ClearStar Logistics, a developer of employee and tenant screening solutions, has partnered with biometric developer Advanced Livescan Technologies for a biometric-based capture and criminal history screening solution. The new system, which integrates ClearStar.net screening technology with Livescan’s E-VeriTech SOLO, utilizes fingerprint biometrics to search the National Criminal History Record Search database. 

SmartMetric, a developer of portable biometric solutions, has announced that its biometric activated data card can now be used to contain full medical history and health records on the individual. The card, called the SmartMetric Data Card, is a standard sized card that has the capability of holding multiple pages of data as well as being inaccessible without the holder first scanning his fingerprint on the card itself.

Colin Hendrick, CEO and president of SmartMetric, has stated that the company is in negotiations to various corporations to have their card rolled out and in use soon.  

India’s Social Welfare Department has implemented the Beggars Personal Management System to track beggars using biometrics. This effort is to fight recent large-scale deaths and mismanagement within colonies, according to a Deccan Herald article.

Each file will include the individual’s residence, photographs, thumb impressions and various other details that can be obtained with the entire database expected to be populated in about a week. Manjunath Prasad, the commissioner of Social Welfare, is hopeful the new system will improve registration at the state –run rehabilitation facilities and make the inmates easier to track and, subsequently, easier to ensure their proper treatment.

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Human Recognition Systems, a developer of biometric solutions, has partnered with Thales to develop technology for the UK’s INSTINCT-Technology Demonstrator 2 (TD2) Airport Security Program. The INSTINCT-TD2 program is conceived in hopes of developing, trialing and showcasing the next step in airport security technology solutions by having the government work closely with private industry. 

While new high-tech vending machines are being released with options such as touch screens, nutritional information displays, wireless coin dispensers, stock monitors and biometric payments, some feel the idea of moving forward with biometric-based payments on the devices may not work yet, according to a Retail Solutions Online article.

The reason for this is based on the unsuccessful Pay By Touch efforts at retail locations in the past. The suggestion for similar technology utilizing NFC on mobile phones is brought out as a potential separate option. 

Apple is seeking more patents on embedded biometric authentication technology that would go beyond the standard fingerprint, voice recognition, face recognition and iris recognition modes and bring the potential for behavior or habit-based authentication to their devices, according to a TMCnet article. Some of the new patents Apple is seeking specifically call for authenticating a user via their unique typing patterns and detecting heartbeat patterns of the user through special sensors. 

Ghana’s major electronic clearing and payment system could provide enough space and communication capabilities to enable adding new purposes for removing ghost payrollers, according to a Peace FM Online article.

The system, called E-Zwich, was designed to connect all the banks and financial institutions in Ghana enabling the issuance of biometric smart cards for the citizens to use in financial transactions. But the system was over developed to the point that it could also be used for biometric registration of government employees and other purposes.