fingerprint-scanner
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Lenovo's P960 handset packs a fingerprint scanner
Samsung's P960 handset has a built-in DVR, while Lenovo's P960 includes a fingerprint scanner. Pointless trivia aside, the latter is also Lenovo's first commercial mobile phone to incorporate fingerprint biometrics. Atrua Technologies has provided a fingerprint scanner that resides on the handset's edge in order to provide additional security for folks (read: cheaters, FBI agents and Segway users) who simply cannot afford to let their contact list be known. Even dodgier, the phone has a VIP recording feature which "automatically records calls from designated numbers" -- something that's sure to provide hours upon hours of merriment. We'd bemoan the fact that pricing information isn't readily available, but we just can't get over that whole automatic recording thing.
Researchers unwarping smudged fingerprints in record time
Gurus at the University of Warwick have developed a system that "identifies partial, distorted, scratched, smudged, or otherwise warped fingerprints in just a few seconds." The process is garnering attention thanks to its ability to spit out results in the blink of an eye after it "unwarps any fingerprint that has been distorted and creates a clear, digital representation that can then be mapped onto an image space of all other prints held on a database." Reportedly, researchers have already established the Warwick Warp spinoff company to bring the technology to market, and they're looking in the commercial access control, financial transaction authorization and possibly even ID card / border control segments for opportunities.[Via Wired]
ATRD M10 offers fingerprint scanning for your car
It looks like those not satisfied with the current security measures on their vehicle will soon have another option at their disposal for some added peace of mind, with ATRD's new M10 device set to offer some fingerprint scanning as a means of last resort. The system can apparently be retrofitted into just about any vehicle, with a variety of different modules available to integrate it with various alarm and immobilization systems. With the device installed, you'll have to first put the key in your vehicle to start the electronics, and then place your finger on the scanner in order to start the ignition. For those sharing a vehicle, you'll be able store up to ten different prints, and there's also a "valet mode" that'll let others drive the vehicle. No word on a price or release date, but we're sure some of you can whip up your own solution with some off-the-shelf gear -- if you haven't already.[Via Autoblog]
Boo Hoo For You: Symbian mocks Western smartphones
It's no secret that cellphone manufacturers and carriers alike are getting quite crafty with their marketing approaches, but Symbian went straight for the low-blow with its Boo-Hoo campaign. Frankly, the site (and more specifically, the Boo-Hoo For You video) slams the Western smartphone for not being as "technically capable" as the Symbian phones overseas, but we're not quite sure we're following all the slighting. Aside from being a bit weirded out by a talking Pac-man lookalike and a hump-backed eraser, we're not so sure that Big Brother being right there on your cellphone at all times is actually a perk. Additionally, e-wallets and cellphone-based ticketing aren't exactly Symbian exclusives, and having the nerve to actually flaunt an "aroma phone" just about nixes any and all credibility this wacky cartoon had left. Nevertheless, we're sure this here promo was intended less for informative purposes and more for water-cooler jabbing, so click on through to see what the fuss is all about. [Warning: Psychedelic video could induce epilepsy][Via S60, thanks Stefan C.]
UK crime review proposes fingerprint readers on DAPs
Blissfully unaware that biometric security only encourages criminals to make off with your body parts along with your gear, the British government has apparently released a review on crime suggesting that fingerprint scanners might cut down on DAP theft. The rather short-sighted proposal is one example of ways in which the UK could "work in partnership with businesses to crime-proof their products, services and processes to the highest standards," although as TG Daily rightly points out, devices sport fingerprint, vein, or iris scanners primarily to secure sensitive data in the event of loss -- not to discourage would-be crooks from snatching them in the first place. Now if the fine chaps who wrote up the report had only had the good sense to contact us for input, they would have learned that the best way to protect your iPod isn't with biometrics or passwords but by cleverly hiding it in ties and button-down shirts -- or barring that, tethering it to your person and forcing that mugger to fight you to the death and really earn his "income."
Toshiba's Portege R400 convertible goes on sale
If you somehow managed to skim through the CES mayhem and notice this gem, chances are it immediately landed on your wish list, and if you're looking for an ultralight, well-spec'd, EV-DO-equipped convertible tablet, here's your chance. The Portégé R400 was peeked, revealed, cuddled, and reviewed, but now the time has finally come for you to lay claim to your own. Hitting Toshiba's webstore for a (slightly steep) base price of $3,149, this unit packs an energy-efficient 1.2GHz Intel Core Duo U2500 processor, Vista Ultimate, 2GB of RAM, 12.1-inch LED-backlit LCD, XGA resolution, Intel's GMA950 integrated graphics set, WiFi, Bluetooth 2.0+EDR, fingerprint scanner, gigabit Ethernet port, built-in microphone / mono speaker, headphone out, six-cell Li-ion battery, PCMCIA, and a pair of USB 2.0 connectors. You'll also find a bevy of Microsoft and Toshiba software pre-installed, and while it only tips the scales at 3.79-pounds, you'll have to lug around an external optical drive if you need to spin any discs. But hey, at least you've got a tick to think things over, as it looks like even today's orders won't ship "for one to two weeks."
Biometric ATMs coming to rural India
Considering all the ATM hacking that's been going on of late, it's not all that surprising to see those "uber-secure" fingerprint readers hitting mini-banks in Japan and Columbia, and now a pilot program is getting set to install 15 biometric ATMs at "village kiosks in five districts across southern India." The fingerprint-reading machines are expected to serve around 100,000 workers, primarily farmers and other laborers, who will finally be able to withdraw funds directly from a machine rather than suffering through the corrupt hand-me-down process that often steals money away from already poor workers. AGS Infotech, who is supplying the first batch of systems for the trial, is interested in seeing if the system actually works out, as many villagers have trouble interacting with any type of computing interface, and because many villages have their own dialects, making a UI that can communicate to everyone is difficult. Of course, there are individuals who suggest that these systems will only incite crime, as thieves look to new methods (read: hacking a thumb or two) to extract funds, but proponents of the system say that this is no different than armed criminals forcing someone to give up their PIN number at gunpoint. Nevertheless, the trial is slated to start soon, and there's quite a few outsiders watching intently to gauge its eventual success or failure, as analysts predict that "over 100,000 ATMs" could be necessary to handle India's booming economy in the next few years.
Seiko Epson developing tiny fingerprint sensor
With all this paranoia surrounding identity theft, we've seen fingerprint sensors on everything from hard drives to door locks to laptops, but the common feature on all of those is the relative thickness of the device. By "relatively thick," we mean that these current tags would probably bulk up your wallet in a bad way should they ever be used to tag things like credit and debit cards. Seiko Epson is on top of it, however, and are developing a ridiculously thin (0.2mm) fingerprint sensor that will allow mobile devices to be easily secured by biometrics. Potential applications, aside from deterring thieves from swiping your self-authenticating credit card, are tagging cellphones, MP3 players, and essentially anything that can fit into your pocket. The sensor operates by reading the faint electric current that emanates from your fingertip and conveys your specific print pattern for verification -- if it detects somebody trying their best to mimic your phalanges, it deactivates the device, rendering it useless to the perpetrator. While there's a certain sense of security gained by having everything you own equipped with a fingerprint sensor, we can envision that sharing your tagged gadgetry with friends could become tricky, and while Seiko Epson can't quite put a finger on a release date, it's expecting 2010 before this goes full scale.[Via Pink Tentacle]
Seamon's EasyGo waterproof fingerprint scanner
So you fancy red knit caps and a taste for the life aquatic, eh? Only thing is, you can't leave this cruel, cruel terra firma for fear of your sensitive data ending up in the hands of swashbuckling, or other pirate-types. Well put down that Glock and call-off the MPAA, 'cause Seamon Inc. will keep that PC booty safe even under the sloppiest of conditions. The $172 EasyGo optical fingerprint scanner is designed to cut through that thick, watery glaze for biometric access to your USB-equipped Windows laptop. Best of all, unlike iris-scanners, the EasyGo is immune to Hydrogen Psychosis, which is nice.[Via Akihabara News]
NEC announces super-sensitive fingerprint scanner
With fingerprint scanners having become almost a commodity item nowadays-- we've already got a hard drive and thumb drive on biometric lockdown -- it looks like we may now be in for a sensitivity war (oxymoron?) among these devices similar to the ongoing megapixel escalation in digital cameras. Even though it's probably still vulnerable to Play-Doh-equipped hackers, NEC's new external USB reader offers an impressive 800dpi in its 15-millimeter wide sensor -- it seems the best you can do today is around 500dpi -- which at the very least will marginally speed up your web surfing, thanks to its slim 0.0001% chance of misidentifying a print. This "reading precision of the worldwide highest level" (thanks, machine translation) won't come cheap, though, as the pocket-size PU700-20 will cost about $250 when it ships on August 1st.[Via Digital World Tokyo]
Toshiba's 12.1-inch Tecra M6 Core Duo-powered laptop
'Tis the season for ultraportables, and now yet another Core Duo-powered model has hit the market, the 12.1-inch Toshiba Tecra M6. Also available with either Celeron or Core Solo processors, the M6 seems like a slimmed-down version of the 14.1-inch M5 we spotted earlier this year, as the $1,059 base configuration only gives you 256MB of RAM, no WiFi, a 40GB hard drive, and that pokey 1.6GHz Celeron M. It costs a little over $1,600 to put together a decent system, which includes a 1.83GHz T2400 Core Duo chip, 1GB of RAM (which also gets you a free Vista-ready logo!), 100GB HDD, 802.11a/b/g, and Bluetooth, but only integrated graphics and no DVD burner. Targeted more towards the light-traveling businessperson than the hardcore gamer, the M6 also sports such security-conscious features as a fingerprint reader, Trusted Platform Module, and a Security Assist Console, as well as hard drive protection, a spill resistant keyboard, and shock absorbing design for turbulent plane rides.[Via Core Duo News]
Pantech releases PG-6200 securityphone in Taiwan
Pantech has just released a new handset for the security-conscious Taiwanese citizen who also wants some pretty capable multimedia features in his/her cellphone. To keep sensitive data out of the wrong hands, the tri-band PG-6200 features a fingerprint scanner rather curiously placed right above the smudge-prone two megapixel camera lens, along with a music player that handles MP3 and AAC files from either the 20MB internal memory or a microSD card. Other nice touches include Bluetooth (no word on A2DP compatibility, though) and JAVA 2.0 so you can get your Opera Mini-on, along with the obligatory email, SMS, and MMS functionality. [Via textually]