Biometrics

Passwords have become practically useless, even dangerous, thanks to human frailty. That is why tech companies keep on trying to kill the password with two-factor authentication, fingerprints, faces, and even security keys. Working with the Fast Identity Online (FIDO) alliance, Microsoft is updating its Windows Hello security framework to work with the newly ratified FIDO2 security keys. This means that, in the future, Windows computers can be unlocked with a fingerprint tapped on a removable USB key.

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Encryption technology research firm PACid Technologies has filed a lawsuit against Samsung Electronics for allegedly infringing upon its biometric patents. The complaint was filed in the Texas Eastern District Court on April 6. In it, PACid claims Samsung has violated three of its patent, two of them filed in the United States and the third in South Korea. All three relate to data encryption.

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Biometrics are everywhere. Almost all smartphones these days, even mid-range ones, have fingerprint scanners. Laptops and convertible tablets are slowly getting there. And while Apple seems to be doing away with them, it is replacing fingerprints with faces, yet another biometric security factor. The only place where this secure authentication method isn’t available is where they matter the most: the Web. But if the World Wide Web Consortium, a.k.a. W3C, has its way, even websites like, well, Facebook will support password-less logins in the near future.

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When I say "the perfect smartphone" I of course mean the four-sided screen. That is the dream of the panel you hold in your hand without any sign of interruption - logos, buttons, or anything in-between. That dream is one step closer to reality now that phones are coming with a feature that's going live thanks to a group called Goodix.

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The will-they won't-they of the Galaxy Note 9's in-display fingerprint reader saga continues, with a new report claiming Samsung in fact does intend to bake biometrics into its new phablet's screen. The technology-du-jour has been a hotly discussed feature in smartphone circles for some time now, as phone-makers attempt to accommodate various sensors while also slimming down screen bezels.

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Move over 3D face recognition, Microsoft wants your palm instead. The biometric security industry has exploded thanks to the popularity of fingerprint scanners and the whole drama around face recognition on phones. Tech companies are now racing to find the next big thing, and the next body part, for securing devices and files. Microsoft, who already supports face and fingerprint recognition via Windows Hello, has teamed up with Fujitsu to integrate the latter’s PalmSecure technology into Windows 10 Pro.

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There is still an ongoing debate on what comes next after the traditional fingerprint scanner. Some would rather still have the same kind of biometric authentication, except under or even inside the glass. Apple prefers to have your face do the talking. Samsung, on the other hand, seems a bit still undecided. It has an iris scanner, sure, but one that isn't precise and secure enough. But it seems that the Korean OEM is playing with something it calls "Intelligent Scan" which uses both that iris scanner and face unlock features.

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The first smartphone with an in-display fingerprint sensor, the Vivo X20 Plus UD, has launched, but even if you could buy it you probably don't want it. The new smartphone - or, more accurately, its biometric system, which is branded Clear ID - made headlines at CES 2018 earlier this month, as the first production device to bake the fingerprint security into the touchscreen itself.

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The 2020 Tokyo Olympics will heavily rely on facial recognition technology for security purposes, according to sources who say the tech will ultimately scan up to 400,000 faces during the event. The technology will be primarily used for getting athletes and journalists to their destinations quickly, the sources claim, with the overall system making it more difficult for stolen or forged credentials to be used for access.

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Apple is investing almost $400m into the one of the companies responsible for its TrueDepth camera system on the iPhone X, and it's likely just the first step in rolling the technology out further in its range. The decision to grant millions from its Advanced Manufacturing Fund to Finisar, the US-based manufacturer of lasers used in TrueDepth, is being billed as a win for American industry; however, it'll also give Finisar the scope to make more advanced versions. As they get smaller, more capable, and more precise, that opens the door to putting the clever camera into new places.

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Fingerprint scanning is secure and reliable. 3D face recognition is fast but still in development. Samsung has the former and is reportedly working on the latter for the Galaxy S9. But why stop there? Indeed, a recently surfaced patent reveals that Samsung is toying with the idea of using palm recognition for a related purpose. No, it won’t unlock your phone using your unique palm lines. It will just help you remember your password or PIN code.

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The iPhone X’s new all-screen display and even its contentious notch have been sidelined by one new feature that may make its way into future iPhones and iPads. The attention, not to mention criticism, given to the phone’s Face ID biometric security isn’t exactly surprising. Humans have a tendency to be skeptical of new things, especially when new things initially promised the world in terms of security. And now they may have even more reason to be extra dubious of Face ID after a woman’s iPhone X was unlocked again and again by her 10 year old son.

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