Government ID, Smart Cards, Identification and Authentication

Not all are created equal: Contrasting optical and silicon sensors for fingerprint biometrics

Tuesday, August 23, 2005

Nearly everyone knows that fingerprints are unique but fewer know that fingerprint biometric readers are very different as well. Most people are familiar with the more common optical biometric readers from Hollywood’s portrayal of biometrics in film and television. But fewer know of the rapidly growing use of silicon-based fingerprint sensors. The significantly smaller size requirements of these newer sensors are bringing biometric security to laptops, PDAs, mobile phones, and even ID cards.

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In an effort to increase the security of the current EMV chip and PIN, SmartMetric has created an EMV card enhanced with biometrics.

The SmartMetric Chip & Biometric EMV Card incorporates fingerprints to activate the card. It’s designed to increase the security of standard EMV chip and PIN cards, which SmartMetric claims are still vulnerable to fraud attacks, even though they are safer than a magnetic stripe card.

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Precise Biometrics has developed a new line of “smart cases” for brands of tablets and smart phones to be released in 2012 and 2013. The new smart cases have built-in card reader and fingerprint sensor enabling users to both secure their devices as well as replace various password-based security for protected online sites and applications.

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DigitalPersona has announced the launch a solution designed for use in battery-powered mobile biometric identification devices. The new solution, part of DigitalPersona’s U.are.U line called U.are.U 5100 series of fingerprint modules and sensors.

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AuthenTec has announced that its AES850 smart fingerprint sensor has been integrated into a new Fujitsu smart phone, the REGZA Phone T-01D.

With AuthenTec’s AES850, the Android 2.3-based phone can be locked and unlocked via a quick scan of the user’s fingerprint. The sensor can also be used to control access to applications on the phone as well as provide greater security for NFC-enabled mobile payments.

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Integrated Biometrics has announced its fingerprint sensor, called Watson, has been named the first non-optical scanner to receive FBI IAFIS Appendix F Certification.

In addition to being the first-non optical sensor to receive the certification, Watson is also the lightest, weighing in at less than a quarter pound, and can utilize single or multiple finger applications.

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Lumidigm announced a partnership with Tiger IT Bangladesh Limited to bring a criminal identity solution that utilizes iris recognition and will also offer fingerprint recognition sensors from Lumidigm.

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