PalmSecure
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Fujitsu's palm-scanning laptops won't be fooled by severed limbs
For all the popularity of fingerprint scanners, Fujitsu believes that it can go one better. The Japanese company has been working on palm-based systems for the last few years, and we've already seen turnstiles, wallets and tablets that are accessed from your hand. Fujitsu believes that palm vein sensing is around a thousand times more secure than conventional biometric methods and it's implementing the technology in its next range of business-focused laptops due out this week. We've been shown around some of these models, which have the new sensor fitted into an area that is roughly the same size and position as the company's existing fingerprint scanners, just below the bottom right corner of the keyboard. Using it is simple: Hold your hand a few inches above the sensor and the hardware will quickly scan the unique arrangement of your veins. If it judges you to be the real deal, it'll open up its secrets for your enjoyment.
Fujitsu shows off a tablet prototype with a built-in palm reader (hands-on)
To be honest, CeBIT is a fairly sleepy tech show, especially compared to Mobile World Congress, which just wrapped last week. For Fujitsu's part, the outfit already showed off its 5-inch smartphone and GPS cane (aka the best thing we've seen so far this year). But the company did keep at least one trick up its sleeve: a tablet with a built-in palm reader. If you recall, we knew a year ago that Fujitsu was working on a tablet that could scan the palm as a form of authentication, but we've never actually seen a finished product, or even a functioning prototype. Until today, of course. Meet us after the break for a closer look.
Fujitsu's PalmSecure readers about to be seen in the wild (if you use UniCredit bank)
If Google is correct (and it usually is), Engadget has been covering Fujitsu's PalmSecure palm-reading technology since the Peter Rojas days. In that time, we've seen these security readers built into prototype laptops, and various corporations have begun testing it out in pilot programs. So it's hardly a novel concept, but it's only now becoming likely that you'll see it in the real world: Fujitsu announced today that its palm readers will soon be installed in bank kiosks, building lobbies, and other places where you might need to verify your identity at a checkpoint of some sort. So far, Fujitsu's signed on Italy's UniCredit bank, which kicked off a test program late last year. As we've reported in the past, you don't even have to touch the sensor; you can merely hover over it. Which is good news if you're paranoid about swapping germs with all the other nose-pickers passing through security. If businesses choose, they can opt for single-factor authentication, though two-factor security is also an option -- as unique as the veins in your palm are, it's still possible for the reader to register a false positive. If you're curious we've got a quickie demo video waiting just past the break. Unfortunately, though, we still can't vouch for how tedious it'll be when HR demands palm prints for everyone in the office.
Fujitsu's PalmSecure takes high-speed, contact free biometric readings
This next item should be music to the ears of security professionals, fans of biometric devices, and germophobes alike. Fujitsu has just announced a new palm vein authentication device -- one that's being touted as the world's fastest, and the first that works without the user actually touching the device. Unlike past implementations of this technology, which moved at a comparative snail's pace, PalmSecure works in as little as one millisecond. We can think of a number of places where this sort of thing could be particularly useful, from top secret lairs housing doomsday devices to anyplace where people might not be washing their hands as often as they should be (we really hate that). Despite its speed, Fujitsu insists that this bad boy performs with the same level of accuracy as its slow moving brethren. More pics after the break.[Via Akihabara News]
Fujitsu intros PalmSecure PC Log-In Kit for small businesses
Some folks may have concerns about the security of biometric systems, but Fujitsu doesn't seem to be suffering from any such worries, with it now touting its new PalmSecure PC Log-In Kit as a quick and easy (and secure) solution for small and medium-sized businesses. At the center of the kit is the company's PalmSecure mouse (no word if its been revised since the earlier version pictured at right), which makes use of palm vein-scanning technology instead of the more common fingerprint-scanning variety. That, Fujitsu says, should allow for quick log-ons into Windows sessions or password-protected applications, with a greater tolerance for the distance and angle of the hand when its placed over the scanner. No firm word on price just yet, unfortunately, but Fujitsu says it'll be available at a "competitive price point" when it's released this June.
