Biometric technologies

U.S. government agencies increase use of biometric technology
The National Institute of Justice is evaluating the use of face recognition technologies to identify suspects and improve security and officer safety; this is but one of many biometric technologies being evaluated by U.S. government agencies
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Anti-ID groups critical of Hillingdon ID card scheme
While the debate in the United Kingdom over the national ID scheme rages, Hillingdon Borough came up with the idea to introduce a local ID card scheme; critics are unhappy
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U.K. MPs have doubts about a biometrics IT system for screening students
The Home Affairs Committee looked at the role of the National Biometric Identity Service (NBIS) in student visa applications as part of a report into migration processes; universities have already voiced their concerns that the enrollment of students will depend on the untested NBIS, and the MPs say they share this concern
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New technology locks up Biometrics
Communication encryption relies on authentication being symmetric to work: the user’s password or PIN must match the password or PIN stored by the recipient (online shop, bank, etc.) to lock and unlock the data; biometric may be used for encryption — but biometrics is not a symmetric process; South African researchers now show how biometrics can nevertheless be used to make a consistent secret key for encryption
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Biometrics tunnel helps identify individuals' unique walking patterns
The University of Southampton’s biometric tunnel provides the technology to analyze the way people walk as a unique identifier; university researchers have developed a technology which captures the unique walking patterns, and then characterizes and records them to a database
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Opponents of Israeli Biometric Law: "It's a Step to a True Police State"
Debate heats up in Israel over the creation of a national biometric database; the law empowers the Interior Ministry to set up a database that would include biometric identification information on every Israeli citizen
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Investment in R&D sees thriving biometric markets
With security remaining a top priority at all levels of U.S. government, the biometrics market is seeing market stability and returns on their investments in R&D
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Napolitano highlights differences between Real ID and PASS ID
DHS secretary Napolitano, in her previous post a governor of Arizona, opposed the Real ID Act and the mandates it imposes on states; now, as DHS secretary, she is charge of implementing the act; Napolitano offers the PASS ID program as a compromise
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IBM signs U.K. biometric passport deal
IBM signs a £265 million contract with the U.K. Border Agency’s (UKBA) to provide UKBA with fingerprinting capabilities and run the database that will store the facial images and fingerprints needed to keep the passport in line with international standards
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Breakthrough: Face recognition computers can see through disguise
Powerful face recognition techniques have so far required powerful computers; researchers have applied a one-dimensional filter to the two-dimensional data from conventional analyses, allowing them to reduce significantly the amount of computer power required without compromising accuracy
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KISS helps winnow biometric technologies
Fingerprints still appear to have the edge among biometric technologies; standardization drives down prices and increases choice of vendors, but it reduces the variety of metrics and the languages by which they are described
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U.K. Home Office makes ID card trial voluntary
Bowing to pressure, the Home Office has abandoned attempts to force workers at Manchester and London City airports to carry ID cards, opting to make the trial voluntary
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U.K. biometrics industry signs up to new guidelines
The new guidelines will define the level of competence needed for a particular job role or occupation, and will be used to support individual and organizational development and quality assurance
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DHS 2010 spending bill supports biometrics
The legislation includes $352 million for the U.S. Visitor and Immigrant Status Indicator Technology, known as US-VISIT, the department’s largest biometric program; this is $52 million more than the fiscal 2009 amount
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Lockheed Martin in management contract continuation of FBI database
Lockheed martin wins $47 million, five-year contract to continue to manage the FBI’s criminal justice database; the contract calls for converting paper fingerprint, palm print, and photo records into high-quality electronic records for the FBI
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