Macrumors.com has discovered new Apple patents that may show the future of the iPhone.

Potentially in store for the device are biometrics that would recognize a users different fingerprint patterns for security and to activate different applications. “So the index finger might mean email, while the middle finger music, etc, alternatively different fingers could mean different actions, so again index finger might play music while the middle finger might stop it,” the site states.

The Israeli government has proposed a bill that would introduce biometric identity cards and passports to the country with the purpose of relieving theft and counterfeiting of identities, according to a Jerusalem Post article.

While officials behind the proposal assure that the proper steps to ensure high security for personal data, others from the Knesset Science and Technology Committee are incensed by the movement towards biometrics citing infamous disasters as possible outcomes.

UK Home Office Secretary Alan Johnson announced that the identity scheme put in place would be voluntary for citizens. The only individuals forced to apply for the cards would be foreign national living in the UK, 50,000 of these cards have already been issued.

The IDs also will no longer be mandatory for airport workers. Under the new proposals, ID cards will be voluntary for workers at Manchester and London City airports. Workers will continue to be encouraged to get an ID card, which they can do for free, as it makes it easier for employers to carry out background checks and issue passes.  

The March meeting of the influential Government Smart Card Interagency Advisory Board (IAB) was recently held in Washington D.C. FIPS201.com was on hand to cover the event and has provided, as a service to the IAB and the smart card community, an audio recording of the presentations. Click on the link below to access a list of audio and accompanying PowerPoint slides (in pdf format).

Visit FIPS201.com to hear the presentations and view the slides.  

Immigration officials from Kyoto, Japan have reported that their biometric system located at the Narita International Airport has detected four individuals since the system’s installation in January that tried to fool the system, according to a Japan Times Online article.

The four who were caught had attempted to alter their fingerprints through surgical removal and stitching or filed down, but were subsequently discovered when secondary facial checks were taken when fingerprint samples were impossible.

A public opinion poll in Canada conducted for the immigration department has found that Canadians are in support of utilizing biometric tools for protection of borders and ports of entry or to better track misuse of government programs, according to a London Free Press article.

The poll results have assuaged some of the fears of the immigration department of a public push-back against their plans to begin collecting biometric data such as fingerprints from applicants for temporary residence in the country starting in 2011.

In a post-9/11 world getting through airport lines was a hassle. Removing shoes, laptops, coats all took time and often lead to lengthy lines.

One solution was to set up a service where individuals would pay a fee, provide information, undergo a background check and receive expedited processing through those security lines. The idea was popular, especially in Congress which held hearings on the programs that came to be known as registered traveler.

After undergoing background checks, travelers were issued smart cards that contained fingerprint and iris biometrics. These cards were used to verify identity before being allowed past security.

by Stephen Price-Francis, vice president of marketing, LaserCard Corporation

Executive Summary

In July 2005, Costa Rica passed an immigration reform act to serve as a key instrument for fighting corruption and regularizing the status of a growing migrant population. In accordance with this legislation, the DGME (Department of Immigration) determined that an advanced ID credential system was critical to improving controls on illegal activities, clamping down on the cross-border trafficking of individuals, and protecting victims of forced migration or other abuse.

While many governments have undertaken large-scale ID projects, the Costa Rica case is notable in that quality identity documentation was explicitly considered, and ultimately deployed, as a key element in protecting the human rights of the country’s foreign residents.

Costa Rica’s rapidly developing economy, modern democracy and strong social security infrastructure represent a strong attraction for economic migrants in a region where wealth and opportunity are concentrated in a few nations. With a population of just more than four million, Costa Rica is host to some 200,000 legal foreign residents. Illegal migrant workers also number in the hundreds of thousands, and consist mainly of low-skilled workers from Nicaragua.

United States Senator and Chairman of the Senate Judiciary Immigration Subcommittee, Charles Schumer, has proposed that fingerprint records be used to verify immigration status of U.S. workers, according to a Next Gov article.

Schumer is optimistic that should his bill pass the program could be up and running by the end of the year. Before the bill can make it to the floor in Congress, however, the logistics will be discussed in a summit meeting and again in a hearing the senator plans to hold in July.

Saudi Arabia will begin a biometric visa program in an effort to improve their visa services while also strengthening their national security, according to an Economic Times article. The system, which is expected to begin in 2010, will require a seeker of a visa provide fingerprint samples and a digital photograph.

Officials from the country’s government have already begun seeking out companies to assist them with the setup of service centers throughout the world in major cities to both take care of the issuance of visas as well as the collection of the biometric data.