This week’s batch of top stories from FindBiometrics is about as varied as they come, spanning acquisitions, iPhones, executive changes, and more. Nevertheless, it’s still possible to discern a couple of themes, with a major through-line being the ongoing importance of mobile biometrics. Apple is responsible to a considerable extent for having launched this booming…
Apple’s introduction of the face-scanning Face ID system in 2017’s iPhone X went a long way in helping to make facial recognition for authentication a mainstream technology among consumers. But it was Amazon that really made facial recognition for large-scale public identification explode into the national discourse as an ethical issue, after an ACLU report…
US-based engineering firm II-VI is reassuring investors that its acquisition of Finisar should proceed as planned despite the US government’s placement of Huawei on its trade blacklist. The acquisition was approved by shareholders of both companies earlier this year, paving the way for a merger that could significantly extend the applications of Finisar’s 3D Sensing…
“It would be a surprising move for Apple after the company dropped fingerprint scanning in its pivot to 3D facial recognition, but Apple has gestured in this direction in recent patents…” Analysts with Barclays have laid out some predictions for Apple’s 2019 and 2020 iPhones, and they include a potential comeback for Touch ID. The…
‘On-device biometrics’ is probably one of the most important concepts in today’s digital security landscape, yet it’s also an idea that is not widely understood by everyday users. It refers to a question that a lot of people don’t even think of – where does my biometric data go when it’s scanned? It’s a crucial…
A newly published Apple patent application suggests that an unexpected biometric modality could be on its way to Mac computers. The patent application was originally filed with the European Patent Office in 2017, and, as Patently Apple reports, expands the number of features that could potentially be delivered through the Mac Touch Bar from 12…
A newly published Apple patent application suggests that an unexpected biometric modality could be on its way to Mac computers. The patent application was originally filed with the European Patent Office in 2017, and, as Patently Apple reports, expands the number of features that could potentially be delivered through the Mac Touch Bar from 12 to 106. …
“A titanium physical card will also be available for shopping in stores, but the card won’t feature a card number, CVV, signature, or even an expiry date – all of that information will need to be accessed from the iPhone.” The rumors were true: Among its other announcements this week, Apple has unveiled a new…
A co-founder of MoviePass is looking to leverage Apple’s Face ID system for a new movie ticket platform, according to Adweek. The aim is to force members to watch ads in exchange for movie tickets, and the company is hoping that early adopters will pay for the privilege through a Kickstarter campaign. Whereas the idea…
“Alcatraz AI has indicated that it will use its new capital to further refine its computer vision technology…” Alcatraz AI, a biometric AI startup founded by a former Apple engineer, has brought in $6 million in venture capital through a new funding round. The company specializes in 3D facial recognition for access control. It was…
Newly published patent applications from Apple suggest that the company is still working on improvements to the renowned 3D facial recognition system used to authenticate users on its latest iPhones. As Patently Apple reports, one of the patents concerns the use of ‘subepidermal imaging’ to assess features such as blood vessels to establish an even…
Seeking to get ahead of the rising trend of 3D facial recognition, IDEMIA has announced a new partnership with Infineon and Pmdtechnologies to develop a refined solution for OEMs and systems integrators. IDEMIA is no stranger to 3D facial recognition technology, having announced software designed for infrared cameras last September. But in a new statement,…
The cat is out of the bag, and the fingerprint sensor is under the display in Samsung’s latest flagship smartphone, the Galaxy S10. In officially announcing the new device this week, just ahead of this year’s Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Samsung was keen to emphasize the all-around technical prowess of the S10, but the…
A recently published Apple patent suggests that the company could be planning to introduce Face ID and 3D hand gestures to its HomePod line of products. The patent specifically refers to a voice-controlled assistant such as a “countertop speaker,” and would allow such devices to recognize faces, as well as hand waves and other basic…
LG is taking a run at Apple’s 3D facial recognition dominance, with plans to introduce a similar solution in its forthcoming LG G8 ThinQ smartphone, to be unveiled at this year’s Mobile World Congress. The smartphone will leverage Time-of-Flight technology developed by Infineon and Pmdtechnologies. Their sensor chip, first announced over a year ago, is…
“Essentially, the patent outlines how an array of acoustic transducers could be used to bounce acoustic signals off of a fingertip when it touches a display surface.” Apple has been granted another patent related to in-display fingerprint scanning technology. As AppleInsider reports, this patent is based on acoustic imaging. Essentially, the patent outlines how an…
“…they’ve not only delivered support for fingerprint authentication via the Touch ID system built into older iPhones, but have also delivered a facial recognition option based on the Face ID system used for authentication in Apple’s latest iPhone models.” WhatsApp users can now take advantage of the biometric security capabilities of the iPhone, thanks to…
One of the clearest trends at last autumn’s Money20/20 event in Las Vegas was the emergence of a popular new buzzword: “Frictionless”. As one of the event’s participants quipped, friction is the new F-word, and while that may be especially true in the financial services sector, it’s a sentiment that is spreading rapidly across a…
A new collaboration between two Taiwanese companies could help to foster the proliferation of 3D facial recognition systems in consumer devices. One of the partners, Altek, specializes in sophisticated camera technologies. The other, CyberLink, is a facial recognition specialist. And the two have essentially put their heads together, with Altek integrating CyberLink’s biometric technology into…