Biometrics Security News and Information

How To Make Our World More Unified And One

Sharing Of Data

As we approach Christmas in just a matter of days now, one theme will be pervading all of us:  World Unity.  I am all for world peace, and for everybody to be happy during these joyous times.  Hopefully, 2012 will be a better year for all of us.  In fact I know it will.  Even though this is the theme right now, we have seen one part of the world can greatly impact another part of the world.  Probably the best (or not so good, depending on you look at it) is the financial mess the world is in now. 

Every day, we see our own financial markets literally zig zag in huge gyrations as hope from the European Union erodes and comes back as they make feeble, and half hearted attempts to solve their debt crisis.  And as I mentioned yesterday, on another example, Biometrics will impact our every day lives.  One point of impact which will be felt is when countries share their Biometric information and data in the name of protecting their borders. 

The United Kingdom and Ireland are prime examples of this, and here are the details:  “The UK and Ireland have signed an important agreement reinforcing their commitment to preserving the Common Travel Area (CTA) while further cracking down on illegal immigration and spurious asylum claims . . . the countries signed a statement working towards joint standards for entry and ultimately enhanced electronic border systems to identify those with no right to enter the CTA before they arrive at the border . . . an accompanying memorandum will promote the exchange of information, such as fingerprint biometrics and biographical details, particularly from 'high risk' countries, as part of the visa issuing process . . . The data exchange will help prevent abuses of the CTA arrangement, while protecting its long-established benefits of trade and tourism. The move could create considerable savings for both countries on removing foreign nationals with no right to stay.”  (SOURCE:  http://www.findbiometrics.com/industry-news/i/9446/). 

My Take

This joint cooperation between the United Kingdom and Ireland has resulted in some pretty impressive statistics, including the following:

*Some 1,500+ false claims of asylum have been discovered in Ireland alone;

*200+ Nigerians who applied for an Irish immigration visa were subsequently denied entry due to their “sketchy” and “suspicious” immigration history when going to the United Kingdom;

*Other specific cases, such as: “ . . . an immigration fraudster was caught with a bundle of fake identities after his 'zig zag' route across four countries flagged him to UK Border Agency officers in Belfast. Another Nigerian applicant was refused entry into Ireland after checks on documents showed he had previously been removed from the UK in 2008 . . .”  (SOURCE:  http://www.findbiometrics.com/industry-news/i/9446/).

If you think about and look at the numbers, these are truly impressive in joint efforts to protect what is known as the “Common Travel Area”, which is cherished territory between the UK and Ireland, especially for travelers and visitors.  But, there are two things which come across my mind as I write this Posting. 

First, I hope and pray with all of my heart that the Biometric information and data being held in the databases is as secure as possible, and that the privacy rights of each individual is guaranteed.  But we are talking about the UK, so I don’t think this aspect should be much a problem (compared to the US, the UK is way far ahead in terms of security). 

Second, I hope that the immigration officials in both countries just use the Biometric information and data in hand to make absolute decisions.  In other words, suppose an asylum seeker wishes to seek asylum in Ireland, and their Biometric information/data reveal a somewhat sketchy past.  Will a rush to judgement be made just on this information presented, and deny the person entry and a place to stay? I would sincerely hope not, as in my view, everybody should have a fair shot at asylum in a democratic country. 

I would think that these immigration officials would like into the entire history of the individual in question, and on a case by case basis.  These are the same mistakes which have been made in the US VISIT program, and I would think every effort would be taken not to repeat them again, especially in countries which are deemed to be proactive about their level of security and border protection.

Let's Hear It From Big Blue

The Technology Which Encompasses Us

Well, as we close out the year here in just under a week and a half, this will mark roughly four straight years of blogging, writing, and commenting about Biometrics.  As you can see, I have a passion for the subject matter.  Throughout the 820+ content postings I have written, there have been a number of recurring themes, and lately, there is one which has been coming out more than the others.  Can you guess what that one might be about? 

Here is a hint, look at yesterdays blog entry.  In it, I mentioned the very last line, that Biometrics at some point, would encompass our entire lives.  Well, if coming from my mouth about this does not mean too much, then how about then from the mouth one of the world’s largest corporations???  The behemoth I am talking about is IBM, and just recently, they announced their so –called “IBM 5 in 5”. 

What is this you may be asking?  Well, it is a listing of the top five innovations which impact and change people’s lives in the next five years (I am assuming by 2016 or so?).  And yep, you got it, in this list, Biometrics is very specifically mentioned, and stands out as clear as day. In fact, it made #2 on the list.  Here is their analysis:

“Your biological makeup is the key to your individual identity, and soon, it will become the key to safeguarding it . . . you will no longer need to create, track or remember multiple passwords for various log-ins. Imagine you will be able to walk up to an ATM machine to securely withdraw money by simply speaking your name or looking into a tiny sensor that can recognize the unique patterns in the retinal of your eye. Or by doing the same, you can check your account balance on your mobile phone or tablet . . . each person has a unique biological identity and behind all that is data. Biometric data – facial definitions, retina scans and voice files – will be composited through software to build your DNA unique online password . . . referred to as multi-factor biometrics, smarter systems will be able to use this information in real-time to make sure whenever someone is attempting to access your information, it matches your unique biometric profile and the attempt is authorized. To be trusted, such systems should enable you to opt in or out of whatever information you choose to provide.” (SOURCE:  http://www.findbiometrics.com/industry-news/i/9440/).

My Take

Yea, it is true that Biometrics will be mostly felt at this level of application.  In other words, in industry terminology, the logical access apps.  The use of passwords is proliferating even more, and trying to remember each and every password is just one huge pain in the a$$.  And even worse, whenever you register a new password (such as at a financial website, or any where you are buying goods and services), you have to make it really long and complicated, with numbers, punctuation marks, numerals, etc. 

In fact, if you don’t even create this type of password, the website at which you are trying to register it will automatically refuse it.  But apart from passwords and logging into your computer, within the next five years, Biometrics will impact our lives in an even grander way.  For example, just picture a normal day for yourself.  It will start out when you turn the ignition in your car (rather than a key, fingerprint recognition will be used), as you enter your office, you will use your hand or finger or vein pattern to gain access into the building, and as you try to get access to the corporate intranet, you will see Biometrics being used yet once again. 

Now, imagine, it is lunchtime, and you want to go to your favorite restaurant.  Why pay with cash when you can pay with a Smart Card which has your Biometric Templates stored inside of it?  And when it is the end of the work day, and you need to buy groceries, why pay with a credit card, when you can pay with a fingerprint?  Or, how about when you travel, rather than being issued a traditional blue United States passport, you will now be issued an e-passport which will contain all of your Biometric templates and data for ease of travel and expediting through customs and immigration. 

Or how about the societal impact of Biometrics when if and when we get the National ID Card???  Or even better, the Smartphone has become the de facto standard of our lives.  Biometrics is playing a huge role now in making sure that the airwaves in which we communicate and make transactions is as secure as possible.  These are just a few examples (and many more) of how Biometrics will impact us. 

The future is only bright for this security technology, and it is very important, especially here in the United States, that we embrace it and adopt it.  Hey remember, if Big Blue says Biometrics will make a huge impact in our daily lives, believe me, it will!!!

"Troubles For Tribbles"

Coming Back To Star Trek

Back in the early nineties, when I was in my last year at Purdue, something happened to me which I never thought would entire my life:  I became a Star Trek junkie.  Now, it was being a very specific type of junkie.  And, that claim to fame belongs to TNG, or for non-Trekkies, “The Next Generation”.  I know that a bunch of other offshoots of TNG existed after the final episode, and to be honest, I don’t where we are in the present about Star Trek.  I do remember seeing the last movie which came out a few years ago, and it was just totally awesome.  I remember when I watched those shows, the one thing I always marveled were the little life forms and robots which would traverse their way across the NCC-1701D. 

Probably my most favored moment were the little “Nannites”, and in the first generation of Star Trek (in the days of Kirk, Bones, and Spock), it was the “Tribbles”.  Although I am far removed from the field of robotics, from what I understand, this field has been advancing at quite a clip, and yes, robots are now making their ways across the corridors in America.  One such application is in the medical sector, at Sinai Hospital, where something known as “TUG Robots” are being used. 

Here is some insight:  “Sinai Hospital, a member of the LifeBridge Health System in Baltimore, reduced pharmacy medication delivery time by 45 percent, experienced significant labor savings, and dramatically decreased the number of missing doses through its use of autonomous mobile robots and an automated medication tracking solution . . . by implementing both the TUG autonomous mobile robots the hospital reported that medication delivery time dropped from 60 to 33 minutes, while eliminating the need for the 6.2 full-time equivalents associated with their former manual delivery process. Additionally, upon implementing MedEx, their missing medication doses immediately decreased 20 percent resulting in an annualized savings of $150,000.”  (SOURCE:  http://www.findbiometrics.com/industry-news/i/9438/). 

My Take

Actually, as I think about it, I may have even mentioned something about this robotics technology some time last year in a previous posting.  Anyways, I did some research into what a TUGS robot really is, and I came up with a ton of information about it.  Yes, they really are truly robots, and yes, they do move around, even talk, and even can find their way around elevators, hallways, and other common obstructions in a building, pretty much, no matter what the environment is. 

In fact, here is a brief example of them, at this particular hospital:  “Four robots are working overtime at Sinai Hospital in Baltimore, MD, and their hard work is speeding up medication deliveries . . . the robots don't complain, get tired, or need a break no matter how many hours they work. The mobile TUG robots—dubbed Rigby, Herbie the love TUG, Jake, and Elwood—simply coast the facility's hallways 24 hours a day, seven days a week, delivering medications to the nursing stations.Thanks to all their hard work, staff who previously delivered medication have been able to spend more time on patient care and less on pushing carts.  The hospital brought Aethon's TUG system, which was developed to assist hospitals in delivering and tracking supplies, on board in September, and the robots deliver medications to the nursing stations about every 45 minutes. Previously we were using staff who were doing hourly deliveries . . . Our goal with the TUGs was 30-minute deliveries. We have not reached it yet, but we are getting closer.”  (SOURCE:  http://www.strategiesfornursemanagers.com/ce_detail/222184.cfm).

So as you can see, these robots are truly a remarkable component to this hospital.  These robots can deliver everything from newspapers, to food for the patients, and even handle the delivering of medications.  It should be noted though that in this regard, the delivering of medicines is just restricted to delivering them to the nurse’s station, from where at that point, an actual human will dispense of it to the actual patient (personally, I would want somebody with a beating heart to deliver medication, not just a bunch of wires and machinery).  From what I can best understand, one of the primary purposes of these robots is to help cut the delivery time of medications and other such necessities, thus freeing up the nurse’s (or other medical professional) time to actually tending to patients. 

The benefits of this time reduction can be seen directly up above in the quote, no need to rehash them again.  Apart from time and productivity savings, significant financial benefits have also been gained, as a result.  At this point, you may be asking where does Biometrics fit into all of this?  Well, it was mentioned in the Press Release, but I can’t leave it at just that.  I did some more research, and it seems like that fingerprint recognition is the technology which is primarily used the most.  Obviously, a robot can’t use this (unless they are unique features in the metallic structures of its hand), so, I am assuming this point of Biometrics resides when the nurse has to verify and/or confirm their own identity into the robot, so it has proper “authorization” to do its routine tasks, every day. 

Meaning, the nurse’s fingerprint gives the robot the “go ahead” to deliver stuff.  So, watch for Biometrics to take part in this exciting industry as well, as we approach into the new year of 2012.  It should also be noted that there are some 400+ TUGS robots into existence today, at over 135 hospitals, logging over 50,000+ deliveries on a weekly basis. 

This is just another prime example of how Biometrics encompasses just about every aspect of our daily lives . . . .

DNA Recognition Revisited

An Update

Just a few days ago, I wrote an entry on DNA Recognition, and the great potential that it has.  I talked more from a protocol approach, and today,  I bring you some more developments with regards to it.  A Biometrics Vendor known as “IntegenX Inc.” has just announced that it has secured some very serious funding from outside investors in order to advance its current product line, and research and development into DNA Recognition.  Here are some details of this great news:  “IntegenX Inc., the leading developer of rapid human DNA identification technology and DNA sequencing library preparation systems, has secured $40 Million in Series C funding to accelerate development of the company's product pipeline and the commercialization of its RapidHIT 200 Human Identification System into domestic and international markets. Industry observers expect this product to be disruptive and that it will create a new market for rapid analysis of human DNA for real-time biometric identification . . . The RapidHIT 200 is a breakthrough sample-to-profile biometric system that will enable law enforcement, government agencies, and forensic laboratories worldwide to reliably and accurately provide real-time human DNA analysis. The system is the first fully automated DNA identification technology capable of producing DNA profiles from buccal swabs or other human samples in less than 90 minutes. The RapidHIT 200 will allow DNA analysis at the point of collection, such as an arrest or detention, setting a new standard in the usage of DNA profiles as an actionable biometric. By contrast, human DNA samples currently must be transported or shipped to laboratories that rely on highly trained technicians using multiple instruments for analyses taking 10 to 14 hours, with access to results delayed up to 30 days or more.” (SOURCE:  http://www.findbiometrics.com/industry-news/i/9431/).

My Take

After reading upon this, first I have to say, my hats off and huge applause for this vendor to achieve such a large amount of financing.  Believe me, trying to secure any kind of funding can be a rather arduous task, as even I have tried this path many years ago for my first Biometrics based business.  Of course, back then, times were different, so securing investors and their money was a bit easier than it is now (probably the late 90’s were the best days to get investors very quickly with their money).  But in today’s times, it can be very close to impossible, heck even when banks are reluctant to give out loans to small business.  So this is big news, given today’s harsh economic climate. 

And, $40 Million is nothing to sneer at.  It is a huge chunk of change to have in your bank account.  But even more impressive, take a look at their product line.  Heck, a solution which can analyze in just 90 minutes or less?  Now that is quite fast.  But remember, as I have said before, in order for DNA Recognition to be a viable Biometric technology, identification and/or verification has to come down to just seconds. But, hey given how long DNA analysis has usually taken, this is still a huge breakthrough.  So, this brings up another point.  As you can see from the above quote, this solution is primarily meant for identification.   Meaning, it will work great for such applications as law enforcement, forensics, where real time analysis is greatly needed in order to apprehend a potential suspect. 

Plus also, by having DNA analysis done in real time, this means hopefully that the court backlog of cases will move down the pipeline quicker, as evidence can now be collected and presented to the judge and jury in a shorter amount of time.  And also, this is good news for the defense, as they will have hands now on the best form of evidence possible – DNA.  Who knows, hearsay evidence and interviewing witnesses maybe a thing of the past.  But, here is where the line needs to be drawn.  While Biometrics is also concerned with identification, the real meat of the industry lies in the verification component. 

So while this is all great (I am not knocking it by any means what so ever), work also needs to be done on DNA Recognition with respects to verification, and bringing the times down as much as possible (although a matter of seconds might still be a dream, it is possible further down the road).  If work research and development is done more in this area, then the viability of DNA Recognition will be further recognized by the Biometrics Industry, and in turn, by customers.  Once proven and accepted, DNA Recognition will prove to be the ultimate security technology of all time.

How To Get Money In These Tough Times

An Update

Just a few days ago, I wrote an entry on DNA Recognition, and the great potential that it has.  I talked more from a protocol approach, and today,  I bring you some more developments with regards to it.  A Biometrics Vendor known as “IntegenX Inc.” has just announced that it has secured some very serious funding from outside investors in order to advance its current product line, and research and development into DNA Recognition. 

Here are some details of this great news:  “IntegenX Inc., the leading developer of rapid human DNA identification technology and DNA sequencing library preparation systems, has secured $40 Million in Series C funding to accelerate development of the company's product pipeline and the commercialization of its RapidHIT 200 Human Identification System into domestic and international markets. Industry observers expect this product to be disruptive and that it will create a new market for rapid analysis of human DNA for real-time biometric identification . . . The RapidHIT 200 is a breakthrough sample-to-profile biometric system that will enable law enforcement, government agencies, and forensic laboratories worldwide to reliably and accurately provide real-time human DNA analysis. The system is the first fully automated DNA identification technology capable of producing DNA profiles from buccal swabs or other human samples in less than 90 minutes. The RapidHIT 200 will allow DNA analysis at the point of collection, such as an arrest or detention, setting a new standard in the usage of DNA profiles as an actionable biometric. By contrast, human DNA samples currently must be transported or shipped to laboratories that rely on highly trained technicians using multiple instruments for analyses taking 10 to 14 hours, with access to results delayed up to 30 days or more.” (SOURCE:  http://www.findbiometrics.com/industry-news/i/9431/).

My Take

After reading upon this, first I have to say, my hats off and huge applause for this vendor to achieve such a large amount of financing.  Believe me, trying to secure any kind of funding can be a rather arduous task, as even I have tried this path many years ago for my first Biometrics based business.  Of course, back then, times were different, so securing investors and their money was a bit easier than it is now (probably the late 90’s were the best days to get investors very quickly with their money).  But in today’s times, it can be very close to impossible, heck even when banks are reluctant to give out loans to small business. 

So this is big news, given today’s harsh economic climate.  And, $40 Million is nothing to sneer at.  It is a huge chunk of change to have in your bank account.  But even more impressive, take a look at their product line.  Heck, a solution which can analyze in just 90 minutes or less?  Now that is quite fast.  But remember, as I have said before, in order for DNA Recognition to be a viable Biometric technology, identification and/or verification has to come down to just seconds. But, hey given how long DNA analysis has usually taken, this is still a huge breakthrough.  So, this brings up another point. 

As you can see from the above quote, this solution is primarily meant for identification.   Meaning, it will work great for such applications as law enforcement, forensics, where real time analysis is greatly needed in order to apprehend a potential suspect.  Plus also, by having DNA analysis done in real time, this means hopefully that the court backlog of cases will move down the pipeline quicker, as evidence can now be collected and presented to the judge and jury in a shorter amount of time. 

And also, this is good news for the defense, as they will have hands now on the best form of evidence possible – DNA.  Who knows, hearsay evidence and interviewing witnesses maybe a thing of the past.  But, here is where the line needs to be drawn. 

While Biometrics is also concerned with identification, the real meat of the industry lies in the verification component.  So while this is all great (I am not knocking it by any means what so ever), work also needs to be done on DNA Recognition with respects to verification, and bringing the times down as much as possible (although a matter of seconds might still be a dream, it is possible further down the road). 

If work research and development is done more in this area, then the viability of DNA Recognition will be further recognized by the Biometrics Industry, and in turn, by customers.  Once proven and accepted, DNA Recognition will prove to be the ultimate security technology of all time.

The Most Complex Machine Of All

The Human Body

For as long as we have been in existence (this could stir up some very interesting debates between the creationist’s and evolutionist’s), the human body has always marveled us.  For as much as we take it for granted day in and day out, it is truly the most complex “thing” ever created.  There are mysteries of the body which will we will never unlock, nor find answers for.  A prime example of this is my own dad.  He was a professor of biology at Purdue, and was heavily involved in spinal cord regeneration research.  He studied the many facets and intracasies of the brain for many years, but just barely touched on the surface of its enormous complexity.  So, it comes to no surprise, that we as a human race, try to build technology which mimicks to the best we can the human body. 

Yet another good example of this are neural networks.  With this, one is trying to imitate the thinking process of the human brain to make important decisions, such as in financial and commodities trading.  Probably one of the most popular areas is that of computer vision.  Here, scientists and engineers are trying to model the eye, and the visual processing mechanisms so that a computer, or even a robot, can literally “see”.  So, it is with all of this in mind, we come to the topic of today’s posting, and what it means to Biometrics. 

A biometrics/security vendor just announced a key initiative to create an open standard for computer vision:  “The Khronos Group today announced a new initiative to create an open, royalty-free standard for cross platform acceleration of computer vision applications . . . Computer vision has become an essential component of many modern applications including gesture tracking, smart video surveillance, automatic driver assistance, biometrics, computational photography, augmented reality, visual inspection, robotics and more. Many modern consumer compute devices, from smartphones to desktop computers, can be capable computer vision systems but require hardware accelerated vision algorithms to work in real-time . . . The Khronos vision API will be able to accelerate high-level libraries, such as the popular OpenCV open source vision library, or be used by applications directly. A strong focus of the working group will be on providing computer vision on mobile and embedded systems and enabling acceleration on a wide variety of computing architectures . . .”  (SOURCE:  http://www.findbiometrics.com/industry-news/i/9428/).

MyTake

Now granted, this is really neither a technical nor a scientific breakthrough in the field of computer vision, but it is still a very important milestone, none the less.  For example, it now shows that the business community recognizes the power and potential of computer vision, and how it can fit into various business schemes.  But what I like most about it is that this new standard is meant to be open and royalty free.  This stands in sharp contrast to other standards I know about, where they are often very closed ended, and the people who can only really benefit from them are the those that pay the high price for it. 

With an open standard, all can benefit from it, but best of all, collaborative efforts can be undertaken to modify it or greatly improve it, just like open source software (such as the LAMP software architecture).   Now how does all of this relate to Biometrics, you may be asking?  Well, the answer can be seen as plain as day in the above quote.  Computer vision will work great with behavioral biometrics, such as gesture recognition.  This is an up and coming biometric technology in my view, and is used heavily used in real time market research.  Well, perhaps now computer vision can be used to a technology which relates directly to it: 

Namely, that of iris recognition.  Perhaps the breakthroughs in computer vision can be applied here as well, in order to make iris recognition much more robust and application heavy than what it currently is (it should be noted that iris recognition has made some serious leaps and bounds in terms of development and market applications just within the last decade). 

I am by no means an expert on computer vision, but this is an immediate thought of mine.  But irregardless of Biometrics or not, the human body is truly to be marveled at.  We probably only truly understand about 10%, the rest of the 90% will be truly a remarkable and breathtaking journey.

A Way To Reclaim American Pride And Honor

Manufacturing, A Sore Topic

You know, there was a time when I was growing up, especially during my high school years, when something made in America meant quality and was a symbol of our pride and our prowess.  Now, our power as well as credibility has been greatly diminished, as we have fought an utterly useless war in Iraq, and now the debt crisis which forlorns over the European Union now basically dictates our financial markets.  In this regard, the flagship of American products and goods was our manufacturing sector, namely steel, energy, and the automotive industries. 

Not to go back to my made in China ranting, but this status symbol of ours is now virtually decimated.  I guess I should be thinking happier thoughts as we are only just a week and a half away from Christmas, but I came across some content which reminded me of all this. 

How it did will be described in a bit (you have to get through this posting in order to find out), but here is some inside goop:  “AVT, Inc. unveiled their new line of automated, self-service parts and product dispensing systems. These turn-key, ready-to-go systems give employees immediate self-service access to the tools and parts they need, while giving employers a tightly controlled system that eliminates shrinkage and improves productivity . . . These systems can be configured to dispense everything from drill bits and socket wrenches to circuit boards and semi-conductors. Employers can set who gets access to each part or product, and the systems keeps track of each time a tool is checked out and returned . . . Other features of the AVT Automated Parts Dispensing System include a camera to verify delivery of the part or tool, and a touch screen display that contains all the pertinent specifications of the item.”  (SOURCE:  http://www.findbiometrics.com/industry-news/i/9419/).

My Take

I do have to admit, that as I read this, I found it to be very unique, and to use that old term I always I have, this is the first time I have seen a Biometrics solution being used to help keep track of inventory and supplies like this.  I really think it is awesome, and as one can very readily discern, the benefits are very immediate, such as keeping an exact inventory of what is being used, and taken out; greater levels of reduced shrinkage; and of course, much improved worker productivity (and hopefully morale as  jobs in this sector is being extremely decimated by the month).  Other features and benefits can also be seen in the above quote. 

The technology of choice here is fingerprint recognition, and it only makes sense.  In these rugged environments, you want a reliable biometric technology to prove its worth.  In this sense, even hand geometry scanning and even vein pattern recognition would work just as well also, and I think even that the latter would prove to be the best.  So, now how does of all this relate to my first thoughts of getting “Made In the USA” back into our hands again???  Well, although this biometrics solution is a huge achievement in an absolute sense for its own applications, it is, in my view, a step ahead in reclaiming our manufacturing advantage. 

For example, here we see a good ole’ American company coming out with a solution to decrease costs and to increase productivity.  This a positive first step in reclaiming our huge competitive advantage we enjoyed once a long time ago.  The only way we can really reclaim this one again is to “fight fire with fire”.  What do I mean by this???  I mean it is about time that we use our own brains to come up with newer ways to do manufacturing (and other such things) which will get it out of the hands of the Chinese and back into ours, and bring jobs back to the American shores.  And this application perfectly exemplifies this. 

And of all funny things, it is Biometrics which could very well help us reclaim our distinct advantage yet once again.  Biometrics, in my view, is traditionally United States based, so let use this asset in our arsenal to build back American pride ingenuity, promise, and hope.  We will reclaim our status in the world once again, but it will not be by leaps and bounds.  It will be incremental steps like this one, but hey, even if it is small, it still a very positive move.

Defeating Cold Chicago Winters

First Snowfall

Well, as I woke up this morning, knowing that it would be cold, still hoping the sun would be out. But instead, I just woke up to a very cloudy and drab morning, the usual typical winter stuff.  As I looked down to the ground, I noticed that we got our first accumulated snowfall.  While it was probably no more than half an inch or so, it will still our first major accumulation for the season (though it did snow some time ago, with no accumulation).  As I saw this unfold, the temptation to work from home was quite strong.  But none the less, I conjured up some motivation hopped into the shower, and got ready for the work day.  I have to admit I was pretty sluggish, not wanting to go out, trudge through the snow, facing the fact that I would have to spend some time wiping off the snow and ice off of my car windows. 

So, as I finally ventured out into the parking lot, the snow and ice weren’t too bad, nor was removing it from my car.  Believe it or not, the only major problem I had was with my keys, fumbling around for them, and trying to open my apartment door, and car doors.  So, the immediate solution I thought for this was of course, Biometrics. 

So, today, our content deals with a Biometrics Vendor whom just announced the release of a small fingerprint recognition system designed primarily for doors:  “FingerTec USA - a biometric time clock manufacturer is promoting its new Q2i W fingerprint door lock for small and medium-sized businesses. The latest in the Q2i series of biometric time clocks, the Q2i W offers all of the functionality of its predecessor with the convenience of wireless connectivity . . . FingerTec USA's access control fingerprint timeclocks offer a number of functionalities, allowing employers to monitor staff comings and goings while also preventing unauthorized entry without the use of keys. Administrators can even customize their fingerprint door lock systems to adjust their restrictions based on the time of day. For a greater level of security, FingerTec USA's Q2i W fingerprint time clocks can also be configured to require multiple forms of verification, including RFID, MIFARE, or HID cards and manual password entry.”  (SOURCE:  http://www.findbiometrics.com/industry-news/i/9410/). 

My Thoughts

Well, if you read the above quote, there is probably not too much difference about this Biometrics solution than what other vendors have come out with.  So in a nutshell, to change subjects, you can see just how competitive the Biometrics Industry can be, with competing products and solutions, which are very similar, together.  The make or break here is the robustness of the mathematical algorithms, and the processing speed for identification and verification with the templates in the database.  So yea, this is another solution for time and attendance applications, nothing new that I have not written about before.  But what caught my attention is its wireless capability. 

I have no doubt written about countless number of Biometric solutions, but this is probably one of the very few times I have seen a solution like this, with this kind of capability.  So, as I was reading this, my mind tried to further extrapolate how this could be used to help my undaunting situation described up above.  Here is what I thought of:  It would be so nice to have major apartment buildings (such as the one I live in) to have a fingerprint recognition system like this, so that all of the tenants have to do is literally unlock the door with a quick scan of their finger.  This is especially true in the harsh winter conditions we experience here in Chicago, and when experiencing the fun of grocery shopping. 

Now, when we imagine this kind of setup, the first thought that comes to mind is having it at the main entrances of the apartment complex.  But, why can’t it also be used for the tenant’s door as well???  You see, this system is wireless, so what I am thinking of it something where as the main door is unlocked, the tenant’s door is unlocked at the same time (with some lag of course), with this wireless connectivity.  Now granted, this is just what is in my brain, it would take some (probably a lot of work) to get all of the technical details up and running so that there would be no system glitches. 

But darn, if this kind of set up came to fruition, it would be so slick.  Heck, for that matter, why not use this type of system for opening our car doors as well?  There are actually some applications which do this, but these reside primarily with the upper echelon car manufacturers (such as Lexus, Volvo, Volkswagen, Porsche) who can afford the costs of implementing a fingerprint recognition system like this.  But truth be told, it will probably be quite some time until all of this could come into existence.  It is not so much the technical details of it, but rather, in these economic times, major apartment complexes would view Biometrics more of a luxury item than a necessity.  But, knowing me, I beg to differ . . .

The Perfect Christmas Gift

Last Night

Well, as the gift giving season is now only about three weeks away, this is also a time for reflection and taking part in special ceremonies at your local church.  For most of my life, I was a Hindu.  I never really practiced it, but I had did have a deep belief in God and a place we all go to when we perish.  But after I met my Anita, we started going to a Methodist church, located in Bensenville, IL, about 20 miles from her home (yea, a bit of a hike, but well worth it).  We continued to keep going, and in fact back in the spring time, we were both baptized by the church and into the Methodist ways of doing things. 

We couldn’t have been happier.  The church is great, and the fellowship after the service is just awesome.  In fact, on July 21^st, 2012, we are going to get married in this very same church.  Well, to continue to our religious beliefs, we continue to attend church services during the holidays even in non Methodist churches.  Such was the case last night.  Last night we attended a Christmas service at the United Church of Christ located in Elmhurst, IL.  It was truly a remarkable moment, with all of the praises and the worship which took place.  After that, we trekked over to her Mom’s house, and in she walked in, with about 6 bags of gifts for all of the family.  It was truly worth seeing all those items!!!  So, in lieu of this, today, I came across a news wire which relates to this.  How it relates, you may ask? 

Well, you have to wait for the ending of this posting.  Here we go:  “Fingerprint Cards' (FPC) new swipe sensor, is currently being integrated in a mobile platform by one the world-leading manufacturers of mobile phones, also known as a “Tier 1 manufacturer . . . The integration of a fingerprint sensor into a mobile phone creates a product through which convenience is optimally combined with high security. Potential applications include secure mobile payments, the protection of personal information, PIN-code substitution, increased flexibility for screen locks and other application areas in which the user’s identity has to be ascertained . . . The FPC1080A, the world’s smallest and most power-efficient fingerprint sensor developed for mobile applications, uses FPC’s patented scanning technology and delivers world-leading 3D image quality, with 508 dpi resolution. In addition to the intelligent image management, the sensor features integrated hardware support for navigation, thus enabling the sensor to be used for the control of user interfaces.”  (SOURCE:  http://www.findbiometrics.com/industry-news/i/9413/).

My Take

As you read through the above quote, really, there is nothing new about it.  Yea, a Smartphone manufacturer partnering up with a Biometrics Vendor to provide a fingerprint recognition solution so that the phone is authenticated to the right person.  And of course, with using a Biometric system, the end user has a whole host of applications they can choose from, ranging from looking at financial stuff to making payments on the phone, do even doing online buying. A bit of difference here should be noted, and that is, this agreement as described up above also covers any associated software development which goes along with it.  So it is not just the fingerprint hardware which is being provided, but also any software apps which need to be developed and deployed with it. 

But none the less, if anything, it is much greater security which will be provided, thus replacing the traditional password and PIN number.  OK, so now you may be wondering what is the connection between this and all of the religious talk about Christmas?  Well, think about it long and hard.  Wouldn’t a Smartphone with all of these Biometrics make a great gift, and even a stocking stuffer???  I mean the cost of Smartphones have come down extremely much (when I bought my new Verizon phone, it was only literally $1àbut the catch was I had to lock into a 2 year contract).  I’m not saying you buy the actual plan for the person you are giving it to, let them fork up that part of it.  But at least give a Smartphone as a gift.  It will truly mean a lot, and will probably have much more value and use than perhaps anything else given (except of course any chocolate!!!). 

The technology is small enough, and there are so many choices out there, why not simplify the pains and horrors of x-mas shopping, and just get Smartphones???  Of course, you just don’t want to wait till the last minute, as this will not only be the time for the sweetest deals, but also the longest lines and biggest customer mayhem ever (maybe even worse than Black Friday).

The Ability To Administer Justice Swiftly

The Ultimate Biometric Of All

In my three years (perhaps even four, I have lost track) I have always made mention of the fact that the retina (or retinal recognition in our parlance) is deemed to be the “ultimate biometric of all”, given its huge amount of uniqueness and rich data.  Heck, even scientific and medical studies have even confirmed that the retina amongst twins is different. And now, how unique is that?  But hold your seats, there is still something yet coming out on the horizon:  DNA Recognition. 

While this still has some ways to go to be a proven biometric technology, it has made some substantial progress just within the last year.  And I have kept all of you updated with the breakthroughs, and so today’s posting is another update.  Here we go:   “The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) published a revised biometric standard in November, 2011, that vastly expands the type and amount of information that forensic scientists can share across their international networks to identify victims or solve crimes . . . The new standard is the Data Format for the Interchange of Fingerprint, Facial & Other Biometric Information and is referenced as "ANSI/NIST-ITL 1-2011, NIST Special Publication 500-290." Earlier versions have been used throughout the UnitedStates and six continents to provide a common language and format for the exchange of biometric data and associated metadata—information about the biometric characteristics or how it was collected . . . This is the first international standard for the exchange of DNA data. DNA can be used for criminal case identification, such as in a rape case, or in a forensic setting to identify victims, such as those in a plane crash, where it is necessary to have an original DNA sample from the victim, or establish kinship by taking DNA samples from purported relatives. The standard handles both types of cases.”  (SOURCE:  http://www.findbiometrics.com/industry-news/i/9415/). 

My Take

Now granted, this is really not a scientific or technical breakthrough for the use of DNA as a potential biometric.  But as you can see from the above quote, what the real breakthrough is how biometric information and data can be exchanged across international borders.  Some of the major law enforcement branches of our very own Federal Government, and even the government of Argentina is even starting to use this new standard.  So, the immediate benefits are obvious for the law enforcement guys:  The ease of sharing such data means now that the bad guys can be apprehended much quicker, no matter in what part of the world they are in. 

But, this new standard is in a way, a breakthrough for DNA.  This now mandates that the biometric information and data which is gleaned from DNA analysis can now be shared across international borders.  So, let us fast forward now to years ahead, and imagine that DNA Recognition is now a viable biometric technology.  With such unique and rich information already collected, it can now be transmitted to worldwide law enforcement agencies (especially Interpol) in just a matter of seconds.  Now, officials can have the smoking gun to capture notorious suspects, especially terrorist suspects, in which they positive identification and/or verification is so crucial. 

But, there are also a couple of other advantages which are now gained from this new standard.  First, is what is known as the “Extended Feature Set”, which “ . . . allow for marking and exchanging a very rich set of latent ridge print—fingerprints, palmprints and footprints—information that ensures analysts use the same terminology, references and procedures to describe details such as pores and linear discontinuities.”  (SOURCE:  http://www.findbiometrics.com/industry-news/i/9415/). 

Interesting to note here is that palmprints (I am assuming vein pattern recognition here), and even footprints are now included in the definition of Biometrics.  With this, forensics experts can now share with each other, across international borders, images of entire body parts (yes, gross, but this is extremely crucial to forensics).  Second, this standard now even allows for the “ . . . Information concerning the circumstances surrounding the collection of the biometric data can [to] be included.”  (SOURCE:  http://www.findbiometrics.com/industry-news/i/9415/).  This means that any videos and audio with regards to Biometrics evidence, and even chain of custody logs can be shared within countries.  This new standard is also, in the future, going to address other types of Biometrics such as Voice Biometrics and Dental Forensics. 

Who knows, perhaps this attention could accelerate these fields into the limelight, and thus increase public acceptance of Biometrics in general.  Now, as I mentioned before, this is not a laboratory achievement for the potential of DNA Recognition.  But it is still a breakthrough, because the development of this standard by NIST means that DNA Recognition is now widely recognized as a potential Biometric.  Now, we just have to make it a reality. 

And once it does, the amount of evidential information it will release put courtrooms here in the United States and around the world in stand in awe to the swiftness of justice which can then be served.