• patent

    Apple's Future iPhone Patents Show Fingerprint ID For Different Gestures, Plus More

    MacRumors found three interesting patents that point to various new interaction techniques. The most interesting is the fingerprint ID directly on the screen so that the iPhone can see which finger you're using and accept gestures appropriately. More »
    07/02/09
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    Comment by rt100 Penn State: um removal of all buttons, anyone? first item in the patent is "HOME"... 5 Responses | Other threads

  • printing

    Every Sheet of Paper Has a Unique 'Fingerprint'

    What you see here is an 8.5x11 piece of paper scanned by an ordinary scanner (with the contrast bumped up). From shots like this one, researchers claim they can "fingerprint" any piece of paper. More »
    03/13/09
    10,240
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    Comment by Skiphex: "Our technique is secure against counterfeiting and robust to harsh handling" I'm surprised that "harsh handling" doesn't alter the fingerprint. 5 Responses | Other threads

  • toy fair 2009

    Wild Planet Pocket Forensics Kit Sorts Out Any Playroom Crime Scene

    Now when junior complains that one of the evil neighborhood kids has stolen his favorite toy, hand him this Lil' CSI kit, complete with UV light, and get him dusting for prints. More »
    02/16/09
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    Comment by hadees: This kind of reminds me of spy tech more » | Other threads

  • biometrics

    Million Dollar Border Security Machines Fooled with Ten Cent Tape

    So much for biometrics and immigration security: A South Korean woman managed to fool a million-dollar fingerprint reading machine in Japanese border controls using a simple piece of tape stuck to her fingers.
    01/02/09
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    Comment by bagseed: "piece of tape tuck to her fingers" you sound like lenny . . . young children and people who are mentally... 19 Responses | Other threads

  • gps

    Medion's New GPSs Are Really Secure, Need Your Fingerprints to Navigate

    Medion's new GoPal GPS units have an unusual extra feature intended as a deterrant for thieves: fingerprint scanners. The GoPal X5535, P5235 and P5435 all have a tiny scanner and will only work when they recognize one of five stored prints, making them useless if stolen. They've all got 5-inch screens, though the P5235 has voice control, the P5435 has Bluetooth and the X5535 has a gyrometer so it can compensate for brief losses of GPS signal by detecting car movements—all three get live traffic updates with Traffic Message Channel. Pretty neat, though leaving your GPS in your car is likely to tempt some thieves to break in, no matter how secure the device itself is. Out in Europe at the moment, no pricing info is available. [Electronista]
    12/01/08
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  • fingerprint

    Digital Photos Act as Unique Fingerprints in Finding Criminals with Digital Cameras

    Forensic specialists can now pinpoint the exact make and model of a camera simply by analyzing the pixels in digital photos. This technique would be useful in the future for tracking down criminals, such as kidnappers who've leaked photos of their hostages to the media. Read on to find out how it works. More »
    11/18/08
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  • lcds

    Know-It-All LCD Panel Can Scan Fingerprints, Sense Light

    The fundamental proposition of consumer technology is as follows: the closer we are to using the gadgets featured in the last 10 years of crappy spy thrillers and action movies, the more progress we've made. That's how the Surface came to be, and how we've ended up with the fingerprint-grabbing, light-sensing LCD panel. AU Optronics has developed systems that can handle both without interfering with a panel's display capabilities. While this tech is not likely to quickly replace the dirt-cheap light sensors that manage screen brightness now, LCD fingerprinting could add an interesting security layer for increasingly common touchscreen devices, among other things. [Tech-On via Gearlog]
    11/05/08
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    Comment by Bokusatsu_Tenshi: Now all we need is an anti greasy fingerprint technology for LCD panels. That and self-sterilizing too. 1 Responses | Other threads

  • fingerprints

    Smudge-Resistant Film Breaks Down Your Gross Fingersweat With Chemistry

    Japanese company Tsujiden has presented a new protective film that diminishes fingerprints in a matter of seconds, breaking down the oily residue using a simple property of chemistry previously utilized in soaps and detergents. The company claims that the lipophilic and hydrophilic properties of the film cause the grease to be "obscured" by allowing it to "become flat" against the treated surface. More »
    10/31/08
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    Comment by Winston Smith: I can't wait until they begin making knife handles and gun grips from this stuff. Would make life much more worry-free! 9 Responses | Other threads

  • fingerprint scanner

    Futronic's FS88 Fingerprint Scanner Detects Difference Between Live, Dead Fingers

    Say goodbye to those lousy movie plots where some girl that looks like Jennifer Garner cuts off a high-ranking execs' finger in order to gain access to some room. Futronic's latest FS88 fingerprint scanner is not only FBI approved, but it can detect the difference between live and dead fingers. As an added bonus, it can even reject fake fingers that are made out of Play-Doh, rubber or other materials people make fake fingerprints out of. No pricing yet, but the unit comes with a USB cable and an LED-illuminated scanning window, meaning that your home office just got a lot fancier (and secure). [Windows For Devices]
    03/11/08
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    Comment by T3hG33k: Does it bypass the paper finger that can fool most even high end scanners? more » | Other threads

  • look out fatties

    Biometric System Narcs On Kids' Eating Habits at School

    In an effort to curb unhealthy eating habits, one Catholic school in Utah has implemented a biometric finger scanning system that is used to track what kids are eating during lunch. Parents are then given the information in hopes that they will use it to help children make better choices. More »
    01/21/08
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    Comment by Hello_Newman: It would be easier if the Federal government put financial rewards for schools that don't serve soda, ice cream, cookies,... more » | Other threads

  • gadgets

    Biometric Fingerprint Safe is NRA Endorsed, Futuristic

    This Sequiam Biometrics BioVault 2.0 is officially endorsed by the NRA as a biometric gun-safety device, meaning it's safe enough that an organization that specializes in guns believes it can prevent your kids from getting at your guns. And not only is it safe, it's convenient too. How many times have you heard an intruder outside, run over to your security vault and forgot your password? Too many times! We can't remember the last time we couldn't locate our finger (most of the time it's up our nose or in our ear). We'd totally spend the $399 for this if only we had something to put in it besides our emergency stash of "Snatch, the Magazine" for power outages. [SharperImage via Random Good Stuff]
    12/26/07
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    Comment by pouls29: @ideaman2020:I'm not letting my kid anymore. I can't have him setting up a trebuchet using semi trailers. My... more » | Other threads

  • apple

    That Ekon fingerprint reader we tested on Windows now has a Mac version of the software that works with Keychain, locking/unlocking your computer, faster user switching and logging on. [UPek via OhgIzmo]
    09/25/07
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    Comment by The Chad: great, now shrink it and replace the home button on the iphone w/ one. more » | Other threads

  • review

    UPEK Eikon Fingerprint Reader Hands-On (It Works With Firefox!)

    It's been a while since we last found a fingerprint reader we really liked. The previous champion—the lovely Cylon-red Microsoft Fingerprint Reader—was demoted to just Windows login duty (and eventually abandoned altogether) because of its lack of Firefox support. The Eikon? It supports Firefox. That's just one of the reasons why this Upek Digital Privacy Manager USB Fingerprint Reader shines. More »
    Feature
    05/31/07
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  • gadgets

    iCache: All Your Credit Cards, One Device, Fingerprint Security

    Finally, somebody takes a step toward untangling this credit card mess of pins, poor security and too-fat wallets. It's iCache, letting you register all your credit card numbers online and then to hell with all that plastic—you carry this one device that has all your credit cards' magnetic strip signatures on it. More »
    01/17/07
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    Comment by SmBizMan: i'm still waiting for this to hit the streets more » | Other threads

  • cellphones

    Samsung SCH-V960 Optical Joystick: How It Works

    Samsung's SCh-V960 may have the first optical joystick available on a phone, but we'll be damned if we can figure out what the hell that means. But we can take a look at Samsung's "fingerprint recognition" joystick patent to get a better idea of how it's going to work. More »
    12/19/06
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  • gadgets

    Pen-One Fingerprint Pen Steals Your Identity

    What's the point of a pen that can take your signature when you sign? Imagine your credit card being stolen, but if the person who's signing gets their fingerprint taken when they sign, you'll have a record of who the thief was. A stupid example for sure, but there are other, more important uses for the device. Some that take advantage of its authentication features: More »
    12/12/06
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    Comment by Skeptical_Geezer: Or one could just have a inkpad and imprint a thumbrint NEXT to the signature! more » | Other threads

  • gadgets

    True Me: Who Am I? Swipe My Finger

    True Me is a system for Internet-based authentication using fingerprints, and it's said to be the first on-demand authentication system to be released. It has a cool-looking fingerprint sensor that plugs into your PC, and eliminates the need for entering passwords, user names, or anything else. It's a service of Pay by Touch, which has already made a few inroads into fingerprint authentication schemes, with its biometric payment network currently in place at 2400 retail locations in 44 states. More »
    10/09/06
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    Comment by wickwire: Pay By Touch has been in the field of biometrics for over 5 years. Doing some research on the subject... more » | Other threads

  • portable media

    Seiko Epson Developing Tiny Portable Fingerprint Sensors

    Seiko Epson is commercializing a tiny 0.2mm fingerprint sensor that will allow manufacturers to secure any kind of mobile device. The sensor reads fingerprints by detecting the miniscule electric current from your finger when you touch the device. More »
    07/28/06
    594
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    Comment by Kardster: Wow - CDMA finally has an advantage over GSM - look out for the new advertising campaigns! more » | Other threads

  • peripherals

    Biometric Microdrive/CF Reader

    This microdrive/compact flash reader has biometric fingerprint protection so your tasteful self-nudes will never be leaked out to the public—without your permission. The V117 lets you stick in your CF card and access it like a normal reader. Using the PC software, you encrypt all data stored on the card so that it can only be decrypted and accessed if the reader gets the right fingerprint. More »
    07/25/06
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  • peripherals

    Buffalo USB Thumb Drive With Fingerprint Reader

    More »
    07/13/06
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  • laptops

    DIY: MacBook Biometrics

    More »
    07/05/06
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  • peripherals

    Waterproof Fingerprint Reader

    We're not sure what practical uses a waterproof fingerprint reader has—checking mail straight dripping wet from the shower maybe—but we rarely see eye-to-eye with the Japanese. More »
    06/26/06
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    Comment by Worf: Hey, a self-cleaning fingerprint scanner! You know how grungy those things get... now with the waterfall, it cleans itself! more » | Other threads

  • portable media

    Bio Computer-On-A-Stick

    Bionopoly, known to some for its fingerprint readers and to others for its goofy name, has announced the launch of what they claim is the first USB drive with built-in biometric authentication—although to my knowledge that highly specialized claim probably belongs to Project BlackDog. Bionopoly's "Bio Computer-On-A-Stick" goes a bit farther than the typical USB drive, in that it has its own operating system and software suite ready for use on any host machine. Furthermore, it is on a stick. Not so much a literal stick as a metaphorical one. It uses the power of biology to fight crime on the mean streets, accompanied by its trusty pretend stick. More »
    10/17/05
    254
    1

    By Noah R

    Comment by PMonkey: I still question the SoulPad team's assertion that the USB 2.0 won't be the performance bottleneck. I've never had... more » | Other threads

  • cellphones

    Samsung Anycall: Fingerprint Protected

    The one device that probably gets lost or stolen more than any other gadget is the cellphone. And with that misfortune comes the inevitable heartbreak of having lost all your contacts, as well as the potential misfortune of having your personal data misused. Samsung Korea, which appears to be barraging the world with news today in order to shift attention away from its $300 million price-fixing fine, has come up with a possible solution: the Samsung Anycall SCH-S370, a cellphone with a fingerprint sensor built right into the device. Now you can protect all that valuable information with one swipe of the finger, and won't have to worry about thieves getting at all those secret Paris Hilton-type photos. It'll accomodate up to 5 fingerprints, in case you want different users to have access to the phone (I guess this is good if you lend your phone out to people sometimes). The phone also comes packed with a 1.3 megapixel camera, an MP3 player, GPS functionality, and PictBridge compatibility. It'll be out by the end of the year, though no idea if this will make it out of Korea. More »
    10/14/05
    979
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    By gizmogo
  • gadgets

    Gizmodo Ink

  • Dartmouth researchers have created the world's teeniest robot (200 of them would fit on an M&M) while University of Pennsylvania scientists have developed a portable power plant for emergency workers and, more likely, commuters with way too many gadgets in their pockets. More »
10/11/05
56
0

By Noah R
  • jewelry

    Fingerprint Jewelry: Unquestionably Yours

    So this isn't really gadgety or anything, but it certainly has a geek quotient to it. You send a copy of your fingerprint to fancy schmancy jewelery maker Piaget, and they'll make a watch or pendant design out of it. The swirls of your print will be laid out in diamonds and white gold, which means this thing will be uber pricey. So pricey, that Piaget isn't saying how much it'll cost — you'll have to ask 'em yourself. More »
    08/26/05
    2,399

    By gizmogo