• State Department: Robust security for U.S. e-passport

    Popular misconception notwithstanding, the new U.S. e-passprt are safe, says the State Department. One example: The card’s photograph cannot be removed with solvent; a laser engraving process embeds the photograph into the polycarbonate card stock, meaning that attempts to remove your picture will visibly mar the card

  • Airlines may be forced to fit antiterror cameras in seats

    The EU moves across a broad front to increase air travel safety; airlines will be forced to install spy-in-the-cabin cameras and increase the use of biometrics technology for passenger identification

  • Cogent's good financial report

    Company’s sales of $24.6 million and profit, excluding some costs, of 16 cents share exceeded the consensus forecast for $23 million and 9 cents, and profit more than doubled from the same period a year earlier

  • Breakthrough: Reading fingerprints even after they are gone

    The name is Bond, John Bond (of Leicester University, that is): Researchers at Leicester develop a fingerprints visualization technique which would allow reading a fingerprint even after the print itself has been removed; new method would allow solving decade-old unsolved cases

  • Upcoming UCLA extension course: Biometric Identification Technology

    UCLA Extension course offers comprehensive review of major biometric technologies and issues; the course is designed for both people already in the field and for newcomers

  • Biometrics not yet ready for banking transactions

    Security expert: Biometrics plays a role in banking and financial institutions — but until 2016 or so, it should be used mostly to add a third security factor to existing chip and PIN systems

  • Precise Biometrics in SEK 2.3 million Middle East deal

    Precise strengthens its already-strong position in Middle Eastern biometric markets by signing a contract to supply its200 MC combined fingerprint and smart card readers to an unnamed government

  • Problems plague worker ID program

    The TWIC program is being rolled out, but long lines at enrollment centers, jammed phones, redundant background checks, and paperwork slow the process down

  • IBM joins Next Generation Identification (NGI) system team

    NGI, the FBI’s new multi-modal, state-of-the-art biometrics system to be used by state, local, and federal authorities, will store fingerprints, palm prints, iris, and facial recognition information; it will accommodate other biometric modalities as they mature

  • Electronic "pets" to tackle identity theft problem

    Forget passwords, PINs, or even biometric security measures; a new, if futuristic, solution is offered for the problem of identity theft: Electronic pets; the pets would recognize their owners’ voiceprint, fingerprints, or walking style; researchers say it will be important for owners to bond with and nourish their electronic pets by playing with them

  • Existence of new basic element for electronic circuits proven

    There are three fundamental elements to electronic circuits: resistor, capacitor, and inductor; nearly forty years ago, Leon Chua of the University of California at Berkeley theorized that there was a fourth element — memristor — which had properties that could not be duplicated by any combination of the other three elements; HP researchers have now proven the existence of memristors; facial recognition biometrics will benefit

  • U.K. government developing London Olympics ID card

    The U.K. will host the 2012 Summer Olympic games, and the government is in the process of developing what it describes as a “pretty inclusive and far-reaching” Olympics accreditation card

  • Facial recognition scans to be deployed in U.K. this summer

    U.K. government plans to deploy facial recognition scanners at U.K. airport this summer; scanner will allow for automatic security checks at gates

  • DHS proposes biometric airport and seaport exit procedures

    Moving to implement one more recommendation of the 9/11 Commission, DHS announces that by 30 June 2009 all visitors leaving the United States will have their biometric details taken and recorded

  • California passes smart-gun law

    Several companies are now working on embedding palm biometrics security mechanism in guns: The gun grip will store the image of the owner’s palm, and the gun will unlock only if the image of the palm holding the gun matches the stored image; California wants this mechanism in all guns sold in the state