10 Political Catalysts Driving the Biometric Exit System

According to an analysis done by the Center for Immigration Studies (CIS), there’s a high probability biometric data, like iris scans, fingerprints or other inherent biological data, will be taken of all visitors to the United States upon their departure from the country. According to the study, the sentiment of the Senate regarding immigration reform has changed considerably over the last 12 months, especially since passing the first of eight eyebrow-raising statutes that crystallize such an idea.

The actual implementation of the proposed “biometric exit system” has a high probability of coming to fruition. There are myriad reasons for this: new influencers with fresh agendas in positions of authority, the development of new technology, lowered costs, and a mounting comfort level of the general public with all things biometric.

The CIS report points to 10 pivotal reasons biometric exit systems will make headway this year. They include:

• Hot interest from Congress. Congressional leaders are eager to see new developments in this area, given their attitudes toward foreign visitation as a whole.
• DHS Secretary Napolitano, an adamant opponent of a biometric exit system, is out of office.
• The CBP now holds implementation authority of an exit system, and all signs point toward their inclination of its institution.
• The Senate Judiciary Committee Markup of S.744 examined two amendments that apply to biometric exits (they passed one of the two).
• During the Confirmation Hearing of DHS Secretary Nominee Jeh Johnson, many questions were posed that directly related to a biometric entry/exit system. They’re screening for someone who knows the ropes.
• The Strengthen and Fortify Enforcement (SAFE) Act by the House Judiciary Committee included thorough information regarding biometric exits.
• House Homeland Security invested considerable time and effort on HR 3141, also known as “The Biometric Exit Improvement Act of 2013.”
• Implementing a biometric exit system is increasingly not only cost-effective, but also feasible on a large scale.
• The guinea pig tests are over. More than 17 other nations have implemented successful entry/exit systems without major issues.

The author of the report, Janice Kephart, was both a 9/11 Commission counsel member as well as a security fellow for the Center. She commented that between the September 11 hijackers and the Boston Marathon bombing, it was easy for offenders to skirt the named-based immigration exit system that had obvious hit-or-miss success.

The powerlessness of law enforcement to know who is in the US for the purposes of security and immigration makes the need for a biometric entry-exit system abundantly clear.

To learn about Pivot International’s award-winning biometric product design and development services, contact us today at 877-206-5001.

Use of Body Odor for Biometric Person Recognition

Fingerprints, irises, voice recognition… and smell?

A person’s inherent, unique odor could join the trifecta of biometric mainstays in years to come if the science of B.O. catches on in the realm of I.D.

Such an identification method is one dogs have utilized since the beginning of time – with olfactory glands 30 to 60 times more powerful and interpretive than humans (depending on the breed), dogs can’t function without their noses. Just as we predominantly use our eyes and acute vision to categorize and navigate the world, canines use their super-powered snouts.

Researchers at Polytechnic University of Madrid are trying to emulate this profound power of pairing people with aromas. Their quest is to make technology act just like a dog, setting up sensory locks that take a whiff of you to verify identity instead of visually scanning a body part.

Because smells are so much more complex to the human brain than visual or audible information, olfaction-based biometric security could prove to be a particularly robust form of locking devices or doors.

According to researchers, the digital noses of the biometric machine prototype design can filter confounding scents out of the equation, correctly smelling and identifying unique, personal aromas through colognes, perfumes, makeup, deodorants, laundry detergent, and any other of the myriad of smelly substances that stick to our bodies throughout the day. The current prototype can accurately identify individuals 85 percent of the time. It also accounts for personal scent changes that come about as results of diet changes, stress levels and disease. Just walking past a sensor is more than enough for a decent reading.

The recent work by Polytechnic University of Madrid isn’t the only contemporary science dealing with smells. A new smell-based wrist watch unveiled earlier this month called Scent Rhythm emits fragrances to let its wearer know what time it is. Adjusting to its owner’s sleep-wake cycle, Scent Rhythm could, for example, blast users with the fragrance of coffee in the morning, money in the afternoon, chocolate in the evening, and relaxing chamomile late at night.

Before this year, the only news that focused on smell-based technology was Google’s tongue-in-cheek April Fool’s ad campaign, Google Nose which, purported to let searchers query results and pair scents with pictures. Of course it was a complete farce – but it’s nonetheless interesting to ponder how technology can be improved to react with our god-given senses for purer mind-machine interaction.

To learn how Pivot International can help your company reach new heights with product to design development, contact us at 877-206-5001.

Florida Lawmakers Contemplate Biometrics in Schools

Legislators in Florida are taking into consideration new steps to standardize the use of palm print, eye scanners and other forms of biometric identification. Issue arose on the heels of a situation last year in which parents were outraged to learn that their students’ irises were being systematically scanned before they were allowed to board school buses in Polk Country School District in Florida.

More than 700 students’ biometric data was collected in total before the project was put to a stop. It was reported that neither school administrators nor parents were informed of the collection of data before scans started being administered to the elementary school kids.

As a result of the commotion, the Florida Senate’s education committee is currently in the midst of discussing a bill which would require all school districts to adhere to new policies for the collection and storage of student biometric data. Such a measure mainly necessitates parental consent for global biometric data gathering.

A similar Florida case took place in 2011 when students’ palm prints were scanned in order to verify their identities in school lunch lines. The palm scanners worked by mapping the unique vein layouts humans have beneath the skin.

The director of food services at the school stated that the new measures expedited lunch lines and freed students from having to carry ID cards. This biometric project, currently in use in Pinellas County, is only one of an extended list of similar endeavors that span 50 school districts and ten states. Analysts and product design manufacturer describe these early adopters as pioneers for the quickly shifting sands of the security and identification landscape.

By and large, biometric data is covered by the Federal Education Rights and Privacy Act, ensuring that parents maintain certain rights over the records of their children. However, the act has not received significant attention from states pursuing biometric cataloging of students for lunch lines, field trip and other uses.

It’s worth stating that the palm and iris information is kept distinct from federally archived, police-related information such as fingerprints. Data is not traded or passed at all from private agency to government … yet. Concerned parents are worried that scan-addicted society might be right around the corner, but proponents of the technology hold steadfastly to the idea that proliferation of biometric use will do nothing but streamline longstanding problems and manage students’ time better.

To learn about Pivot International’s award-winning biometric product design and development services, contact us today at 877-206-5001.

iPhone 6 Could Offer Improved Biometric Security

The iPhone 6 is slated to make huge waves in the constantly turbulent world of mobile devices. After the introduction of arguably lackluster biometric features on the iPhone 5S, consumers are waiting with bated breath to see exactly how the unveiled features of the iPhone 6 will unfold. The following recent patents, scooped up by Apple and spotlighted by PatentlyApple.com, imply that big biometric developments are in the works.

Far-field sensors in fingerprint scanning

Because the iPhone 5S had a fingerprint reader, it would be surprising if the iPhone 6 didn’t offer some sort of souped-up version of the same. Far-field sensors would improve the quality of the actual fingerprint capture as well as have the ability to determine if a finger is oriented at a different angle during the scan. With this technology, the fingerprint scanner could be housed within the touch screen as well, instead of in a button on the bottom. This makes the entire scanning process more seamless as it brings the security action right into the task area of the phone.

Combining GPS and Touch ID

An additional patent obtained by Apple marries Touch ID fingerprinting with global data services for the device it’s on. For example, a lost phone could potentially not only be tracked by satellite, but it could also catalog the fingerprints of anyone else who uses it – presumably a thief. Such a coupling of technologies has a multitude of other uses – parents could track their kids and make sure they are the only ones using the phone. It could also become possible for users to call emergency responders by using a specific fingerprint. For example, one’s left pinky could immediately call 911.

Fingerprint precision feedback

This patent, if properly implemented, would take the guesswork out of creating robust fingerprint stamps on a device. For example, if a fingerprint were smudged, too light, or otherwise imperfect when uploaded into a phone, the device could offer swift feedback about how to improve it. The callous “please try again” warning would lose all of its frustrating momentum. Also, such a development would make it harder to counterfeit another person’s fingerprint for sign in, as the initial owner of the device would have the ability to try and retry their personal stamp until it was perfect.

To learn more about Pivot International’s product development services for biometric devices such as iris scanners and ID management tools, contact us at 877-206-5001.

More Companies Expected to Adopt Biometric Identification

As the persistence of the commercialization of the IT industry continues, its practices and policies are predicted to encompass mobile devices over the coming years. In turn, additional businesses will be strong-armed into implementing new biometric technologies in order to secure any and all corporate data that’s viewed, sent or used via mobile device.

According to a new analysis by Gartner, a Stamford-based information technology research firm, at least 30 percent of all corporations will use technological tools akin to Touch ID on their newest versions of the iPhone by 2016. Such a move will be done in order to manage and safeguard mobile devices that connect to closed, corporate networks, and will ideally be done in a way that doesn’t force individual users to jump through additional security hoops.

Ant Allan, a Gartner research vice president, posits that mobile users steadfastly oppose the security authentication methods that were only just bearable on desktops. Because of this, security leaders need to engineer workarounds that still offer comparable security without annoying end users at the same time.

Consumers who have been using their mobile devices to do online purchases will want to do the same with their company-issued phones and tablets. Apple CEO Tim Cook even went so far as to identify this sort of purchasing behavior as a highly important selling point for the iPhone 5S.

A recent 100,000-respondent survey study administered by Swedish technology company Ericcson found that 74 percent of subjects expect biometric security to become mainstream on cell phones, regardless of whether the devices are for work or personal use. BYOD (bring your own device, a policy that allows individuals to use their personal devices as work devices and view and transmit sensitive, work-related information) and CYOD (choose your own device, which lets employees choose from a selection of company-approved options for everyday use) are trending policies as well, according to research by Forrester Research. The study found that 70 percent of organizations employ a BYOD program. On top of this, 62 percent of smartphone owners and 56 percent of those with tablets bring their devices into their place of work.

Based upon its data, and the prevalence of smartphones in the office, Gartner’s advises IT security managers to institute and test biometric security measures that qualify as “higher-assurance.” To make security even steeper, biometric safeguards should be used alongside traditional security measures like passwords. Face, eye and voice recognition, coupled with appropriate interface interactivity between devices, could help ameliorate these problems without negatively affecting individual employees who use the technology.

To learn how Pivot International can help design the product and develop biometric security product ideas, contact us at 877-206-5001.

3 Digital Health Trends You Missed at the Consumer Electronics Show

The Consumer Electronics Show (CES), a tech-centered industry event that unveiled everything from new mobile devices to one-wheeled electric skateboards, transpired January 6 through 9 in Las Vegas. CES is always a meteoric media storm over what fresh gadgets are going to liven up the marketplace in the months to come and this year was no different.

Digital Trends at Consumer Electronics Shows

A growing vein of products was dedicated to med tech in 2014, with 300 exhibitors focused on tracking or improving health on the customer level. Here are three memorable trends that dominated the technological smorgasbord this year.

Wearable self-tracking

According to the Accenture Digital Consumer Tech Survey, 52 percent of consumers are interested in buying devices that track their health. It should come as no surprise then that products like Nike Fuelband and Fitbit Force are hot-ticket items. Released in late 2013, the products still suffer from first-generation bugs as well as limited availability for some users because they must be electronically tethered to iPhones to take advantage of their full functionalities.

As the novelty factor starts to fade on wrist-mounted fitness tracking, consumers can expect electronic design and manufacturing services to improve and refine this burgeoning technology.

Solutions for seniors

The baby boomer generation turns 68 in 2014, but the stereotype of fearful, tech-timid grandparents is holding less true every year. AARP found that 80 percent of its members own either a computer, e-reader or tablet, and 36 percent reported that they are “very comfortable” with technology.

With their newfound comfort, seniors are on the lookout for devices that can assist them medically in order to preserve their independence and standard of living. CES featured a plethora of products geared towards injury prevention, social engagement, and the detection and treatment of chronic ailments.

One such product is MobileHelp’s Cellular DUO, a souped-up version of the antiquated LifeAlert system. DUO runs on AT&T’s cell network, meaning users can still be at ease when there’s no land line nearby. The product works in conjunction with MobileHelp’s online portal, “Connect.”

Real-time remote monitoring

Over the next two decades, remote monitoring technologies are poised to save the US healthcare system nearly $200 billion, according to a study by Brookings Institute. Largely reliant on the explosive prevalence of Internet, video capturing, and wireless technology, the sector will likely expand to encompass bioelectric sensors and also include the power to detect a deeper range of biofeedback information. Heart rate, sleep/wake cycle, bathroom visits, and even coughs will be able to be recorded with ease thanks to this technology.

Pivot International offers award-winning mechanical and electrical engineering services for innovative health and fitness products. Contact us today to learn how we can help you make your product ideas a reality.

Firm Hammers Out 4 Ways to Improve FDA Medical Device Process

For hopeful applicants, the FDA submission process for medical devices is a long and complex one. However, a study ran by Booz Allen Hamilton, an American technology consulting firm, has some timely recommendations to revise the procedure. Administrated under the third Medical Device User Fee Amendments (MDUFA III), the measures outline a total of four ideas that would streamline and simplify applying.

How to Improve the FDA Medical Device Process

1. The FDA needs developed principles and established, standardized norms in order to have uniformity in decision-making throughout the review process. As it stands, there is much ambiguity and personal bias injected into what gets the green light and what doesn’t. According to the study, this needs to be resolved.

2. By the same token, a multipronged, holistic approach needs to be applied to the lifecycle management activities inherently tied to the application process. By addressing a total of five components linked to application quality, the FDA can approach objective standardization of the content it reviews on a grand scale. This improves the quality of the applications themselves, helping save people from submitting time-wasting applications that would get rejected otherwise.

3. Mandatory training needs to be provided in no less than three primary IT systems already in place by MDUFA III. There is a differential in knowledge between those submitting research and data to the FDA and those at the FDA receiving it. The agents of the FDA need a more thorough understand of the IT systems being used throughout the industry, and it’s unfair to penalize applicants because of the IT systems they chose.

4. Metrics need to be developed to assess the ongoing review process as a whole. The FDA isn’t some sentient, mysterious Wizard-of-Oz-like entity concerned with judging and reviewing – it’s made of people. Fallible, busy, opinionated human beings. Methods to analyze and chart personnel-related issues like training satisfaction, learning and staff behavior changes should be important, as they affect the way employees in the FDA consider, sort, and judge applications.

If written into the regulations, the above proposals would arguably change the landscape of the FDA’s application process, opening the floodgates of innovation. By motivating more people to apply, the industry itself would be driven forward by a freer, more populated market.

The changes would also inspire a more active, idea-laden atmosphere where the fear or rejection is minimized. Less work to apply means more applications, which equates to more devices and science on the cutting edge of medtech. And, in the end, this all sums up to more lives saved and improved through the wonder of technology.

For more information on how Pivot International’s award-winning medtech regulatory compliance services, contact us at 877-206-5001.

Medtech Thrives into 2014

Medical technology stocks boasted steady, strong growth last year, and according to analysts, this trend is predicted to continue on its course through 2014. Sales are expected to bounce up 4.2 percent, up .8 percent from the preceding year. This appears to only be the beginning for the industry, though, as further acceleration is forecasted for 2015. The spike of growth stems from new mergers and acquisitions among small and mid-sized companies as well as a wave of innovation with the debut of new products, especially cardiovascular devices.

Major medtech players like Medtronic and St. Jude Medical will be leading the pack among large-cap companies, say analysts. Medtronic looks to the highly anticipated launch of its transcatheter valve system in the United States. The Minneapolis-based company also expects to profit greatly from its “Symplicity” renal denervation system, a novel type of therapy for patients with treatment-resistant hypertension.

St. Jude’s growing market share hinges on the expected success of new medical devices. First, the company is awaiting FDA approval of its Cardio microelectromechanical (MEMS) technology, a type of wireless communication platform designed to be implanted into the human body. Also on deck is the release of the leadless pacemaker in the European Union, a potentially revolutionary product that comes from one of St. Jude’s newly acquired subsidiaries, Nanostim.

Optimism isn’t ubiquitous across all medtech companies, however. Edwards Lifesciences may be put through the ringer this year, as its “Sapien” transcatheter aortic valve replacement system had a less-than-stellar showing on the commercial stage. Medtronic continues to gobble up Edwards’ market share as well, turning what was once a monopoly into a veritable intra-industry duel.

Much has changed since the bottom fell out of the market in 2008. Optimism, investments and R&D are in no short supply these days, and fresh, inventive life-saving technology is anything but scarce.

For more information on how Pivot International’s design and development services, contact us at 877-206-5001.

Iris Scanning Lands at Airports Worldwide

A surge of international airports are now automating security measures, using biometrics to keep tabs on passengers and employees alike. But does this technology actually make catching would-be terrorists any easier? There’s something to be said for the human element of profiling – shifty gaze, sweaty palms and acting “off” are telltale signs that airports security agents are trained to pick up on. They’re also things a fingerprint or iris scanner can’t detect. “Part of keeping travelers safe is looking at all kinds of things that can’t be captured by an algorithm,” says Arnold Barnett, an aviation security expert and professor at Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Roughly one quarter of airports worldwide use biometric measures, such as the scanning of some inherent, identifying characteristic like fingerprints, faces or eyes, in some respect. Proponents of the technology point to the fact that it will streamline airport service, cut waiting times, and make boarding passes a thing of the past.

But is the whole thing practical? Gatwick Airport in London conducted an experiment with 3,000 passengers, registering and using their biometric data in lieu of traditional paper boarding passes. The prototype security equipment scanned the subjects’ irises as they passed from checkpoint to checkpoint, identifying and cataloguing them throughout the airport. Though admittedly somewhat Orwellian, the project went off without a hitch. Existing biometric technology can relieve security personnel to do tasks that scanners can’t – like investigating suspicious activity. Experts like Barnett, however, argue that releasing airport security of some of their responsibilities will reduce their ability to stay sharp and attentive when duty calls.

Overall, European airports seem to be one step ahead of the United States on the biometric movement. There is not to say that the US isn’t making headway – biometric measures have been set up to verify employees and passengers on PreCheck, a TSA program that allows select frequent flyers to receive expedited security screenings.

Pivot International’s award-winning product design team is skilled at developing and engineering security devices that provide our clients with the best in biometric technology. Contact us at 877-206-5001 to learn more.

Biometric Security Industry Finds its Footing

In our fast-paced, technocentric world, personal security is more important than ever. Last year saw sizeable strides as biometric security further penetrated the consumer market. Fingerprint scanning proliferated its presence on smartphones and other mobile devices. Will 2014 see a further increase?

Yes, probably, but it won’t be as revolutionary as one might think. “Biometric” is a fancy sounding word for an industry that’s already breached the line between sci-fi and commonplace; we shouldn’t expect to see any world-shattering breakthroughs or surprises. What we will see, however, is biometric security slowly creeping into new corners of our lives and into new industries. Instead of just locking a phone or a gate, look forward to biometrics coming into play at civilian check-ins and check points, such as at border crossings, voter registrations, healthcare patient verification, or even ePassports. Voice biometrics are also starting to become more common, especially in banking.

The biometric tech market as a whole is projected to climb to an $8.7 billion industry this year (an increase from roughly $7 billion), according to a study from BCC Research. This is just the beginning of the incline, says the report, which charts the industry at over $27 billion by 2019.

Biometric security has been a hot media topic since September of 2013 when Apple’s iPhone 5S hit stores, but the consumer reception was a bit of a wash. Some analysts projected the 5S to be the first drop in a torrent of biometric-featuring devices. Others cited proprietary issues and the raw cost of the technology as distinctive hurdles for biometrics becoming a societal mainstay.

It appears the adoption of the technology is moving forward, albeit slowly. Iris scanners are catching on at a sluggish pace and fingerprint scanners are gaining steady steam, but much of the applications of these technologies remain unchanged.

New analysis from the firm Frost & Sullivan confirms that fingerprint recognition software will dominate sales in the biometric sector. However, iris recognition and other multimodial biometrics are slated to grow quickly in the coming years. Though more expensive and clunky, iris scanning is more accurate and less easily fooled than the oft-smudged fingerprint.

For information on how Pivot International can help you design and engineer your new biometric security device, contact us at 877-206-5001.