Vein Recognition Scanners: The Next Step to a Wallet-free Future?

 

Yesterday, we reported that a New York hospital is using vein-recognition technology to access patient data. Now, a Florida school district is also getting in on the action--and leading the trend toward a fully wallet-free future.

Fujitsu's PalmSecure provides a highly reliable biometric authentication system based on palm vein pattern recognition technology. The Pinellas County School District, near St. Petersburg, Fla., will use PalmSecure in its cafeterias to enable students to make purchases without cash, cards or phones.

How does it work? Vein-recognition tech uses a near-infrared light that shines up from the detector. The user waves a hand over the light, and it instantly maps the unique pattern of veins in his or her hand. This pattern is then stored, not as an image, but as a unique identifier.

Vascular pattern recognition technology has already been in use for years, especially in access control applications. However, its use as a method of payment is exciting. Biometric payment is exceedingly more secure than cash, credit cards and even cell phone wallets. (Plus, it's cool!)

For now, the cost of the system is prohibitive for most retail locations. But our bet is that shoppers will start seeing them in their favorite stores in only a few years.

1 Billion Smartphones Will be Sold Every Year by 2016

Think we're all overly connected now? Just wait: Once we hit 2016, a whopping 1 billion smartphones will be sold every year.

According to market research firm Juniper Research, 302 million were sold last year. Give us another five years, and we'll be buying three times that many every 12 months.

Not surprisingly, Juniper found that the demand for economical ($150 or less) smartphones will increase. But the number of people buying high-end ($400 or more) phones will stay fairly steady.

Think you'll be willing to spend upwards of $500 for a phone in 2016? Sure, it seems pricey now, but consider this: In another five years, most premium smartphones will have new technologies like near-field communication, 3-D and biometrics. Really, these devices will be more tablet than smartphone.

U.S. Uses Biometrics to ID Iraqis, Afghans

The New York Times reported today on the U.S. military’s impressive biometric database of Iraqi and Afghan residents: a bank of information that helps officials identify more than 3.7 million people in the two countries.

The database was created and is operated by American, NATO and local forces. Amazingly, one in every 14 Iraq citizens and one in every 20 Afghan residents have been added to the database.

Collecting the biometric information is a tall order. Soldiers and police officers in the two nations take digital scans of each person’s eyes, as well as photos of their face and fingerprints. All detainees and prisoners—as well as applicants for government jobs—also must undergo biometric screening.

Most of the Iraqi and Afghan residents in the database are males, because they cause much more trouble for the U.S. military than local women. But by now, the technology is everywhere in Iraq and Afghanistan:

"A citizen in Afghanistan or Iraq would almost have to spend every minute in a home village and never seek government services to avoid ever crossing paths with a biometric system."

And the capabilities are proving invaluable:

"What is different from traditional fingerprinting is that the government can scan through millions of digital files in a matter of seconds, even at remote checkpoints, using hand-held devices distributed widely across the security forces."

In fact, the database has proven so useful in the Middle East, some wonder if the U.S. will bring the idea home. While several government and law enforcement agencies have sought similar technology for building a biometric database, privacy protections have won out every time.

Read even more backstory here.

Your DNA Creates Unique Art

DNA 11 has cornered the market of truly unique, customized art.

The company uses genetic science to create personalized art for its clients. That's right: Your DNA determines the image. Talk about art imitating life.

The incredible images require a little effort on your part: For a DNA Portrait, DNA 11 sends you a DNA sample collection kit, and you swab some cells from the inside of your cheek. 

Not a fan of genetic science art? The company also creates Fingerprint Portraits and Kiss Portraits for those of you who want to show off your other unique traits. 

Satellite's Facial Rec Spotted Bin Laden in September 2010

U.S. officials revealed yesterday that facial recognition software honed in on Osama bin Laden from satellite as early as September 2010. The al-Qaeda founder was identified while he was exercising in his Abbottabad, Pakistan, compound, a win that led to Sunday's successful operation.

We now know that the compound had been under surveillance for months prior to that first sighting. 

This type of facial recognition wouldn't have been possible only a few years ago. The extreme high-definition image resolution of the satellite's camera, combined with today's advanced facial rec capabilities, enabled officials to ID bin Laden from space--an amazing concept, even in 2011.