“I’m more confident than ever that biometric smart cards are poised for mass adoption.” – Stan Swearingen, CEO, IDEX Biometrics IDEX Biometrics announced today that biometric payment cards featuring its SmartFinger sensor technology have begun a certification process on behalf of a “major global payment scheme in Asia.” The Bank Card Testing Center, an independent…
Hong Kong-based AI specialist Megvii has raised $750 million through its latest funding round, the company has announced. The news comes after Megvii raised $600 million in an investment round last year, and amid speculation that the company is planning an IPO. It’s now valued at a little over $4 billion. The announcement also comes…
“…Microsoft has stated that it is not involved in a partnership with SenseNets, and that it has asked the company to remove the Microsoft logo from its website as it had been used without permission.” Microsoft is denying that its technology is being used in an intrusive and controversial Chinese surveillance program after being implicated…
Shenzen Metro is trialing a new ticketing system that would allow passengers to pay their fare and board the subway with only a facial recognition scan. The system is built with 5G and AI technology from Huawei, and the trial is currently underway at the city’s Futian station. As South China Morning Post reports, participants…
“It’s beyond doubt that the market for biometric cards will ramp significantly in 2019. During the second half of 2018 a vast range of card integrators have geared up their efforts to commercialize biometric cards which will provide simple, secure and personal authentication for all. We see especially strong pull in China, and we are…
“…South China Morning Post suggests that the NYPD’s use of China-made facial recognition technology is extensive and surreptitious.” The same facial recognition surveillance technology being used by Chinese authorities has also been embraced by the New York Police Department, according to a new report from the South China Morning Post. Citing an industry report, the…
“Homtar says it will launch the first trial of SAFR in Shenzhen within a month’s time.” A new partnership offer RealNetworks a pipeline to the China market for its SAFR facial recognition platform: The company has teamed up with Shenzhen Homtar High-Tech Co., which will work with its partner Shenzhen Wiseme Electronics Co. to launch…
Fingerprint Cards is betting on biometric payment cards becoming the next cool way to pay in China. In a post on its website, the Swedish company notes that mobile payments have taken off in a big way in China, thanks in large part to the enormous popularity of smartphones in the culture. Not only Apple…
“Tencent says its aim is to use facial recognition technology to match players against their government databases in order to verify their ages, which suggests it’s working closely with government authorities.” At the Chinese government’s behest, Tencent Holdings says it is exploring the use of facial recognition technology to prevent minors from playing its wildly…
“For Shanghai Normal University’s 6th dormitory building, the biometric features are the icing on the cake of a larger renovation, which now features colorful walls, QR code-scanning laundry machines, and a touchscreen in the lobby where students can request repairs.” A flashy new dormitory building at Shanghai Normal University features biometric access control. As Shanghai…
“The process is entirely automated, and in a statement announcing the Hainan deployments, Shiji asserted that it ‘takes 30 seconds from arrival to room card issued including payment authorization.’” Biometric check-in technology for hotels appears to be gaining traction in China, thanks in large part to Alibaba, the country’s e-commerce giant. Together with Shiji, a…
A new distribution agreement is poised to deliver China-made facial recognition technology to the United States. The technology is made by Weibridge, a Shanghai-based firm, which has agreed to license its biometric technology to Advanced Technology Group, a division of Universal Power Industry Corporate (UPIC). In the US, Advanced Technology Group will promote Weibridge’s facial…
Xloong, a Hong Kong-based tech company specializing in Augmented Reality glasses, is looking to the government’s growing interest in biometric surveillance technology to turn the company to profitability. The firm was founded in 2015, and has tailored its smart glasses technology to a number of applications including industrial engineering, messaging displays in military helmets, and…
“…the store is equipped with sensors designed to use facial recognition and data analysis to assess visitors and their behavior as they proceed through the facility.” A China-based multinational conglomerate is taking advantage of biometric and AI-driven marketing in a new store in Shenzhen. The company, Tiens Group, has a hand in a number of…
ZKTeco is enjoying a little time in the limelight, with a new China Global Television Network (CGTN)program highlighting the company’s participation in China’s ‘Belt and Road’ initiative. Sometimes translated as ‘One Belt One Road’, the initiative is a government-led program in promotion of economic partnerships between China and other states, and likewise between businesses therein. And…
“Facial recognition is increasingly prominent in China, and while it is often used in consumer-facing applications, such as identifying visitors at tourist sites, it is most prevalent in law enforcement and surveillance applications, scanning CCTV feeds for even the most minor offences.” Chinese authorities have implemented a face-scanning border control system at two checkpoints between…
“Visitors are now required to use the social media platform WeChat to scan their faces by reading out a string of numbers with their selfie camera on, offering their national identity card details as well.” Tsinghua University, a prestigious academic institution in Beijing, is now requiring visitors to submit their facial biometrics. As the South…
Marriott is working with Alibaba to trial a biometric check-in system for guests at two of its hotels in China, reports Reuters. The system will be based on facial recognition, operating through automated kiosks. Once guests’ identities are confirmed through the kiosks’ biometric system, the kiosks will produce key cards for their rooms and information…
FindBiometrics President Peter O’Neill recently had the opportunity to speak with Ritu Favre, CEO of NEXT Biometrics. The conversation starts with a review of her first year as the company’s leader and her major accomplishments in the role. The conversation moves on to the major security benefits of NEXT’s large area sensors and the demanding…