At Giz, we only endorse finger vein security (publicly, because privately we'd rely on nothing short of full colonoscopic verification). Sony's FVA-U1, going on sale December 18 in Japan, will be the smallest finger vein reader on the market conveniently operating over USB. [AkihabaraNews]

All you do is get a kit, imprint your lover's (or even your own) fingers, send it off, and get a custom fingerprint ring in your choice of metals. The message the maker of these trinkets wants to send is that "your lover touching you, holding your finger, always with you," but all I'm hearing is "make sure it's not her sister...make sure it's not her sister!" [Etsy via Make]

The fingerprint ID also, of course, can theoretically act as a security device so that only you can activate your phone. There's also haptic (physical) feedback when you're hitting things, as well as using the touchscreen as an RFID reader. None of the three are really mindblowing in themselves, on the surface, but if implemented intelligently might make for a big step forward in the iPhone product line. [Macrumors via Boy Genius]

The complete method is explained in the paper Fingerprinting Blank Paper Using Commodity Scanners. Here's the abstract:

This paper presents a novel technique for authenticating physical documents based on random, naturally occurring imperfections in paper texture. We introduce a new method for measuring the three-dimensional surface of a page using only a commodity scanner and without modifying the document in any way. From this physical feature, we generate a concise fingerprint that uniquely identifies the document. Our technique is secure against counterfeiting and robust to harsh handling; it can be used even before any content is printed on a page. It has a wide range of applications, including detecting forged currency and tickets, authenticating passports, and halting counterfeit goods. Document identification could also be applied maliciously to de-anonymize printed surveys and to compromise the secrecy of paper ballots.

Essentially, by scanning a piece of paper from several angles, it's possible to use shadow readings to reconstruct the paper's unique 3D features—what becomes the basic fingerprint. This fingerprint data can then be stored in something as simple as a barcode for later validation.

Now if we could only authenticate our digital data with such foolproof measures. [Freedom to Tinker via boingboing]

There's even an ID card and ink pad so anyone that enters said playroom can get their prints on file, in case any funny business should happen later, and some evidence sacks to bag up incriminating fibers. What every kid needs is their own high-security, civil-rights-violating border crossing station in his room. I had my prints lifted off a water bottle, so this thing works. It's $16 and available this fall. [Toy Fair 2009]

It happened at Tokyo airport. The woman has repeatedly entered Japan using the same trick without anybody noticing. Japanese officials say that they suspect many others have been doing the same things, demonstrating that the biometric systems they installed in 30 airports in 2007—to the tune of $45 million—are completely useless. The woman was deported in July 2007 for illegally staying in Japan as a bar hostess in Nagano, but she entered again with the system, using the tape and a fake passport allegedly provided by a South Korean broker. [Sidney Morning Herald via Fashion Funky]

When a digital camera captures a photo, the camera creates each pixel using a charge-coupled device—a microchip that is made up of millions of capacitors that get electrical charges depending on how intense the lighting is in a certain spot. Each of these capacitors has a lens and a color filter that creates one single pixel from a mosaic made up of red, green and blue filters.

The colors and brightness levels that we can physically see in our digital pictures are created by a demosaicing software, which is custom built for every camera model due to each camera's individual specs and subtle differences. Because of this, a certain camera model will generate distinct pixels—and unique relationships between its neighboring pixels—which can pinpoint the exact make and model of the camera.

Knowing this information could greatly help forensics teams since each digital camera has a shelf life of about 18 months, which would significantly narrow the pool of where and when it was sold. Although it is not perfect, early tests have shown this technique has proven to be 90 percent accurate, which is still an A in my book! [New Scientist via Slashdot]

In other words, this treatment doesn't keep your touchscreen from collecting your filthy secretions — it spreads the goo around until you just don't notice it. Whatever the method, if this film can keep iPods from looking like the back window of a short bus after a few minutes of usage, then by all means, Tsujiden, deceive me into a feeling of false cleanliness. [Tech-On]

Here is the thing though—the parents probably have the same horrible eating habits, so it would be hard to dole out the discipline without looking like a hypocrite. Besides, if the school is so concerned about the kids' nutritional welfare, why do they continue to serve them crap food? Oh, and the school claims that that the stored information recorded has "no forensic value." Yeah, right. I'll bet you drop one joint on the ground behind the school and your fingerprints combined with data indicating that you enjoy large quantities of sugary and salty snack foods will do you in. [Breitbart]

In addition to offering flawless Firefox and IE password handling, the reader is simple to use and solid in the way that gasses and liquids are not. Plus, it even works in Vista.

When compared to the most well known fingerprint reader (as judged by Google results and our own anecdotal opinion) by Microsoft, the Upek one comes up the winner in just about every category. It offers a swiping scheme instead of a press-down/mugshot-in-a-police-station scheme. This allows you not to have to clean the sensor with warm water and towel every two weeks like you would for Microsoft's (they actually tell you this in the instructions).

Then, there's the obvious benefits of not having to use Internet Explorer. This alone is a gigantic selling point. But if you do want to use both, say if your bank only supports IE, then the Upek will maintain two sets of passwords for both browsers. Kind of inconvenient to have to enter stuff in twice when setting up the database, but that's a minor gripe.

The reader works just as well for Windows logins under XP and Vista, but there's no Mac support to be found. (Is there even a good one that exists for Macs other than the Sony Puppy?) It even works as an easy way to authenticate and accept the User Account Control notifications in Vista that Apple mocked in one of their ads.

When you finish the setup and actually get around to using it, the reader has a pretty decent recognition rate if you swipe your finger at the optimum speed (or slower). Swipe it too fast and it'll just get confused.

The software is made up of large, easy to read text and icons that you activate by swiping. It's easy to register new pages or "replay your registration," which is their phrase for logging in with your pre-set login and password. Once you get familiar with their sometimes awkward phrasing for saving and entering passwords, you're golden.

In the end we definitely recommend this reader at its dead-presidents-friendly price of $39. You may save $5 by going with Microsoft's solution, but the Firefox support alone is way more to us than $5. – Jason Chen

Product Page [Amazon]

Product Page [UPek]

Unlock it with a fingerprint, dial up the credit card you want to use, and it's ready to be scanned. Neat. However, we may not see this on the market for another year or two. – Charlie White

Product Page [iCache, via UberGizmo]

The fingerprint algorithm can detect where you place your finger on the joypad, which finger you place, and even the angle you place it at. That means sliding around with your thumb could get you your contacts, whereas using your other thumb could scroll through menus. And the placement of your finger, of course, knows in which direction you want to scroll.

Just conjecture for now, but it seems a likely candidate for the optical joystick implementation. What's also cool is that it can gauge how healthy you are by the amount of boogers you smear on its sensor. – Jason Chen

Samsung SCH V960 Optical Joystick phone. How does it work? [UnwiredView]

Chain of custody documentation, Child care and custody records, Patient consent and HIPAA compliance, Sarbanes-Oxley signoff for corporate SEC filings, US Customs Entry and Biometric Passport Authentication

Not really a big deal for everyday use, but for high security situations like handing off a Metal Gear, you want to make sure the guy you're giving it to really is who he is, and not just Snake in a mask. – Jason Chen

Product Page [Pen-One via Red Ferret via Oh Gizmo]

We've been hearing a lot about fingerprint sensors lately, none of which have really caught on as of yet. Come on, somebody, develop a secure universal fingerprint reading system that we can use everywhere. Is this it? We'd sure like to eliminate pins, passports, IDs, secret questions, and all that other silliness that goes with authentication. Who knew a simple question, "Who are you?," could be so difficult to answer. – Charlie White

Product page [Pay by Touch, via Biometrics]

Possible applications are self-identifying credit cards, cellphones, and MP3 players. When a wrong fingerprint is entered, that item is disabled, so your credit cards won't be charged and your phones won't be used to make strange calls. Unless they take out your SIM and stick it in another phone, that is. Then you're screwed. – Jason Chen

Nikkei Net [via Pink Tentacle]