Biometric Flash Drives : Providing Secure Electronic Mass Storage

Biometric flash drives (also known as "biometric thumb drives"), are gaining increasing popularity because of the added level of security it provides to the now common flash drives. As the costs of flash drives keep declining, users are more likely to copy more data be it personal or corporate to these convinient devices. Though convinient, flash drives also are easily lost, making the data contained in it vulnerable to prying eyes. Biometric flash drives solves this loophole by providing secure storage of critical information.

Biometric flash drives basically provide an interesting combination of biometric authentication technology and electronic mass storage. Biometric flash drives basically have a public and a private partition. The public partition can be accessed by all the users like a normal USB flash brive. It also at times consists of the software required to access the private partition of the disk. With the software it is easy to add and remove users and also to adjust the balance between the two partitions.

Applications of biometric flash drives are manifold when we understand the benefits it has to offer. Just imagine how easy it would now be to carry sensitive infrmation alongwith you without worrying about it getting lost.

by hon keat

1 Touch IQ2 Keyless Fingerprint Door Lock - Biometric Door Lock:

Specification:

Door Thickness: 1.5" to 2.36"

Unlocking Methods:Fingerprint, Code and Mechanical Key

False Identification Rate: <0.0001%>15000v

Working Temperature: -29°F / 140°F

Password Capacity: 78 (minus fingerprint users)

Password Length: 8 bytes

Posted by: Alex Mak

FS82 Fingerprint Scanner with Smartcard Reader

Features

• The Futronic FS82 Fingerprint Smart Reader combines Futronic's FS80 USB2.0 Fingerprint Scanner and an ISO7816 smart card reader into one device.
• Can be used as:

o A pure fingerprint scanner.

o A standalone smart card reader.

o Two-factor authentication system: Fingerprint scanner and smart card reader can be combined to do two-factor authentication. Registered fingerprint is can be stored on smart card(carried by user) which is read into PC to match with a freshly captured fingerprint from fingerprint scanner at the time of authentication.

• Has built-in Live Finger Detection (LFD) capability
• Free API to capture raw fingerprint image

Smartcard Specifications:

• Compliant with ISO 7816 and EMV 2000
• High speed smart card interface, up to 119 Kbps if it is supported by card
• Supports 5V, 3V and 1.8V smart cards
• Supply 60 mA to the smart card
• Detect smart card type automatically
• 8 pin handling (C4/C8 supported)
• Secure Pin Entry (SPE)
• Two colors LED for smart card reader status indication

System Requirements of FS82 Fingerprint Scanner with Smartcard Reader

MS Windows 2000 and Windows XP 200MHz or higher Pentium processor 128MB RAM minimum USB port and CDROM drive by chi chou

Biometric Input device

Biometrics Optical Scanner - Hamster

Our biometric hamster is the next generation model of popular and versatile biometric fingerprint readers. Packaged in a comfortable, ergonomic design, this biometric scanner features the industry's most rugged and advanced optical sensor using patented SEIR fingerprint biometric technology. Use our Biometric Hamster with your choice of compatible biometric software for authentication, identification and verification functions that let your fingerprints act like digital passwords that cannot be lost, forgotten or stolen.

Biometric Hamster : Specs

• USB connection
• Removable weighted stand
• Compact, lightweight and portable
• Integrated finger guide
• Readily accessible for any finger
• Driver CD included

Biometric Fingerprint Recognition Sensor

• High-performance, maintenance-free optical fingerprint sensor
• Resistance to scratches, impact, vibration and electrostatic shock
• Fast and accurate verification
• Latent print image removal (does not accept prints left behind)
• Encryption of fingerprint templates (cannot be used to reconstruct fingerprint images)
• One year warranty

Benefits of Using Biometric Fingerprint Hamster

Biometric hamster is easy to use and can be installed quickly on any Windows PC. It provides consistent performance and security for a growing number of software applications for desktop, network, enterprise and Internet environments.

When used for biometric authentication as part of an overall security program, the biometric hamster can help reduce the hassles of password overload, decrease the risks of security breaches, improve accountability and add true non-repudiation, all while making it more convenient and intuitive for almost any user.

posted by
tian jen

Samsung Seek Mobile Features are Best for Easy Social Networking

Social networking is the trend in town, because its 'essential' and a easy way to connect with your friends, find new interesting stuff and interacting with different people with your same interests. Mobiles today are very much focusing on 'social networking' features to get integrated in them. Samsung Seek is all set to provide its users with the best of social networking experiences. With pre-loaded clients for Facebook, MySpace and Twitter it would provide an easy on the go access. It would definitely be supporting the messengers to get the chatters excited as well.

It also has the specification feature such as:-

• Full side-sliding QWERTY keyboard
• Pre-loaded clients for popular social networks such as Facebook,Twitter,and Myspace
• Clients for favorite IM networks
• Email Application
• 2.6-inch QVGA touchscreen
• 1.3 -megapixel camera
• Media player
• Web browser
• 3.5mm headset
• MicroSD memory card slot

The seek also comes with two colour i.e. Cool blue and Scarlet Red.Another colour Fantasy pink

will be available from june 6th.

by hon keat

References: http://www.tech43.net/2010/05/samsung-seek-mobile-features-are-best.html

Sony Ericsson Xperia X10 Android smartphone

Smartphones with touchscreen technology is being manufactured and researched by various worldwide phone selling companies after the appearance of iPhones - Sony Ericsson is one of them. Introducing Sony Ericsson Xperia X10 Android smartphone, one of the their latest touchscreen smartphone.

Its hardware specification are as follows:
- Android OS 1.6
- 1 GHz SnapDragon processor,
- 1 GB internal memory,
- 384 MB RAM
- WiFi (802.11 b/g), HSDPA (7.2Mbps), HSUPA (3.6 Mbps), bluetooth 2.1 (with A2DP), AGPS
- microUSB.
- 8 megapixel camera with autofocus,16x digital zoom, image stablisation, touch focus, face detection, geotagging and LED flash.

It also comes with media management software such as Mediascape. Not to mention, Mediascape also helps to manage pictures and upload/download them to/from facebook and google picasa web albums. Timescape however, brings together all texts, emails and tweets to recent photos and songs into a fancy 3D timeline which can be scrolled through and flick about with a finger.

Although it has hi-spec hardwares, some reviews shows that it's software response is quite jerky. And it is still outdone by other smartphones available in the market.

References: http://www.gadgetlite.com/2010/05/10/review-sony-ericsson-xperia-x10

By: Alex Mak.

Neofoni's iPad Killer: WePad

There might be a new "iPad killer" and it is called WePad, which is developed in Germany. The German maker of the new tablet is setting out to rival Apple's iPad with the promise of greater sophisticated technology. Neofonie GmbH says, "The WePad outperforms the iPad by sporting a bigger screen, a webcam and USB ports for connecting printers and other devices."

Moreover, for people who want to put music on their WePad do not have to use specific software. Unlike Apple's devices that require iTunes to listen to music. The WePad has a sporty 11.6-inch screen that is powered by Intel and relies on Linux software as the backbone, which is compatible with Google's Android and all Flash applications. The basic version of the WePad will come will WiFi and 16-gigabyte of storage will cost US$600 and the big brother 32-gigabyte model is priced at US$777.

Neofonie is trying to appeal to publishers by allowing them to sell their content on the WePad, however, not to monopolize the customer relationship with Apple or Amazon do. Thus, it will reduce publishers to a simple content retailer. Since the Apple's iPad is not on sale in Germany, the WePad is expected to be released before the iPad arrives.

References: http://www.koreaittimes.com/story/8360/wepad-goes-head-head-against-ipad

Posted by: Alex Mak