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findBIOMETRICS.com is a leading biometric resource site presenting a comprehensive range of information to support the biometrics industry and build awareness of biometric technologies and applications. Biometrics is used by a number of different industries and professions.
Biometric technologies generally refer to the use of technology to identify a person based on some aspect of their biology. One of the first original biometric technologies is fingerprint recognition which has been grouped loosely under digital forensics.
Facial recognition systems that are able to identify individuals without their knowledge is another use of biometric technology. Billions of dollars are being invested in the development of various biometric technologies capable of identifying anyone anywhere in the world. Include are iris-scanning and foot-scanning technology, and voice pattern ID, as well as facial recognition biometric technologies.
Recently I saw that biometric technology was used by the specialists contracted by a local Texas truck accident attorneys client while doing preliminary investigatory work of truck accident where multiple victims were injured, yet it appeared there were no eye witnesses outside of the people involved. The plaintiff’s attorney hired specialists to determine what happened and how it would impact liability /compensation. The truck companies also did their own investigation. The investigation from both sides included looking at the physical evidence at the site of the truck accident as well as interviewing drivers and others involved in the crash, looking at video satellites and video cameras at a toll booth not far from the accident. The end result was a report containing the facts of the accident, the interviewer’s impressions, facial recogniton results from the toll booth’s video surveillance cameras, and recommendations regarding liability and litigation preparation.
In 2013 the supermarket giant Tesco announced that was installing screens positioned by payment tills which could scan its customers faces, monitor the customers’ purchases.and then display targeted advertising to them. The potential for abuse is “chilling”. This covert identification of individuals using biometric technology is also used by police forces. Interestingly biometric technology has been used to identify many of the people who stormed the US capital in Washington DC, on January 6, 2021 matching faces from photos taken by reporters and security cameras to images on social media platforms. Both Big Brother and others are watching.
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In 2021 with the Covid pandemic sweeping the globe, experts said that new solutions using technology were critical to managing the coronavirus and future pandemics. Where does Biometric technology fit in? A 2021 survey among industry professionals all around the globe showed there was general agreement that the pandemic had accelerated the adoption of biometric solutions to help provide the necessary assurances for vaccine certificates along with mask-aware face recognition capabilities.
Additionally there is exploration into advances in car-related technologies including biometric drink-driving detection that could help reduce accidents. Dashcams are being developed with AI to monitor drivers. Some feel that is could contribute to the increasing amounts of personal data captured and held by cars with AI models. U.S.lawmakers are discussing a bill that includes around a trillion dollars of spending on roads and public transport and that would require car manufacturers to introduce the passive monitoring of drivers to detect whether they may have been drinking.
I see there could be a lot of issues with this. Just consider repossessions agents services. When agents seize cars, there could be a large amount of personal data from the occupant. Would it be accessible to subsequent occupants or owners? Not deleting the data could pose a legal risk due to federal and state laws on privacy and data security.
If you know someone who has lost control of their drinking and have seen the potential devastating consequences of drunk driving, you might be willing to lose some privacy if, for instance, the biometric technology could detect someone was drunk and prevent them from starting their car.
My brother was starting the downward spiral towards alcohol after he lost his wife and child in a freak accident by a drunk driver. I found it perverse he should turn to alcohol. Fortunately I found a website called LifeBac that claimed the could help people change their relationship with alcohol. Since my brother refused to go to AA meetings or go into rehab claiming he wasn’t an alcoholic, I hoped he would consider this method. He found that there was complete privacy between him and his LifeBac provider through HIPAA-approved in-app telemedicine. The prescription medication LifeBac used suppresses craving and is delivered discreetly and directly to one’s door. After signing up for the program, he had a personal LifeBac Guide who helped him keep motivated, and set goals. He was able to set his own goals and achieve them at his own pace! LifeBac didn’t require total abstinence like AA or most rehab programs. But the medications reduced his cravings and seeing a therapist helped him with the issues that pushed him to excessive drinking.
I am still watching the progress of the infrastructure billed that finally passed. Amongst other things, the bill mandates Car OEMs to introduce technology to passively monitor the performance of a driver of a motor vehicle to accurately identify whether that driver may be impaired. There was also an announcement by the Automotive Coalition for Traffic Safety, Inc. (ACTS) that a product equipped with new alcohol detection technology would be available for open-source licensing, sometime late in 2021, in commercial vehicles for the first time. It will be challenging with the risk of false positives and the reality of people who will try to cheat the system.
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findBIOMETRICS publishes daily press releases, Q&A Interviews, guides, articles, and biometric industry vendor directories. We are the complete source for the introduction, marketing and purchase of biometric systems.
Financial Sector Technology (FST) is the leading technology magazine for banks, insurance companies and building societies. The magazine will be available free of charge at this event. If you authorise or recommend IT spend within an end user financial organisation then register to receive the magazine free of charge at www.fstech.co.uk For suppliers to the market telephone our subscriptions hotline on 0207 426 0636 (£98/year). Also at www.fstech.co.uk are details on the FST Awards, the largest event recognising IT excellence within the financial sector. For any sponsorship, list rental, or advertising enquiries email [email protected] or call 0207 426 0101.
The internet is providing the masses with information about almost everything in the world. From news to shopping to connecting with other people all the way around the globe. Review sites are starting to become a lot more popular. Communities are being created and are sharing things all over the world constantly.
Retail Technology provides up to the minute, independent guidance for large retailers, manufacturers and resellers looking to source the latest IT solutions. Each issue contains a comprehensive round-up of industry and product news together with expert comment and analysis from leading industry figures, combined with real-life case studies demonstrating practical solutions to improving the use of
technology in retail. Every aspect of retail technology is addressed including: EPOS and EFTPOS, customer loyalty, smart cards, distribution systems, multimedia, on-line and home shopping. www.retailtechnology.co.uk Consider that in the future…