Apple’s iPhone 5S has a fingerprint scanner, and now Samsung’s revealed a print-reading Galaxy S5. Each allows for payments to be verified using a swipe of your digits. Is this the possible future of all transactions? Perhaps, and Visa is now exploring the area too to ensure it will be ready for the possible sea-change.
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Some guys are just super hardcore. Like Rambo hardcore. Able to stitch themselves up on the battlefield hardcore. Take this guy for instance. A man named Tim Cannon is a “biohacker,” and he had himself opened up and inserted a computer chip in his arm -with no doctor helping. I must be a wimp, because there is no way I could do this.
Don’t try this at home kids. Being a walking computer just isn’t worth it. Tim had a large “Circadia” board implanted into his arm. It is even larger than normal due to a special case. The chip is powered by a battery but can also be charged wirelessly.
This chip sends all of Tim’s biometric signals to an Android device. He would have used a doctor, but he says that no certified doctor could preform the operation to implant the device. So he had a “body modification enthusiast” named Steve Haworth do the surgery. Sadly for Tim, Steve isn’t an official medical practitioner, so he wasn’t licensed to use anesthetics. That had to be painful.
Here’s an update from Tim showing off the wireless charging process for his arm-implanted computer:
Have fun monitoring your biometric signals, Tim. My idea of fun is playing video games.
[via Motherboard via Kotaku]
Let us have a show of hands here – how many people were impressed with the introduction of TouchID from Apple with the announcement of the new iPhone 5s? I am not quite sure about you, but that does seem to be a rather minor change to the smartphone that actually revolutionized the way phones are used. However, it is more of an evolution than a revolution this time around, but will the idea actually catch on with other hardware manufacturers that are in the smartphone and tablet game? Perhaps, or perhaps not. One thing is for sure though – Pantech, the South Korean hardware manufacturer, has lined up several new phablet models – the IM-A890S, IM-A890K and IM-A890L, which will be marketed as the Vega Secret Note.
These will begin to sell in operator stores all over South Korea, if not already. First of all, the IM-A890S that is already available, will follow in the footsteps of the Pantech Vega LTE-A that was launched in August earlier this year. The three handsets that we mentioned above will make up as the Fingerprint Cards’ (FPC’s) first launch in phablet devices.
According to Mr. Lee, leader of the Component Development Team of Pantech, “We have received very positive feedback on the finger sensor and its associated secure applications in Pantech Vega LTE-A and we are happy to deploy this important feature on our phablet product line-up. Our finger-sensor-enabled products are compatible with the new Korean payment service called Bartong, also being launched in October.”
Fingerprint Cards AB (FPC) are the ones that come up with the biometric components as well as technologies that will rely on the analysis and matching of an individual’s unique fingerprint in order to verify the person’s identity. The technology is made up of biometric sensors, processors, algorithms and modules which can be used individually, or in combination with one other. It would be interesting to see whether other future Pantech devices will feature a similar technology, and will Android-powered smartphones, phablets and tablets challenge the existing supremacy of TouchID?
Press Release
[ New phablets rely on finger sensors as a new feature copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]
Beyond the basics, Apple has said little of how the iPhone 5s Touch ID fingerprint reader works — we mostly know that it’s inaccessible to the outside world. Thankfully, the company has shed further light on Touch ID through statements to the Wall Street Journal. To start, iPhone owners will have to unlock with a passcode if they either reboot or haven’t unlocked within 48 hours. The safeguard prevents hackers from simply biding their time while they look for a workaround, Apple says. Legitimate users will also want to keep their hands dry, as the reader doesn’t work well with fingers covered in sweat and other liquids. You won’t want to try unlocking immediately after running, then, but it’s evident that Apple already knows many of Touch ID’s real-world limitations.
Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile, Apple
Source: Wall Street Journal (1), (2)
So, you know fancy new fingerprint reading home button Apple showed off for the iPhone 5s at today’s event? The company demonstrated functionality for unlocking and buying stuff through iTunes. Cool, but what about third-party apps? We can imagine all sorts of neat uses not limited to buying stuff. For the time being, however, the authentication functionality is off-limits. Apple exec Phil Schiller told All Things D that the hardware won’t be opened to developers initially. As to whether that functionality will be arriving in the future, Apple’s not ready to say just yet.
Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile, Apple
Source: All Things
Car maker Nissan has joined the burgeoning smartwatch scene, announcing that it’s created a biometric reader to combine personal health stats with those of your… car. So you can track man and machine from the same device.
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Unlike faces and fingerprints, a heart’s electrical activity is difficult to fake — it’s a unique and potentially ideal security tool. Bionym is taking advantage of this trustworthiness in its upcoming Nymi bracelet. The wristwear authenticates users through a combination of electrocardiograms and Bluetooth proximity detection; if Nymi recognizes your heart rhythm, it automatically logs you into nearby devices. The bracelet also recognizes gesture commands, and a future developer kit should extend the gadget’s usefulness beyond basic security for PCs and smartphones. It could unlock doors or make retail payments, for example. Nymi won’t ship until early 2014, but it’s already available for pre-order at a $79 early bird price.
Filed under: Wearables
Via: The Verge
Source: Bionym
Much like HTC itself, leaksters have also been hard at work to help promote this company. Courtesy of ePrice, the latest spy shots feature the upcoming 5.9-inch One Max, and specifically, this is a dual-SIM model destined for China Unicom. Like the One Dual (or better known as 802w, 802t or 802d in China), this much bigger device sports a removable metallic back cover for access to the dual SIM slots, along with what appears to be a microSD slot at the top right corner. There are also a set of docking pins towards the bottom right on the back, so chances are we’ll see official dock accessories for this bad boy.
Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile, HTC
Via: Engadget Chinese
Source: ePrice
The business of commerce is alive and well, and while there’s far too much noise for anyone to stand on the mobile side, Paytouch is hoping to add a new wrinkle on the conventional end. The Barcelona-based outfit was on hand here at The Next Web Conference, showcasing its biometric payment terminal and setting the stage for what’s to come. For those unfamiliar, the Paytouch terminal is currently being used at Ushuaïa Ibiza Beach Hotel — users with a Paytouch account simply link their credit card to their fingerprints, and a two-finger press is all it takes to order another glass of sangria. The benefits are fairly obvious for all parties involved. For the consumer, there’s no longer a need to carry a credit card that can be skimmed, lost or stolen; for the retailer, it’s able to encourage impulse buying in an entirely new way; for Paytouch, there’s a commission paid on each purchase.
Filed under: Software
Source: Paytouch
The many attempts at weaving biometric identification into mobile devices have usually focused on only one aspect at a time, whether it’s fingerprints or voices, and often for access to just the device itself. AOptix isn’t quite so narrowly focused. Its new Stratus system combines an app with a custom iPhone 4 / 4S case (the Stratus MX) to verify faces, irises, fingerprints and voices for grander purposes, whether it’s office workers checking in or entire national ID programs. The bundle should be more portable than most such alternatives, as well as more intuitive through its familiar interface. Odds are that you won’t be buying a Stratus kit to scan friends and family at home, though. Apart from the bundle’s lack of support for the iPhone 5 or any non-iOS platform, the Stratus software in the App Store isn’t an impulse purchase at $199 — and an emphasis on quotation-based case sales likely means you’ll be the scanner’s target, not its owner.
Filed under: Cellphones, Peripherals, Mobile, Apple
Source: AOptix
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