Registered: Sep 1999
Location: at work...
Posts: 736

Has anyone heard anything about this module: http://www.cifani.it/images/CeBIT/DSCN0957.JPG?

On the main page (http://www.cifani.it/CeBIT.htm), the caption for the photo says, "Springboard riconoscitore biometrico d'impronte", which, according to Babelfish, translates into, "biometrico recognizer of prints".

It might be useful for the security-conscious; instead of entering your password every time you want to turn on your visor, just reach the index finger of the hand holding the visor up to the back of the module...

Registered: Sep 2000
Location: Mountain View, CA
Posts: 211

I could be wrong, but couldn't you just rip out the module and get past the security?

__________________
<FONT face="verdana,arial,helvetica" size="1" >NetCaptor and Odigo Rule!<i></font>
"The Internet is now on computers?"
Homer Simpson

Registered: Sep 1999
Location: at work...
Posts: 736

quote:

---

Originally posted by Visor Guy2
I could be wrong, but couldn't you just rip out the module and get past the security?

---

Registered: Oct 1999
Location: Baltimore MD, USA
Posts: 717

Further conjecture on my part:
Maybe it isn't a security system for the Visor.
Maybe it's a springboard to convert one's Visor into a mobile fingerprint ID station.

The guard at the UFO crash site makes you put your finger on the springboard, while a second guard (with a drawn sidearm) sees if the Visor says "ID accepted" or "INTRUDER! SHOOT TO KILL!"
--
SURREAL SAGE SEZ: Okay, I pulled the pin. Now what? Where are you going?

Registered: Nov 1999
Location: Ann Arbor, Michigan USA
Posts: 790

The module could contain hardware encryption. Then without the module, no one could access your data.

__________________
Jeff

Registered: Sep 1999
Location: at work...
Posts: 736

From a palmstation Comdex report (http://www.palmstation.com/view_art...amp;flat_mode=1):

>Another interesting gadget isn't currently available for the Palm. Biocentric Solutions was showing off their
>new device; a fingerprint scanner for the Compaq iPAQ. The device fits onto the iPAQ in place of a
>CompactFlash sleeve, and has a one-finger scanner in the middle of the back. There is also a slot in the
>sleeve for a CompactFlash card, so that you don't lose your expansion while using it. Software that you
>install on the iPAQ itself will lock the device every time it shuts off and require a fingerprint to reactivate it. It
>will also refuse to unlock at all if the sleeve is removed. Of course, a hard reset will always bypass security
>software, but at least your data will be kept private.

>The iPAQ sleeve runs $249, and a CompactFlash version for the Jornada runs $199. They are also
>considering developing a version for the Palm, but the Dragonball CPUs aren't powerful enough to do
>fingerprint recognition in a reasonable amount of time. They are looking into a dedicated module with extra
>processing power, which I am sure will increase the price. We may see these in 3rd Quarter.

The company's website is here: http://www.biocentricsolutions.com/, but it's not clear whether
they are the same company that made the springboard module prototype.