Future Galaxy Smartphones?

Samsung and Apple are in a race for testing biometric technology for its upcoming Galaxy and iPhone respectively. (Photo: SamMobile)

It seems Samsung is following its rival Apple for developing fingerprint scanning technology. Both Samsung and Apple are in a race for testing biometric technology for their upcoming products –Galaxy and iPhone respectively.

Samsung fan site, SamMobile recently published a set of leaked firmware build for Samsung Galaxy S3, which also seemed to have incorporated fingerprint scanning technology. The leaked firmware suggests that the company is working to employ biometric scanning to their upcoming high-end Galaxy range of device.

Rumors have been surfacing for a while now that Apple is also working on the similar technology for its next iPhone. Last year, Apple acquired AuthenTec, a biometric scanning company.

In a similar report by BGR, Apple is planning to employ the new fingerprint scanning technology in its upcoming iPhone 5S. Apple aims to boost the sales of the iPhone 5S by adding the new feature.

The rumors of fingerprint scanning technology for next iPhone started surfacing in March. An analyst from KGI Securities released his new research report that said Apple will unveil the iPhone 5S with a fingerprint scanner beneath the home button for security. This feature will allow users to unlock the screen after scanning their fingerprint.

Similar unlocking security feature is already available on laptops but implementing the fingerprint security in the next Galaxy or iPhone would be the first feature of its kind in the smartphone industry. 

In a note to investors obtained by AppleInsider on Wednesday, Kuo said he does expect Apple to release a wearable accessory, namely the iWatch, sometime in the future, but doesn’t see the company debuting the product any time soon.

Unlike other analysts, Kuo, who has a proven track record in accurately predicting Apple’s product rollouts, believes Apple will ramp up production in the second half of 2014, a period more than one year later than current estimates. 

In the report, the analyst mentions Apple will probably enter the wearable computing market with a watch offering, dubbed as the “iWatch,” instead of a glasses product like Google Glass. Backing up the claim, Kuo points to the Cupertino company’s recent patent filings related to curved screens and batteries.

“Investors shouldn’t be misled by the word ‘Watch’. We think iWatch will not be positioned as a time-telling device, nor as a device that displays information from other Apple products,” Kuo writes. “We are positive on the iWatch because its wearable design is helpful for offering more secure user identification and biometrics functionality.”

As rumored just two days ago, Kuo says iWatch will use either a 1.5 or 2 inch panel. However, instead of OLED panels, the device is likely to leverage existing GF2 touchscreen technology, much like Apple’s current iPad mini and iPod nano, as the format is well-suited for small screen applications. Production of the display will probably be handed to Japanese or Korean suppliers.

Interestingly, Kuo believes the supposed iWatch will sport a “secure user identification mechanism” and biometric functionality, both of which could become main selling points for the device. With biometrics, the iWatch can better safeguard an owner from unwanted user access, while providing advanced healthcare features. Currently, devices like the Nike+ FuelBand and other wearables offer pedometer functions and, in some cases, heart rate monitoring. If such functionality were to be built into Apple’s watch, it could open new doors to the healthcare hardware industry. 

Also borrowed from the iPod nano will be an application processor, or AP, which will allow for integration with Apple’s existing iOS device ecosystem.

As for the 2014 release, Kuo says Apple may not have adequate resources to develop an iWatch variant of its iOS mobile platform as it would require significant changes to the operating system. Also, with wearable computing devices being a nascent sector, components are too scarce to reach the critical mass production requirements needed to satiate an expectedly high demand. Kuo believes manufacture will likely start in earnest during the second half of next year.

Effective immediately, SecuGen India will sell all SecuGen products and provide local support and service exclusively in India, Nepal, and Sri Lanka. All sales in those countries will henceforth be handled by the new entity.

“As a result of the UID project, fingerprint biometrics has been growing very rapidly in India,” said Jeffrey Brown, VP of Sales & Marketing for SecuGen. “We are creating this new entity to better service our Indian partners. Having a local operation will greatly improve our ability to respond rapidly to the needs of the Indian marketplace.”

Won Lee, CEO of SecuGen added, “Our Indian customers are very important to us and perhaps one of the keys to our long term success. We will be bringing more resources to bear so that we can meet the many requirements of our Indian resellers.”

Aniket Jathar, Director of SecuGen India said, “Now SecuGen has a local Indian presence, and this will greatly enhance our ability to meet the needs of the many ongoing projects in India. We are very pleased to be bringing SecuGen closer to the local Indian marketplace.”

All inquiries from India, Nepal, and Sri Lanka should now be directed to SecuGen India at sales@secugenindia.com.

About SecuGen
SecuGen Corporation is the world’s leading provider of advanced, optical fingerprint recognition technology, products, tools and platforms for physical and information security. SecuGen designs and develops FBI-certified fingerprint readers and OEM components, developer kits and software, including NIST/MINEX-compliant algorithms. Known for high quality, ruggedness, and performance in a wide variety of applications and environmental conditions, SecuGen products are used by world-leading financial, medical, government, educational and corporate institutions and are sold through a partner network of over 200 original equipment manufacturers, independent software vendors and system integrators around the world. SecuGen’s patents and intellectual property cover essential technology required to manufacture compact, durable and high quality optical fingerprint sensors that have been adopted by leading fingerprint vendors in the biometrics industry.

SecuGen is a registered trademark of SecuGen Corporation in the United States and other countries.

Processing Point Inc., the creators of uAttend time and attendance software solutions, has announced the release of its latest software update for iOS mobile applications. With the updated version, uAttend mobile app users will be able to better navigate the system and access more options from their iPhone and iPad devices.

Tracking employee attendance in an accurate and cost-effective manner is a major concern for businesses of any size. For those businesses in the service industry that tend to have employees working off-site or at remote locations, accurately tracking attendance can be even more challenging. Processing Point’s goal is to help businesses overcome these challenges and is constantly improving the uAttend™ Employee Management System to do so.

As one of the fastest-growing workforce management solutions in the United States, uAttend has become synonymous with quality employee time management. With a combination of state-of-the-art hardware and highly advanced software, uAttend solutions are designed to provide customers with the most effective and affordable results possible. The company offers a diverse range of time keeping software systems that are reliable, efficient, user-friendly and cutting edge.

uAttend offers a versatile product line that is made up of advanced fingerprint and facial recognition biometric solutions, RFID (proximity card readers), as well as Smart phone and mobile applications. This variety of product enables businesses to accurately record employee work hours with multiple options for punching in and out.

The latest mobile application for iPhone and iPad users is one of the many easy to use solutions that allow employees to remotely record their time and attendance. The updated software version also makes it more convenient for floor supervisors and HR administrators to manage the system on their handheld devices, eliminating the need for accessing a computer.

“We are fully committed to improving our software to provide our customers with as much convenience and efficacy as possible,” said Chad Buckmaster, Processing Point CEO. “With our latest mobile application release, we feel we have not only answered the needs of today’s businesses, but have also empowered them with useful features and benefits they didn’t even know they needed.”

Payroll and HR managers can now approve and edit employee timecards by their particular department, as well as process payroll summaries. The mobile application also offers a ‘Who’s In’ board so administrators and supervisors can easily view the status of each employee’s attendance. Other new features of the updated time and attendance software include a dashboard homepage offering productivity charts for administrators along with a punch management screen that provides information such as which method an employee used to punch in.

As the nation’s fastest growing provider of time and attendance software, uAttend is committed to improving workforce management for small business owners. If you would like more information about the uAttend™ Employee Management System, please call 1-800-518-8925 or visit the corporate website athttp://www.uattend.com.

Contact: Chad Buckmaster, Processing Point, (760) 613-7116

Louis “Don” Crocetti, Jr., architect and former (retired) chief of the Fraud Detection and National Security Directorate (FDNS) of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), discusses the nature and volume of fraud detected, actions taken to combat it, and vulnerabilities that continue to exist, while simultaneously being responsive to qualified applicants.

Mr. Crocetti says in the introduction video, “The principal types that we’re talking about that have the double digit rates that exceed 10 to 20 percent in some areas, perhaps even 30 to 40 percent in others, do track back to more of the employment-based and asylum applications and petitions. Marriage obviously has a double digit fraud rate – below 20 percent – but in my opinion, that is pretty significant.”

Crocetti’s observations and recommendations take on new importance as the Senate debates the Schumer-Rubio bill, S. 744, which would dramatically expand guest worker and legal immigration programs, as well as legalize an estimated 11 million illegal aliens. The union representing 12,000 USCIS employees who administer these programs announced its opposition to the bill on Monday, warning of fraud, among other things. The union’s president said “USCIS adjudications officers are pressured to rubber stamp applications instead of conducting diligent case review and investigation.”

The interview can be viewed online at: http://cis.org/CISInterviews/Don-Crocetti-USCIS-FDNS

Among the points made by Crocetti:

• Terrorists and criminals continue to exploit our immigration system, which shows the need for more thorough and recurring screening of applicants, as well as better information-sharing between agencies.
• Fraud rates were in double digits among employment and marriage-based categories, and asylum applications, including the controversial H-1B program.
• Unlike years past, technology is available to detect and deter fraud and identify threats to national security and public safety; we simply need to use it more effectively and on all applications. USCIS must collect biometrics to establish identity, conduct background checks, and verify information critical to determining eligibility.
• Compliance audits, verification, and assessments have proven invaluable to identifying fraud. In one application type (green card replacement) USCIS was able to nearly eliminate fraud through collection of biometrics. In another category (religious workers), fraud was significantly reduced through site visits to verify information on the petition. These tools need to be used for all categories, but their implementation has been stalled.
• USCIS adjudicators need to be provided more anti-fraud training and allowed additional time to pursue suspected fraud, as well as empowered to place those who are denied a benefit into removal proceedings if unlawfully present.

View the Senate bill, CIS Senate testimony and commentary at: http://cis.org/Border-Security-Economic-Opportunity-Immigration-Modernization-Act

The Center for Immigration Studies is an independent, non-partisan, non-profit research organization. Since its founding in 1985, the Center has pursued a single mission – providing immigration policymakers, the academic community, news media, and concerned citizens with reliable information about the social, economic, environmental, security, and fiscal consequences of legal and illegal immigration into the United States.

Contact: Jessica Vaughan 
(508) 346-3380, jessicavaughan@verizon.net

SOURCE Center for Immigration Studies

“With thousands of handheld units in the field and excellent customer relationships, the company’s engineers and product managers gained critical feedback,” said John Hinmon, head of Marketing at Cross Match.  “The result is a lighter, smarter, and faster SEEK Avenger that is uniquely suited to its application environments.”

SEEK Avenger shown with ePassport and MRZ accessories

 Weighing in at just over 3 lbs. (1.4 kg), and 40% smaller than the SEEK II, the SEEK Avenger is the only multi-biometric handheld capable of capturing stand-off dual iris (SAP 40) and fingerprint (FAP 45) images in direct sunlight – a distinct advantage when considering intended applications.  A built-in contact card reader and optional MRZ and ePassort readers provide users the flexibility to configure their optimal credentialing solution.  A 5MP camera provides 1D/2D barcode reading, captures evidentiary photos and video, and takes facial images utilizing auto-facial recognition.  The optional communications cap incorporates seamlessly into the device, providing LTE/3G or other network certified cellular modems for additional connectivity beyond the standard Bluetooth and WiFi.  

 The SEEK Avenger runs Cross Match’s proven MOBS software on a Windows-based OS, and incorporates onboard matching against a watchlist of up to 250,000 records for truly autonomous use.  MOBS also generates multiple agency-compliant files and handles their transmission for remote matching to regional or national AFIS databases, as required. 

 Mike Oehler, Cross Match product manager for mobile solutions, noted that, “SEEK Avenger incorporates all the lessons learned from development of SEEK II.  These days there are a great deal of folks snapping parts together to create so-called handheld biometric and credentialing solutions.  The difference with Cross Match is our years of experience in integrating multimodal biometrics and credentialing technology with award winning software in a user-friendly, ergonomic form that has been proven in theater, on the streets, and at the borders – some of the harshest and most demanding environments.”

 The Company’s SEEK II has been successfully deployed by the U.S. Army, as part of the BAT Program, and other U.S. and international defense, law enforcement, and security agencies for a range of identity management applications.

 Cross Match also previewed its new Authenticator fixed-station credential reader.  The unit provides a more secure, flexible, and intuitive solution for credential scanning and reading.  The Authenticator is scheduled to launch this October.

About Cross Match Technologies

Cross Match Technologies, Inc. is a leading innovator and provider of biometric identity management solutions to governments, law enforcement agencies, and businesses around the world. For more information on Cross Match and our identity management solutions, visit www.crossmatch.com.

Company Contact: John B. Hinmon, +1 561 493 7401, john.hinmon@crossmatch.com

Sherlock is provided with a full featured SDK to enable effective integration into applications requiring FAP 45 FBI Certified images. This product meets the needs for both enrollment and verification applications common in international standards based programs. At less than ½ inch thick, Sherlock is particularly suited to mobile applications where minimal size, weight and power are critical.

Sherlock evaluation kits are available. Visit www.integratedbiometrics.com for more details.

LES is More.

About Integrated Biometrics

Headquartered in Spartanburg, SC Integrated Biometrics patented LES technology enables integrators the first ever truly mobile FBI Certified fingerprint biometrics sensors.  LES technology meets the stringent image performance requirements of the FBI Appendix F standards in a thin form factor compatible with smart phone, tablets and hand held mobile device requirements.

CONTACT:  Mike Grimes , 864-990-3711, mike.grimes@integratedbiometrics.com

 SOURCE Integrated Biometrics

 “We are pleased to have Eric as part of the strategic team,” commented David Buckley, CEO of Cross Match.  “He brings a strong history of growing and developing sales organizations, and has an extensive knowledge of software and technology solutions – all of which are a solid fit with our strategic development initiatives.  Eric’s focus on customer satisfaction and simplifying the sales process are integral to our relationship with the market.”

 Mr. Vermillion joins Cross Match from NICE Systems (NASDAQ: NICE), a worldwide leader of strategic insight software solutions that enable organizations to improve the customer experience and business results, ensure compliance, fight financial crime, and safeguard people and assets. He spent eight years in various sales, sales operations, and executive management roles, playing a key part in growing NICE’s annual revenue from $250 million to almost $900 million during his tenure.  Most recently, Mr. Vermillion led the sales organization in NICE’s North American Region Enterprise Group. Previously, he held sales positions at Parametric Technology Corporation, Tecnomatix Technologies, and Triad Systems Corporation. 

 Mr. Vermillion is a graduate of Purdue University’s Krannert School of Management and holds a bachelor of science degree in management and marketing.

 He will be based out of Cross Match’s Arlington, Virginia offices.

About Cross Match Technologies

Cross Match Technologies, Inc. is a leading innovator and provider of biometric identity management solutions to governments, law enforcement agencies, and businesses around the world. For more information, visit www.crossmatch.com.