Security

Splinternet debuts Dirty Bomb detector network

By Kyle Sherer

23:41 April 1, 2008 PDT

April 2, 2008 Splinternet Holdings is introducing a new "dirty bomb" detection system that manages a network of solid state GammaTect radiation sensors which send real-time notifications to command centers as soon as the presence of threat-level gamma rays is detected. Read More

Wide-angle camera improves security surveillance

By Emily Clark

21:38 March 30, 2008 PDT

Researchers at the University of Alabama (UAH) have developed a wide-angle camera that will assist security forces by enabling them to monitor large areas through high-resolution images taken from a satellite or an airborne craft. The proposed one giga-pixel camera was created after UAH researcher, David Pollock, discovered that if you point a large number of lenses toward a common point, and then make a small correction on each of the lenses, you have a camera with capabilities that far surpass existing technologies. Read More

ThruVision's T5000 security system sees through clothing

By Kyle Sherer

17:28 March 11, 2008 PDT

March 12, 2008 ThruVision’s T5000 Security Imaging System uses passive terahertz imaging technology to reveal concealed weapons in both stationary and mobile subjects - even outdoors - at a range of up to 25 meters. T-rays can pass through clothing, paper, cardboard, wood, masonry, fog and clouds, but bounce off metal, liquid, and some ceramics and plastics – this allows the T5000 to easily identify weapons even in a moving crowd of people. Read More

Snowflake Technologies releases prototype vein recognition security system

By Emily Clark

21:36 March 3, 2008 PST

March 4, 2008 As security of personal information becomes more important, new technologies are emerging in the fight for privacy protection, fraud prevention and increased security. One of these is vein pattern recognition, and biometric company Snowflake Technologies has just released a prototype identity verification system based on this technology. Read More

Lockheed Martin receives contract to develop FBI's Next Generation Identification System

By Kyle Sherer

18:39 February 18, 2008 PST

February 19, 2008 Lockheed Martin has received a ten-year, $1 billion contract from the FBI to develop and maintain the Next Generation Identification system, which will expand fingerprint capacity to double the size of its current database, and incorporate palm print, iris, and facial recognition capabilities. The system is also designed to incorporate other biometric modalities that may become important in the future. Read More

Zonet to launch night-vision, motion detection IP security cameras

By Kyle Sherer

20:42 February 14, 2008 PST

Zonet is releasing two Internet Protocol security cameras in November. The $220 7630 and $320 wireless 7630W both have built in web servers with individual IP addresses that can connect directly to a user’s network and be accessed from a standard web browser.February 15, 2008 Zonet has announced the upcoming release two new portable lP security cameras featuring motion detection and night-vision capabilities. The USD$220 7630 model and its USD$320 wireless counterpart (7630W) both have built in web servers with individual IP addresses that can connect directly to a user’s network and be accessed from a standard web browser. Read More

Researchers develop new dark field x-ray technique

By Jude Garvey

16:15 February 4, 2008 PST

February 5, 2008 A breakthrough by European researchers has the potential to expand the application of powerful "dark-field" x-ray imaging using standard medical and industrial imaging equipment. Normally only possible via prohibitively expensive and sophisticated crystal optics, the detailed images produced by "dark-field" x-rays could be applied to diagnose breast cancer or Alzheimer’s disease, identify explosives in hand luggage, or pinpoint hairline cracks in airplane wings. Read More

Eikon Fingerprint Reader now Mac compatible

By Noel McKeegan

22:32 January 14, 2008 PST

January 15, 2008 Biometric security specialist UPEK has launched a software solution allowing Mac users to connect to its Eikon Digital Privacy Manager USB fingerprint reader. Announced at Macworld in San Francisco this week, the UPEK Protector Suite® for Mac software supports Mac OS X 10.4 Tiger and OS X 10.5 Leopard. Read More

WowWee's Rovio: 3-wheeled, Wi-Fi enabled robotic home surveillance

By Emily Clark

01:03 January 9, 2008 PST

January 9, 2008 Have you every wondered exactly what your cat or dog gets up to when you’re not home? WowWee Robotics, the pioneering company behind Robosapien, has unveiled its new WiFi-enabled, remotely-controlled robotic webcam platform at the International CES. Known as Rovio, the 3-wheeled telepresence allows you to interact with its environment, surveying the home or office remotely through streaming video and audio transmitted via the Internet to your cell phone, PC or video game console. The self-docking robot has the ability to act semi-autonomously using NorthStar smart navigation - a directional system that works like a micro-GPS, enabling Rovio to know where it is, locate the position of other objects, and accurately navigate through its environment under its own control. Read More

Lasershield to unveil Sparrow home security Internet adapter

By Noel McKeegan

18:16 December 26, 2007 PST

December 27, 2007 Home security specialist LaserShield Systems, Inc. will introduce what it describes as the first Plug & Go wireless instant home security system for the Internet at the upcoming Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas. Read More

World’s first fingerprint protected personal navigation device

By Emily Clark

18:35 December 3, 2007 PST

December 4, 2007 Theft of personal navigation devices (PNDs) is on the rise with several European and US cities reporting that GPS devices are the most commonly stolen items in cars today. To combat this, MEDION AG and AuthenTec have announced the launch of the world’s first personal navigation device to use a fingerprint sensor to enhance user security and deter device theft. Read More

CDSoft-R Cryptex: self-recorable media with automatic encryption

By Noel McKeegan

20:55 November 29, 2007 PST

November 30, 2007 Soft-R Research LLC has released an “all-in-one” self-recordable CD with the added bonus of a in-built encryption technology. The CDSoft-R Cryptex "digital safe box" integrates a simple recording wizard with the ability to automatically encrypt and secure your data, removing any trace of your files on the computer used by destroying all Temp files when the CD is removed. Read More

Hitachi’s biometric steering wheel technology

By Noel McKeegan

04:41 November 1, 2007 PDT

November 1, 2007 Another technological gem to surface at the Tokyo Motor Show is Hitachi’s finger vein authentification steering wheel system. The potential for this biometric system goes way beyond the enhancement of vehicle security – not only does it provide driver verification in a fraction of a second just by gripping the steering wheel, it also paves the way for authorization of automatic payment in drive-thrus or for music downloads to increasingly sophisticated networked car audio systems. Read More

Avurt IM-5 non lethal self defence pepper gun

By Kyle Sherer

18:27 October 31, 2007 PDT

November 1, 2007 The Avurt IM-5 launcher is a flashlight sized non-lethal self-defense device that has a longer range than Tasers and aerosol-based pepper spray. The USD$299 laser sighted launcher fires pellets filled with PAVA powder at distances of up to 40 feet, burning the eyes, nose and throat of the target. Read More

UK's third National Identity Fraud Prevention Week

By Emily Clark

23:02 October 8, 2007 PDT

October 9, 2007 Identity fraud is an increasingly prevalent global problem and this week marks the third annual National Identity Fraud Prevention Week in the UK. The campaign, backed by both the public and private sectors, aims to educate consumers and businesses as to the dangers of identity fraud and the preventative steps that can be taken. Read More

STOP-Lock two-tiered laptop security system

By Darren Quick

19:44 September 28, 2007 PDT

September 29, 2007 Until now most laptop security systems have either physically secured the laptop or helped track it down once it’s been lost or stolen. The STOP-Lock from security manufacturer Secure-It, Inc. has combined these elements in a laptop security system which combines a tracking system with a locking mechanism to help deter thieves. Read More

USB key adds physical element to enhance data security

By Loz Blain

01:01 September 28, 2007 PDT

September 28, 2007 Where credit card and banking information is being processed, user authentication, accountability and data security are of paramount importance. The iKey 4000 is a USB device that authorized users carry with them at all times in order to gain access to secure systems. It adds an extra factor to the access control puzzle – you need to both have the physical key and know the correct password to get in, thus satisfying the highest Payment Card Industry security protocols. Read More

Intellivid Video intelligence software streamlines in-store security

By Darren Quick

00:29 September 19, 2007 PDT

September 19, 2007 We’ve all seen the seemingly ubiquitous eye in the sky cameras watching us from store ceilings and most of us have probably wondered if anyone actually monitors those things. In an effort to improve the efficiency of such surveillance, Intellivid has developed a Computer Aided Tracking (CAT) tool that incorporates a newly patented adjacency algorithm. The technology uses sophisticated video analytics to streamline video surveillance, giving the ability to seamlessly track in-store movements and create complete end-to-end footage. Read More

Fence Defence security system for construction sites

By Emily Clark

07:29 September 4, 2007 PDT

September 4, 2007 Seventy-five percent of theft from residential and commercial building sites occurs at night and on weekends. In response to ongoing concerns about this problem within the construction industry, UK based CSS has announced plans to launch of a new security system designed specifically for temporary compounds such as building sites. Read More

Intelligent video surveillance combines situational awareness with flexible encoding

By Gizmag Team

19:31 August 21, 2007 PDT

August 22, The explosion of the number of video surveillance cameras used by government, business and private homes today has brought with it many issues relating to the management of video feeds, network congestion, rapid disk space consumption and degraded levels of image quality. To solve these problems, processor design specialist Stretch has come up with the Intelligent Encoder Software Development Kit (SDK), the first video surveillance encoder with built-in intelligence for the Video Surveillance Industry that combines situational awareness with flexible encoding. Read More

Flash Padlock offers physical security solution for portable data storage

By Gizmag Team

01:17 August 17, 2007 PDT

August 17, 2007 With Flash drives becoming a necessity these days, the need to protect sensitive data from theft or simple misplacement is increasingly critical. The new USB 2.0 Flash Padlock from Corsair offers a physical security solution while on the go and addresses the need for secure data storage through hardware technology rather than software. Read More

Cable Lock Attachment protects against keyboard and mouse theft

By Noel McKeegan

00:53 August 8, 2007 PDT

August 8, 2007 The loss of a keyboard, mouse or any other cable-attached PC device due to theft could be a considerable inconvenience. Not only is there the cost of replacing the item, but when on the road they may not always be easy to replace. That’s where the Targus Cable Lock keyboard and mouse attachment comes in – the small (9 x 4.5 x 3cm) unobtrusive security device is designed to protect cable-attached items and ensure that your PC is stays fully functional. Read More

DaySafe 100: the anti-theft laptop backpack

By Loz Blain

June 2, 2007 The petty criminal's work is based on minimal risk for maximal reward - snatching an unwatched handbag, slashing a backpack and collecting the spoils as they fall, sizing up which tourist is carrying a laptop or camera they can easily make off with. Simple measures to make life more difficult for thieves can act as an excellent deterrent, and this is where PacSafe has carved its market niche. Starting out with a slashproof metal net to protect backpackers' gear on the road, PacSafe has extended its line to include quick and practical secure carrybags for a range of urban and travel situations. With the latest anti-theft laptop backpack in tow, Gizmag's Loz Blain reports. Read More

Xerox adds clever anti-counterfeit measures to standard colour printers

By Loz Blain

May 31, 2007 Due to the expensive equipment required, anti-counterfeit printing measures have largely been the domain of government money-printing mints. Now, a bit of clever thinking at Xerox has resulted in a new method of using standard colour printer toner to produce flourescent anti-counterfeit watermarking that shows up under UV light, making bogus copies easy to spot. Read More

Yoggie Pico: corporate-level security away from the corporate network

By Loz Blain

May 31, 2007 Here's an interesting concept: Yoggie's new Pico is a mini Linux computer on a tiny USB dongle that plugs into a laptop and acts as a physical separation between the host PC and the internet. All Internet traffic is cleaned via 13 inbuilt security applications before it even makes it to the host PC's operating system. The net effect is that a portable computer can have the same level of internet security as it has when plugged into the corporate network. Because there's now a standalone processor handling all security applications, the Yoggie actually enhances the performance of the host PC too. Read More