fingerprint

Windows 8.1 will have a couple of tricks up its sleeve for people who use fingerprint readers.

One of Monday's sessions at Microsoft's TechEd conference highlighted the support that Windows 8.1 will offer for fingerprint recognition, as described by The Verge. Prior versions of Windows handled fingerprint readers through third-party software. But Windows 8.1 will be the first edition of Windows to natively support the technology.

Users will be able to log into their PCs via a Microsoft Account, purchase apps, and open different programs with a swipe of the finger. They'll even be … Read more

Our body tissue, not to mention diseases, each have their own unique "fingerprint," which can in turn be examined to diagnose various health issues at very early stages.

Now, researchers at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland say that after a decade of work they've developed a new MRI (magnetic resonance imagining) technique that can scan for those diseases very quickly. In just 12 seconds, for instance, it may be possible to differentiate white from gray matter in cerebrospinal fluid in the brain; in a matter of minutes, a full-body scan would provide far more data, making diagnostics considerably easier and less expensive than today's scans.… Read more

Unlocking your phone FBI-style with a fingerprint seems like a neat idea, but it's harder than it looks. Fingerprint Lock Screen tries to play on that idea to prank your friends, but it doesn't even work very well at that. If you can even get past the ads to try to set the app up, it's buggy and can be easily worked around.

The app claims it can fool your friends into thinking your phone recognizes your fingerprint. How it's supposed to work is that you scan the image of your fingerprint and add your name … Read more

Unlocking your phone will seem very high tech with this application, but in reality it's just a trick. Fingerprint Scanner Lock will have access to most of your personal information while giving nothing in return.

Before you install Fingerprint Scanner Lock, the program requires full access to your data. It requests access to your phone records, texts, personal information, messages, phone book, current location, and the ability to change the contents of your SD card. Once downloaded it also requires that you agree to a long list of terms and conditions regarding your privacy. The user interface is well … Read more

Biosecurity firm Microlatch is rumored to be in talks with Apple to introduce fingerprint technology on future products to secure mobile payment via near field communication (NFC).

The news was first reported by The Australian.

David Murray, former head of the Commonwealth Bank and lead investor of the Australian firm, told the publication Microlatch owns patented technology that meets rigorous banking security standards. According to Murray, the technology does not need central processing or storage, describing the biometric technology as "self-registering."

"There have been acquisitions that suggest that people are positioning themselves around these biosecurity products securing … Read more

The next big Apple feature could be a 2D fingerprint scanner.

Back in July, Apple licensed technology from AuthenTec to commercialize 2D fingerprint sensors for use in or with Apple products, according to a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission made yesterday. Apple has already said it has agreed to buy the security technology provider for $356 million, though the deal still needs shareholder approval.

The news was first reported by The Next Web.

Apple has a history of acquiring companies for their unique technology. Siri, for instance, was acquired and not developed internally.

CNET contacted Apple for further … Read more

Apple is getting serious about mobile security.

The Cupertino, Calif., company has agreed to acquire security technology company AuthenTec for $356 million, according to a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission made by AuthenTec.

The $8-a-share offer for AuthenTec represents a 58 percent premium over its Thursday closing price of $5.07.

CNET contacted Apple for comment. We'll update the story when the company responds. An AuthenTec spokesman confirmed the deal but said it wouldn't be adding any more detail.

Apple is just the latest company to get swept up in the increasing interest in mobile security. … Read more

A U.K. company is now unveiling what it calls the world's first prototype handheld device that doubles as a fingerprint scanner and drug testing device.

In a matter of minutes, the portable device can detect the presence of a wide range of drugs using dyed antibodies that, as we reported back in July, stick to metabolites in the sweat of the fingerprints and change color depending on the presence of drugs.

"The launch of this prototype is a significant milestone," Paul Yaltes of development firm Intelligent Fingerprinting said in a statement. "There has already been … Read more

The power of self-incrimination is now at your fingertips, thanks to a new device out of the U.K. that can test for drugs in a person's system simply by taking a fingerprint.

The technology developed by Intelligent Fingerprinting, a spin-off company from the University of East Anglia in in Norwich, England, can simultaneously confirm a subject's identity and detect the presence of a number of drugs, including cocaine, cannabis, methadone, and nicotine.

The tip-off to the presence of drugs has less to do with the actual fingerprints, and more with the sweat that is secreted through the pores of the fingertips and then detected using dyed antibodies. Those antibodies are applied to the fingertips via gold nanoparticles on the device.

The antibodies stick to metabolites secreted through the pores when a person is under the influence. In other words, if a subject's fingerprint turns a bright, pretty color, it could mean an extended conversation with law enforcement.

The device, which is expected to be available this year, represents a significant advance for detecting whether a driver is under the influence, which usually requires more invasive testing and produces results that can often be easily tainted. The whole testing process can take as little as 15 minutes, which coincidentally is about the time required to concoct a story about your roommate's hilarious practical joke involving switching the baking soda with his stash.

(Via New Scientist)… Read more