Fingerprint sensor for mobile biometrics
n Fingerprint sensors have now become small enough and durable enough to be incorporated into mobile devices and smartcards. Sonavation (www.sonavation.com) has created the SonicSlide STS3000, a biometric sensor, about the thickness of a postage stamp, which is constructed from polymers similar to those used to build the wings of commercial aircraft.
The SonicSlide STS3000 depends on patented SonicTouch technology, the foundation of which is ultrasound comparable to that used in medical applications. This results in significantly improved fingerprint imaging. Additionally, unlike silicon-based sensors that may be damaged through electrostatic discharge (ESD), the SonicSlide STS3000 is built with composite ceramic MEMS technology, which is unaffected by ESD. It combines this Micro-Electro Machine Systems technology with advanced polymers to deliver very high resolution fingerprint images at very low cost.
The SonicSlide STS3000 is capable of withstanding more than 10 million swipes, and uses minimal power, enabling applications that currently are not addressed within the commercial biometrics industry.
Free, anonymous tools to track health
n TheCarrot.com provides tools that help track health, nutrition, fitness, and medicines — all within a familiar calendar format. Through this free, anonymous service, users gain a comprehensive view of their health that can help identify areas of improvement and goal-setting. Users decide how often and how much detail to enter. Then, with this data, reports may be created to share with a doctor, nutritionist or fitness trainer.
TheCarrot.com lets users track their health data in multiple ways - by entering data numerically, textually and/or photographically. Depending on what is tracked, users can learn how learn how different aspects of health interrelate, such as how exercise affects sleep or diet affects mood. New trackers targeting women have been introduced including fertility cycle, pregnancy and menopause. These trackers complement others such as exercise, food, medications, mood and disease management.
Online course in computer science
n Ever wish you could gain a better understanding of some of the ideas presented in CompuNet? “Computer Science 50: Introduction to Computer Science I,” is a first course in computer science offered at Harvard College. Taught by David Malan, this course is designed to teach “how to think more methodically and how to solve problems more effectively.” Through http://cs50.tv/ visitors can view all of the course lectures, try some problem sets and look over lecture notes and slides – plus take several different quizzes to see how much has been learned.
Protection for consumer’s bank accounts
n Skimming is one of the financial industry’s fastest-growing crimes. The worldwide ATM Industry Association reports over $1 billion in annual global losses from credit card fraud and electronic crime associated with ATMs. In ATM skimming, criminals place foreign devices over or near an ATM card entry slot in order to steal personal information and eventually withdraw cash from the compromised bank accounts.
The ADT Anti-Skim ATM Security Solution helps prevent skimming attempts and detects skimming devices on all major ATM makes and models. ADT’s anti-skim solution is installed inside an ATM near the card reader, making it invisible from the outside. The solution detects the presence of foreign devices placed over or near an ATM card entry slot, without disrupting the customer’s transaction or the operation of most ATMs. Also, the technology helps prevent card-skimming attempts by interrupting the operation of an illegal card reader. It also triggers a silent alarm for command center response and coordinates video surveillance of all skimming activities.