-Fingerprint sensors from AuthenTec are providing biometric security and convenience for Crestron’s new WiFi touchpanel – a multi-purpose system that enables multiple users to operate computers, TV sets, lights, climate controls, security systems, and other devices from a single location.

Crestron selected the EntréPad 1610 swipe sensor from AuthenTec — the world leader in fingerprint sensor security, innovation and sales — for the new Isys iO™ TPMC-8X WiFi touchpanel. The AuthenTec sensor secures the system by restricting access to only authorized users. With the simple swipe of a finger, the sensor recognizes and authorizes access for enrolled users, and also gives them a personalized interface — with their own graphics, preferences and access privileges.

“AuthenTec’s EntréPad takes security and convenience to a whole new level,” said Fred Bargetzi, vice president of technology for Crestron. “The sensor not only provides the highest accuracy and reliability that our customers demand, but its small size and unique Power of Touch capability enable us to provide personalized features at the simple swipe of a finger.”

“Crestron is the first company to leverage EntréPad’s Power of Touch capabilities in a WiFi touchpanel,” said Larry Ciaccia, president of AuthenTec. “New, innovative products like the WiFi touchpanel demonstrate the benefits that fingerprint security, convenience and privacy can provide users in the home and office.”

Along with the advanced biometrics, the touchpanel features an embedded Windows XP Operating System, an 8.4” SVGA screen displaying 3D graphics and streaming video; built-in Bluetooth® technology, stereo speakers and a microphone. Users can access the Web via Internet Explorer, streaming media using WindowsMedia® Player 10, e-mail, and full PC applications such as MS Word, Excel, PowerPoint®, and Adobe® Acrobat®, and control AV distribution, lighting, climate control, security systems and other functions.

Built-in stereo speakers, dual integrated microphones, and a stereo headphone output provide full audio functionality to complement the TPMC-8X’s touchpanel, video, and computer capabilities. Customized WAV files can be loaded on the touchpanel to add dimension to the touchscreen graphics with personalized sounds, button feedback, and voice prompts.

Kanguru Solutions announces the release of the Kanguru Bio Slider II, their new and improved USB 2.0 secure flash drive made complete with the most up-to-date biometric fingerprint technology.

The Kanguru Bio Slider II has taken the hassle out of remembering passwords in order to keep your information secure by using a biometric sensor that will recognize your fingerprint. The drive offers a low maintenance, effortless approach to protecting and storing your data. The built in fingerprint reader allows authorized users access to the encrypted data on the drive with the swipe of a finger. Once the print is confirmed, the user is allowed access to their confidential information. Since an individual fingerprint or thumbprint is the password, the password to your secure drive can never be stolen, forged, or forgotten!

The Kanguru Bio Slider II, although sophisticated in design and technology, is very easy to use. To begin using the slider, simply insert the drive into an available USB port and slide or swipe a selected finger across the sensor square on the drive. As an added benefit, all saved fingerprints, as well as the security program itself are stored directly on the drive. This allows for ultimate portability and convenience as you can take the Kanguru Bio Slider II to any PC without having to install anything to use it! The drive can store up to ten fingerprints and allows the user to set a recovery password, in case damage occurs to the sensor.

The Kanguru Bio Slider II allows you to safeguard your data using the latest top-notch biometric technology, all at an affordable price and portable size. In addition to biometric technology, the drive can also be used with optional add-on security software packages offered by Kanguru Solutions. Kanguru Desktop Encryption software adds 256-bit AES encrypted partitions to your PC Hard Drive, and Kanguru BioLogin software adds biometric Windows login support and 256-bit AES encrypted folders on your PC.

Weighing in at 19 grams, this compact and lightweight flash drive makes for an equally portable and secure storage device. The drive utilizes a high quality, top grade fingerprint sensor (500 DPI) with an extremely low false acceptance rate. The Kanguru Bio Slider II is durable, as it resists up to 1000Gs of shock. It offers storage capacities ranging from 256MB up to 4GB, utilizes the high speed USB2.0 Interface, and operates on Windows 98/98SE/ME/2000/XP. The Kanguru Bio Slider II also comes with a one-year warranty to ensure that you receive the highest quality product and service. Customers today are busy and need ultra portable, reliable, and secure access to their information that only the Kanguru Bio Slider II can offer! If you have large amounts of confidential data, the Bio Slider II will certainly meet your needs and provide you with the comfort of knowing your information is secure.

Check out the Bio Slider II product page here.

UPEK(R), Inc., the leading brand of biometric fingerprint authentication solutions, today announced that ASUSTeK Computer Inc. (ASUS), a leading manufacturer globally for (more…)

Neurotechnologija, a provider of high-precision biometric identification technologies, today announced the availability of VeriFinger 5.0 Software Development Kit (SDK), the first major fingerprint identification SDK to add support for the Mac OSX platform to existing cross-platform support for Microsoft Windows and Linux. VeriFinger 5.0 provides both 1:1 verification and 1:many matching modes with significantly enhanced fingerprint recognition reliability and fast identification speeds of up to 40,000 fingerprints per second. The VeriFinger algorithm is currently used by more than 1000 biometric system developers, integrators and hardware manufacturers in more than 60 countries worldwide, and it can be integrated with any scanner, database or user interface, providing easy integration with existing security systems.”Biometric identification has become one of the most critical security applications for businesses and governments worldwide, and we believe VeriFinger 5.0 SDK meets that important challenge with our most powerful technology to date,” said Algimantas Malickas, CEO of Neurotechnologija. “Ninety percent of our development efforts for this version focused on further enhancing reliability. With the enhanced reliability, matching speeds and multi-platform capabilities of VeriFinger 5.0, customers can implement more extensive fingerprint identification systems in a broad range of environments, including Macintosh-based products as well as mixed embedded-PC systems,” Malickas added.

The VeriFinger fingerprint identification algorithm has been proven to be one of the fastest and most reliable among competing identification algorithms in some of the industry’s most rigorous competitions, including the National Institute of Standards & Technology (NIST)’s Fingerprint Vendor Technology Evaluation (FpVTE) and the International Fingerprint Verification Competitions (FVC). Designed for use in a wide range of capacities, including access control, computer security, time/attendance control and banking applications among others, VeriFinger 5.0 SDK enables the rapid development and integration of biometric applications by giving integrators complete control over the SDK data input and output.

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After six months in stealth mode, Cogneto Inc. formally launched today with a mission to combat identity fraud for people using online services. Founded by a team of leading security experts, cognitive psychologists, network architects and specialists in human-computer interaction, Cogneto is pioneering a new branch of biometrics which identifies people based on behaviors inherent in the way they interact with computers. ‘Cognitive authentication’ is the most effective way to validate the identity of online customers since each person’s recognition abilities, response times and personal experiences are unique to them. Financial institutions, online retailers and military organizations need to authenticate their customers in a user-friendly, secure, reliable and cost-effective manner - a challenge which Cogneto aims to address.

Wireless and investment banking veteran Ralph Scobie, will lead Cogneto as chairman, president and CEO. He is joined by an experienced management team including:

– Patrick Audley, chief technology officer, and former founder of Group Telecom’s PKI division

– John Bradley, chief network officer, and founder of Group Telecom, Canada’s most successful CLEC

– Dr Andrew Csinger, chief strategy officer, former founder of Xcert Software Inc, a pioneer of public key infrastructure (PKI) software

– Martin Renaud, chief scientist, and experienced experimental psychologist with a specialism in memory

– Dr Barry Po, director of user experience, a leading expert in human-computer interaction.

Adrian Beeston, managing director, international, will head Cogneto’s London office.

“With the increasing threat of online fraud and identify theft, banks and other online organizations must take proactive steps to protect their customers by deploying strong authentication and security solutions,” said Ralph Scobie, CEO of Cogneto. “Until now those security measures always meant some form of compromise, whether in terms of usability, cost or the level of security provided. With cognitive authentication, Cogneto ends that dilemma - it is hardware-free, user-friendly and extremely secure.”

Cogneto’s two-way, multi-factor, strong authentication platform, UNOMI(TM), will be launched in October. It combines cognitive authentication with proactive universal risk mitigation enabling online service providers to securely validate the identity of their customers based on a range of behavioral measurements (such as response times), device inputs (such as the user’s IP address) and global factors (such as the ambient fraud threat level).

Cogneto is funded by a group of angel investors and with private equity. It has offices in Seattle, Vancouver, Canada and London, England.