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Samsung’s Galaxy S5 includes a fingerprint scanner embedded in the home button, and that hardware will be made available to third-party devs, the company announced today at a developer-focused event during MWC this year. That move is in stark contrast to Apple’s strategy with its own fingerprint sensor tech, which is specifically off-limits to third-party devs. Apple went to great… Read More

HTC’s next big smartphone will offer up a fingerprint sensor like the iPhone 5s, the Wall Street Journal is now reporting, and will be unveiled on October 15. Separately, invites have been sent out to journalists from HTC Taiwan, pegging October 18 as the date for a special event in Kaohsiung, which is being promoted with a couple of sentences that hint at a fingerprint sensor and possibly improved BoomSound stereo speakers.

The One Max is said to sport a 5.9-inch display, but otherwise be similar in design and features to the HTC One, the Taiwanese company’s flagship device. The metal-backed Android smartphone has been well-received by reviewers and press, but hasn’t done too much to turn around HTC’s ailing financial picture.

WSJ’s sources couldn’t comment on how the fingerprint sensor in the HTC One Max will be used, so it’s unclear whether it would serve phone unlocking and purchase authorizing purposes like those found on the Apple iPhone 5s. It will actually sit between the Max’s SIM card slot and the smartphone’s camera, according to leaked pictures, which would make it accessible to fingers resting on the back of the device instead of on the front.

We’ve separately heard evidence to suggest that HTC is indeed planning a reveal of a device likely to be the HTC One Max next week, so it’s fairly safe to take that as fact at this point. Can a phablet design for its flagship save the day for HTC? Probably not all on its own, but with metal case components and a fingerprint scanner, the company will be Apple’s closest analog on the Android side of the fence, at least when it comes to hardware.

Ahead of today’s big Apple event, the Wall Street Journal is reaffirming rumors that the more expensive of the two phones to be announced will feature fingerprint scanning technology.

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Over the past few months we have heard a lot of rumors that the next generation iPhone could come with a fingerprint sensor under its Home button. Back in July last year the company acquired AuthenTec, a security software and fingerprint sensor chip company. It was reported that AuthenTec’s patent portfolio was what drove Apple to acquire it, the portfolio could mean fingerprint scanners on future Apple devices. We then reported in September last year that AuthenTec was rumored to cut off all of its non-Apple customers in 2013. An SEC filing from last year revealed that Apple was looking in to 2D fingerprint sensors for use in Apple products. There obviously has been no confirmation from either Apple or AuthenTec, so take all of this with a grain of salt.

A new job opening at Apple for a Software Engineer in Melbourne, Florida hints that the new hire will become part of the team that AuthenTec already has in Florida. The position is based at Apple’s Melbourne Design Center, which is located near Florida’s Space Coast. The job requires the Software Engineer to write low-level control firmware for sensor ICs built at the Design Center. Functions of the sensor include gain control, calibration, array control and security which is geek talk for working fingerprint scanners that are expected to make their way in to future Apple devices.

By Ubergizmo. Related articles: Apple To Reveal New Mac Pro Revamp This Month, AppGratis Gets Pulled As It Violates App Store Rules,

Acer’s finally offering up the TravelMate P243 here in the US, a business notebook designed for the harsh realities of corporate life. 4GB of DDR3 RAM loiter next to an Ivy Bridge Core i5 CPU and a 500GB HDD, packed beneath a spill-resistant keyboard that’ll ensure that flyaway grande latte only ruins the front of your suit. You’ll be staring into a 14-inch, 1,366 x 768 LED-backlit display with a built-in webcam, as well as a fingerprint reader and the company’s ProShield security suite. You (or more likely, your IT buyer) can grab one of these for $700, while you can still grab last year’s Sandy Bridge-powered P243 for $600.

Continue reading Acer launches 14-inch TravelMate P243 $700 business laptop in the US

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Acer launches 14-inch TravelMate P243 $700 business laptop in the US originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 14 Aug 2012 08:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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