably be using a 20-digit passcode and keep your phone within your grasp at all times. Touch ID isn't infallible, but it's better than a 4-digit passcode (which can be brute-forced in less than an hour or simply spied by someone peeking over your shoulder), and it's clearly better than no security at all, which is how many consumers use their phones every day.
A look at the iPhone 5s Touch ID fingerprint sensor
One of the biggest features of the iPhone 5s announced yesterday is the Touch ID fingerprint sensor that is used for user authentication. Rich Mogull at TechHive has written the definitive Q&A about the sensor built into the iPhone 5s, and there are some fascinating things to know about the future of mobile security. The first thing Mogull points out is that the Touch ID sensor is based on a capacitance reader, which makes use of the fact that the outer layer of your skin is non-conductive while the subdermal layer is conductive. Mogull notes that when you touch the sensor, "it measures the miniscule differences in conductivity caused by the raised parts of your fingerprint, and it uses those measurements to form an image." The ring around the sensor, which is embedded in the home button, is used to turn on the sensor and reduce signal errors. As Mogull says, the capacitance design is less easy to spoof than an optical reader (which a photocopy of a fingerprint can fool), less fragile and less prone to error due to smudged glass. Some internet wag has already created a meme that states that Apple would nab fingerprints to create a huge "name to fingerprint" database. Well, that's not possible. The fingerprint is run through an algorithm to create a fingerprint template, a mathematical representation of your fingerprint. Mogull believes that the template is then run through a cryptographic hashing algorithm and combined with a random or unique number to further scramble the data. Apple mentioned during the keynote yesterday that the fingerprint data is neither transmitted to the company nor stored on their servers. Instead, it is stored only on the iPhone 5s. Whenever your fingerprint is scanned, the phone does the same template creation and compares the result with the stored hash. Mogull points out that while fingerprints are more secure because they are impossible to guess, fingerprints and passcodes are still examples of single-factor authentication. A more secure system would require a passcode and a fingerprint. Passcodes are still required if you damage your finger or break the Touch ID sensor. As for using Touch ID with iCloud and the iTunes Store, Mogull thinks that Apple will store the passwords for those services in the iOS keychain, using your fingerprint to authorize access. OS X and iOS handle stored passwords this way, and it emphasizes Apple's comment that the fingerprint data never leaves the device. Mogull's bottom line is that Touch ID could be game-changing, in that it makes security invisible. Apple noted during the keynote that it thinks of the iPhone to be a "key," so it wishes to eventually make your phone and fingerprints be the keys to just about everything in your life. Imagine door locks or home alarms that are locked or armed with a fingerprint, or payments that can be authorized with a tap of a finger. In the long run, Touch ID might be the most important feature of the iPhone 5s and future Apple devices.
iOS 7 beta 4 hints at upcoming iPhone fingerprint sensor
Ever since Apple's purchase of biometric sensor company AuthenTec last year the rumor mill has been abuzz with predictions that a future iteration of the iPhone would employ built-in fingerprint authorization. Now, as 9to5Mac reports, Twitter user Hamza Sood has discovered a folder in the newly released iOS 7 beta 4 that references a biometric user interface, complete with descriptions of a setup process that includes images of a color-changing fingerprint and a person holding an iPhone with their thumb on the Home button. Earlier this month Apple was granted a patent for an in-display fingerprint sensor which would allow for biometric functionality while negating the need for a separate sensor panel. This new evidence certainly isn't a confirmation of such a feature being included in the next iPhone -- rumored to be called the iPhone 5S -- but it's definitely more validation than we normally see regarding rumors of this magnitude. [Image credit: Hamza Sood]
Acer launches 14-inch TravelMate P243 $700 business laptop in the US
Acer's finally offering up the TravelMate P243 here in the US, a business notebook designed for the harsh realities of corporate life. 4GB of DDR3 RAM loiter next to an Ivy Bridge Core i5 CPU and a 500GB HDD, packed beneath a spill-resistant keyboard that'll ensure that flyaway grande latte only ruins the front of your suit. You'll be staring into a 14-inch, 1,366 x 768 LED-backlit display with a built-in webcam, as well as a fingerprint reader and the company's ProShield security suite. You (or more likely, your IT buyer) can grab one of these for $700, while you can still grab last year's Sandy Bridge-powered P243 for $600.
Apple ready to buy fingerprint sensor maker AuthenTec
Reuters reports today that Apple is purchasing chipmaker AuthenTec in a deal worth about US$356 million. AuthenTec makes fingerprint sensor chips that are used in computers made by Lenovo, Fujitsu, and Dell, and also makes security software and chips for mobile phones that are licensed to companies like Samsung. The company also developed a downloadable digital rights management solution that is used on the iPhone and iPad to authenticate HBO GO. In addition to those products, AuthenTec also produces chips for near-field communication (NFC), a technology that is used for secure wireless transactions. NFC payment capabilities are already built in to some Android phones via Google Wallet, and the technology is expected to make an appearance in a future iPhone (even if it's not the next iPhone). As with all such acquisitions made by Apple, these capabilities don't necessarily indicate that a specific technology is going to appear in Apple products in the near term. However, Apple's acquisitions strategy is aimed at helping the company control technologies that it sees as essential to its business, so there's something in AuthenTec's portfolio or someone among its personnel that's key to Apple's plans. Larry Dignan at ZDnet suggests that AuthenTec's purchase is a move to fend off Samsung and to enhance Apple's attractiveness in the enterprise space, where many companies are moving to a bring your own device (BYOD) model. Past Apple acquisitions have included Israeli memory specialist Anobit, App Store search optimizer Chomp, and semiconductor firms Intrinsity and PA Semi. #next_pages_container { width: 5px; hight: 5px; position: absolute; top: -100px; left: -100px; z-index: 2147483647 !important; }
Fujitsu's super-slim, super-powerful phones could come to Europe
We've been enviously eyeing Fujitsu's super-thin, super-powerful phones for a very long while. At CES, we were able to swing an early look at its unnamed Tegra 3 Arrows prototype and the question we asked, over and over, was if we'd ever see these devices in the west. A knowing smile followed with the response that it would "depend on the carriers involved." A report in the Financial Times seems to confirm that the company's planning to take Europe by storm as it unveils the finished model at next week's Mobile World Congress -- albeit with the same caveat that carriers are still yet to sign on. The report adds that Fujitsu will include biometric security, NFC and LTE in all future handsets: just more teasing for those nations still to adopt the standard.
Exclusive: Lenovo to release a 10.1-inch Ice Cream Sandwich tablet with 1.6GHz Tegra 3 by year's end
You wouldn't think a giant like Lenovo would stop at just three (or four) Android tablets now, would you? In fact, a little birdie has informed us that said Chinese company will release a new 10.1-inch tablet by the end of the year, and unsurprisingly, Ice Cream Sandwich along with NVIDIA's Tegra 3 T33 are on the menu. Other features include 2GB of speedy 1,600MHz DDR3 RAM, a standard USB host socket (covered by a not-so-elegant pop-out flap), a back-facing camera of unknown resolution, a "Special Fusion-Skin Body" and, most interestingly, a fingerprint scanner that apparently doubles as an optical joystick on the seemingly flat backside -- only time will tell whether this layout makes sense. Our source hasn't spilled any info on the dimensions and weight, but judging by the photos in our gallery, this 1.6GHz quad-core slate should be significantly thinner than the IdeaPad K1 or LePad sitting underneath. As always, you'll hear from us as soon as we find out more. [Thanks, Anonymous] %Gallery-139296%
Motorola Atrix sequel gets candid with the camera, heading for AT&T?
With all of the hype building for the Droid Bionic's arrival, we can't say we were expecting to see an unannounced Motorola device receive love from the camera instead. But sure 'nuff, we beheld our gadget-lusting eyes on a handset that's likely AT&T-bound in the near future -- the carrier's logo is flaunted on the front, at least -- and may even be the next-gen Atrix 4G. Sporting a coincidentally similar design to its supposed predecessor, we only know of a few specs so far: the mystery device offers an 8 megapixel camera with 1080p video capture, HDMI connectivity, Moto's new Blur UI replacement and a curved display similar to the Nexus S -- though this time there's no fingerprint scanner onboard. It looks and sounds great, but let's just hope that this one really is the "world's most powerful" smartphone. The gallery below shows the device in all its glory. %Gallery-129376%
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]
Fujitsu's Stylistic Q550 business slate up for US pre-orders, starting at $729
We're still not sure what's stylistic about Smart Card readers, fingerprint scanners and TPM modules, but you won't find them in many slates, so if you've been considering the Fujitsu Q550 -- which has one of each -- today's your lucky day. The Oak Trail-powered Windows 7 tablet with a 10.1-inch, 1280 x 800 IPS screen is ready for US pre-orders today, with $729 bringing you the base model with a 30GB solid state drive and a two-cell rechargeable battery. $849 upgrades the slate to 62GB of storage and four cells worth of swappable Lithium-ion joy, while both sport front and rear cameras, HDMI out, a bootable USB 2.0 port, a full-size SD slot and dual-band 802.11 a/b/g/n WiFi. Let's just hope the UI is a tad more optimized than last time. [Thanks, Manish]
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.
LaCie's Rugged Safe external HDD is rugged, safe
While LaCie has certainly created some fanciful product designs over the years, its product naming is often quite succinct. Take the Rugged series, the drop-proof external storage solution, which is now welcoming the Rugged Safe model into the family. This version adds a fingerprint scanner recessed into its armor-plated case, which encapsulates either 500GB or 1TB of storage that is now also cloaked in 128-bit AES encryption. Up to 10 registered users can be added, who can access files via USB or FireWire, but sadly neither USB 3.0 nor eSATA are on offer. Despite the limited connectivity you'll naturally be paying a more for the added security, with the 500GB model costing $189 and the 1TB version jumping to $299. Compare that to $119 and $159 for the biometric-free versions and you can see just how much that little fingerprint of yours can cost you. %Gallery-93714%
Sony's FVA-U1 reads veins, coming to Japan this month
Sony has finally delivered on its Mofiria promise with what it claims is the world's smallest and lightest finger vein reader. That assertion may be challenged by Hitachi, whose 3mm-thick scanner promises to be even smaller, but the critical difference here is that the FVA-U1 is about to go on sale in Japan come December 18, whereas Hitachi's hardware is nowhere to be found. The Sony scanner weighs a measly 33 grams, hooks up via USB, and adds an extra layer of biometric protection for your most precious data. Whether carrying around an extra dongle just to protect some Excel spreadsheets and your Outlook account is worth it, we leave up to you.
Ennova announces USB drive with OLED screen / fingerprint scanner
It's still a little ways from an actual release, but it looks like the folks at Ennova Direct just couldn't help themselves from announcing that they've received a patent for a newfangled biometric USB flash drive that packs a built-in OLED screen. Even better, that OLED screen apparently actually doubles as the fingerprint scanner, which may not add much extra in terms of security, but should be good for at least a few gee whiz moments. The actual patent, however, isn't for that bit of convergence, but for the sliding mechanism that covers the screen when it's closed and pops out the USB connector when it's open. No word on pricing or capacities just yet, but it looks like the first few drives should be available under the ION Technologies brand sometime in the first quarter of 2010.[Via OLED-Display.net]
Medion intros three new fingerprint-scanning GPS units
Medion has been cramming fingerprint scanners into its GPS units for a little while now, but it looks like it's now firmly committed to the technology, with its latest batch of models each packing the extra level of security. Those include the GoPal P5235, P5435 and X5535, which each boast a 5-inch touchscreen display, voice recognition, and live traffic updates, plus a nearly identical appearance. The P5435 one-ups things slightly over the P5235 with some handsfree Bluetooth calling, while the X5535 goes all out with a built-in gyrometer that promises to pick up some of the slack when the GPS signals drop out. No word on a price or release date for any of 'em just yet, unfortunately, but we wouldn't expect the base model to be too far off the $269 that the nearly identical model that just hit Europe demands.[Via Electronista]
AUO debuts 15-inch multi-touch panel, screens aplenty
AUO is never one to rest on its laurels when it comes to displays of all shapes and sizes and, if its latest batch is any indication, it looks like it's not showing any signs of letting up. One of the stand-outs here is a 15-inch multi-touch panel which, like the company's 8-inch model, has all the necessary multi-touch technology built onto the panel itself, and is able to recognize light pens in addition to fingers (it's also rolled out new 4.3-inch and 12.1-inch models for good measure). As if that wasn't enough, AUO has also taken the wraps off a new borderless 2.2-inch display (pictured above), which it hopes will soon find its way into a whole host of cellphones and portable media players, as well as 2.8-inch display that can also double as a fingerprint scanner, a 24-inch LCD that promises to display 3D images without glasses, a slightly larger 8.9-inch version of its curved display and, lastly, a 6.5-inch 800 x 480 display with a 2,000:1 contrast ratio. No word of any actual products set to use the displays, of course, but they'll apparently all be on display at the FPD International Forum in Yokohama, Japan later this week.[Via Electronista]
UK police to wield mobile fingerprint scanners, facial recognition up next
Surely your remember Project Lantern from back in 2006, right? If you weren't too fond of that initiative, let's just say your worst nightmare is coming true. Going forward, every police force in the UK will be equipped with mobile fingerprint scanners, which will allow the fuzz to carry out identity checks right on the street. Dubbed Project Midas, this here setup is supposed to "transform the speed of criminal investigations"while simultaneously freaking out anyone remotely concerned about personal privacy; in fairness, cops insist that fingerprints scanned via these portable devices will not be stored or added to databases, and we're told that they'll only be used " when they suspect an individual of an offense and can't establish his / her identity." The £30 million ($47.5 million) to £40 million ($63.4 million) initial phase should hit widespread deployment within 18 months, and in case you thought it was over after this, you should probably know that facial recognition in the field is the next top priority.[Via Pocket-lint, image courtesy of SpringCard]