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Facial recognition now at all of Australia’s intn’l airports
Darwin International Airport has today launched its own SmartGate counters, ensuring that all eight of Australia’s international airports have the face-recognition technology.
(Ah ain’t long for this whorl image byThe technology uses electronic information embedded in e-passports and face-recognition technology to perform customs and immigration checks. During immigration, users scan their e-passports, which are equipped with an embedded chip, and have their photograph taken.
The technology maps the underlying bone structure of the face by measuring the distances between defining features such as the eyes, nose, mouth and ears. The measurements are digitally coded for comparison and verification purposes, and a mathematical algorithm is applied to determine whether the photo of the traveller’s face matches their e-passport photo.
It was first implemented at Brisbane International Airport in 2007, and since then it has been used by 3.5 million travellers, with close to one million using it in this year alone.
In this year’s Biometrics Institute Industry Survey, which canvasses opinions from 137 user organisations in Read more…
An Onslaught of Biometrics?
Yesterday, I was standing in a checkout line at the grocery store surrounded by the usual items — a wide selection of candies, celebrity magazines, and diet tips. Of course, one of the magazines was advertising a combination of two themes: a celebrity diet. I’ve always found these diets incredibly silly, not because the advice is necessarily bad, but because the whole matter of economic incentives is left out of the equation.
Celebrities don’t stay in shape thanks to special techniques or a superb personal trainer. Rather, the profit motive does most of the work. In order to continue making millions every year, celebrities must stay incredibly fit. If each of our readers were offered a million dollars per year to stay in shape, we’d all see the pounds falling off rapidly. The average person simply doesn’t have the same incentives as actors and actresses. Most Hollywood denizens don’t stay fit because of fabulous diets — they have a very powerful monetary incentive that keeps them on those diets. The rest of us can cheat; we don’t have a movie shoot coming up in a few months.
But isn’t health and a long life enough of an incentive? Yes and no. As a doctor friend of Read more…
An end to traditional crime dramas? New DNA technology could reveal who committed a crime in less than an HOUR
Suspects could be identified within minutes of committing a crime thanks to new technology developed by forensics experts.
The portable, high-speed equipment uses specially developed rapid profiling techniques to identify DNA from blood or tissue samples at the scene of a crime in a matter of minutes.
Currently, DNA samples have to be carefully lifted from any crime scene and transferred to a laboratory. The National DNA Database can then take several days to match a sample with a suspect.
No time for a getaway: The new technique means suspects could be identified within minutes (Posed by model)
LGC Forensics, which has developed the speeded-up technique, said it will give detectives a vital head start in their hunt for criminals.
Company managing director Dr Steve Allen told the Daily Telegraph: ‘Within 60 minutes of taking a sample it can produce a profile which can be transmitted to Read more…
Analysts raise alarm on Facebook expansion of facial recognition technology
The expansion of Facebook’s facial recognition technology into Australia has raised privacy and security concerns, with local analysts warning information accumulated by the social networking giant could be used for malicious purposes.
In a statement on its blog on Tuesday, Facebook announced it had launched the feature beyond North America into most countries. The feature uses facial recognition technology to speed up the process of tagging friends in photos.
The technology scans new uploaded photos and determines if the faces in these new images resemble those in previously tagged photos. If they do, the feature will suggest friends to tag. Previously, users had to tag photos manually, without suggestions.
According to the social network’s blog, more than 100 million photos per day are uploaded to Facebook and the goal of the feature is to Read more…
New airport scanner which will take just five seconds
Passengers could clear airport security in as little as five seconds under plans for a sophisticated new screening system which would not require them to remove their personal belongings.
The 21 feet long smart tunnel combines all existing and imminent security technology in one place and would slash the time passengers wait at airports. Passengers would simply walk the length of the tunnel while they are scanned.
It would prevent the frustration many passengers feel when they have to partially undress at a security gate.
A version is expected to be trialled within 18 months and could be rolled out at major airports within five years. British authorities are known to be keen to use the next generation of airport security scanners as soon as possible.
Currently the aviation industry allows 30 seconds for passengers to pass through the existing security system.
But this time only allows for walking through the detector, removing shoes and belts, placing metal objects in a separate container and producing liquids for inspection.
It does not take into account the time passengers spend putting gathering their belongings afterwards, nor the time they have to queue before reaching the metal detector in the first place.
This can take around 10 minutes at the most efficient airports which now includes Read more…
Crime-Fighting Armored Glove
A robber is cornered in a dead-end alley. He turns to face the police officer pursuing him, ready to fight. He pauses. The officer’s left forearm is encased in ballistic nylon, and half a million volts arc menacingly between electrodes on his wrist. A green laser target lands on the robber’s chest. He puts his hands up; it’s a fight he can’t win.
For police and corrections officers, preventing and defusing confrontations can save lives, and that’s the premise behind the BodyGuard. Equipped with a highvoltage stunner, video camera, laser pointer and flashlight, the armor sleeve is intended to prevent violent situations. The invention was designed by David Brown, a cameraman, editor and producer who makes a living filming musical acts such as Rage Against the Machine and Snoop Dogg, as well as behindthe-scenes movie footage for the actor Kevin Costner, a friend and BodyGuard investor.
Brown developed the concept for the device one evening in 2004, when he and some friends were discussing a recent mountain lion attack in a nearby Orange County park that had left one cyclist dead and Read more…
Argentinian Government Explores Biometric Security Technology with Cross Match
Cross Match Technologies, Inc., a leading global provider of biometric identity solutions, has entered into an agreement with the Argentinian Government to support the deployment of identity management systems throughout the country.
The National Public Administration of Argentina is evaluating new biometric systems to support key administration activities. “We will promote the use and implementation of new biometric technology and electronic equipment,” states Pedro Janices, National Director of the National Office of Information Technologies. “Biometric devices will help to enhance existing and forthcoming services provided by the Government.”
Cross Match will provide guidance and expertise in the areas of forensic-quality fingerprint and palm print capture devices, multimodal biometric capture systems, document readers, software and Read more…
‘Too creepy even for Google’: Search engine boss warns governments against facial recognition technology
Concerns: Google boss Eric Schmidt warned against facial recognition
The executive chairman of Google has warned governments against facial recognition technology – saying it is ‘too creepy’ even for the search engine.
Eric Schmidt said that the technology has advanced rapidly in recent years and that it could be rolled out across the internet.
But the controversial technique has angered privacy campaigners who claim that it would be a further erosion of privacy and civil liberties.
Now Schmidt has dispelled any suggestions that internet giant Google would be the first company to employ the system.
But he warned that there were likely to be other organisations who might ‘cross the line’ and use facial recognition.
Speaking today at Google’s Big Tent conference on internet privacy, technology and society, in Hertfordshire, Schmidt said that the accuracy of such technology was ‘very concerning’.
Facial recognition would work by scanning in a photograph of somebody’s face in order to Read more…
Global Biometric Forecast to 2012
Biometric market has been growing as one of the fastest emerging markets for the past few years especially due to rising need for personal security concerns, and the advent of new technologies that offered numerous future growth opportunities. Recent developments, larger & wider scale adoption, significant capability & performance advancements, standards development, and consumer acceptance, indicate looming and substantial market expansion of the biometric industry.
Many governments across the world are adopting biometric technologies to strengthen national security and maintain individual identity. Besides, corporate security and identity theft are fueling growth in the global biometric market. According to our new research report “Global Biometric Forecast to 2012”, the global biometric market is anticipated to grow at a CAGR of around 23% during 2011 – 2013. The report explains prevalent market trends and future scenario of the biometric market in different verticals, technologies, and regions, underlining the future potential areas and key issues crucial for the market development.
Among the technologies, fingerprint recognition is possibly the most widely used and familiar biometric technology. Further, biometrics is also becoming a Read more…
House approves biometrics listing bill -MANILA, PHILIPPINES
MANILA, PHILIPPINES
THE HOUSE of Representatives approved on second reading on Tuesday a bill that seeks to clean the voter record in preparation for the midterm elections in 2013.
The Web site of the Bills and Index service stated that House Bill 3469 requires all voters to have their biometrics data — photographs, fingerprints and signature — taken by an election officer.
The bill, aside from ensuring that the Automated Fingerprint Identification System will identify double registrants and other irregularities, is seen to also discourage cheating.
Data from the Commission on Elections (Comelec) showed that there were 704,542 voters with double or multiple registration in May 2010 general elections.
The bill defines such voters as those registered in more than one city or municipality.
Only half of the 50.8 million voters have biometrics data, the Comelec said.
The bill seeks to prohibit those without biometrics data from voting. Read more…
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