Government ID, Smart Cards, Identification and Authentication

Watermarks in uncharted water

Wednesday, June 4, 2008

Watermarks have been around for more than a century, but the digital versions are just starting to help authenticate and identify content and secure IDs

Six-months ago there was a battle between high definition content providers of DVDs. At the end of the battle, it was determined that HD DVDs would no longer be sold or produced, and that the Blu-ray disc format would become the standard. The situation is reminiscent of another video battle that happened in the early 1980s between VHS and Betamax. History repeats itself, but this time, it may be a little more important to you. How so? Blu-ray supports digital rights management (DRM) and digital watermarking, something that may be used to help verify authenticity of the materials stored on the disc. This digital watermarking technology is something that has been used on government-issued IDs for some time and is just starting to make an impact in the digital world.

There are 1314 words in the rest of this article …

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Hach Company, a manufacturer and distributor of instruments used for testing water quality, has launched its DR 3900 spectrophotometer equipped RFID technology.

The RFID technology allows for hands-free calibration updates. When an operator places a RFID tagged TNTplus chemistry sample, used to test water quality, next to the machine, the DR 3900 automatically updates calibration factors. It also alerts users know if the sample is expired.

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MissionTix, a Baltimore-based ticketing service, announced a new reusable ticketing wristband, containing a unique NFC chip to offer an alternative means of entry for ticket buyers at participating venues.

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HID Global announced the debut of two new Glass Tag Ultra RFID transponders for animal identification and industrial applications.

The HID Global design featured in the Glass Tag Ultra 134.2 kHz transponders use direct bonding technology and optimized chip placement to enable a boost of performance. Read ranges are improved by up to 35% compared to low frequency glass tags of the similar size.

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SecuGen, a developer of fingerprint-based biometric solutions, has announced the shipment of its SDA03M-WR, SDA04M-WR and SDA04-WR water resistant fingerprint modules.

All three of the units, which can handle anywhere from 3,000 to 10,000 fingerprint templates each, are designed for integration into devices intended for outdoor use such as IP-65 rated access control units.

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GAO RFID introduced a 4-port ultra-high frequency RFID reader designed for both indoor and outdoor applications and compatible with both corporate IT infrastructures and sheltered outdoor environments.

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