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Wireless and Handheld

Biometrics for Secure Mobile Communications

Wireless and Handheld

Written by IST RESULTS

Jul 23, 2006 at 12:00 AM

As mobile devices become increasingly ubiquitous and play ever more significant roles in our lives, ensuring the trustworthiness and security of the information being exchanged has never been more important. But clearly, strong security should not be at the expense of user acceptance. European researchers are employing biometrics and digital signing to provide a solution.

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Though security applications that verify a person’s identity based on their physical attributes, such as fingerprint readers or iris scanners, have been in use for some time, biometric security has only recently started to appear in mobile phones, PDAs and notebook computers where the need for miniaturisation represents a technological challenge.

So far biometric data has been used to tie the device to a person to prevent it from being used illegitimately if lost or stolen. But the IST project SecurePhone is taking a new approach, employing physical attributes to enable the user to digitally sign audio, text or image files, providing proof of their origin and authenticity.

“As far as we know there is no other biometrically-enabled digital signature application available for mobile devices that can guarantee security by storing and processing all sensitive information on the device’s SIM card,” explains SecurePhone technical coordinator Roberto Ricci at Informa in Italy. “Because biometric data never leaves the device’s SIM card and cannot be accessed, except by the verification module which also runs on the SIM card, the user’s biometric profile is completely safe. This is important to meet the highest privacy requirements.”

Wireless and Handheld

Written by Everything Science

Oct 09, 2005 at 12:00 AM

SANTA CLARA, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Oct. 4, 2005--Thales Navigation, creators of Hertz(R) NeverLost(R) and global provider of Magellan Consumer GPS products, announced today the new color, touch-screen Magellan RoadMate 800, a portable vehicle navigation system with integrated battery power, a music player and photo viewer. The Magellan RoadMate 800 is the ultimate multimedia travel partner delivering a three-dimensional "bird's-eye" map view and preloaded maps in its 20 GB hard drive for out-of-the-box, turn-by-turn, text- and voice-prompted directions using the latest NAVTEQ(R) data for all 50 United States, Puerto Rico, Canada and the US Virgin Islands. For an additional fee, drivers can also access maps for 27 European countries preloaded on the large hard drive for traveling abroad.

The ultimate travel partner, the Magellan RoadMate 800 marries award-winning, portable Turn it on and Go! street navigation with multimedia entertainment and travel functionality for battery-powered possibilities anywhere at any time. (Photo: Business Wire)

The Magellan RoadMate 800 delivers a large, easy-to-see, 3.5-inch, high-resolution daylight visible TFT color touch screen with a 3-D overhead map view or 2D view. The SmartVolume(TM) feature automatically increases the integrated speaker's volume when speed exceeds 45 MPH, and the map color changes automatically for better visibility at night. In addition, QuickSpell(R) provides fast and easy address entry.

"The Magellan RoadMate 800 builds on the award-winning, market-leading Magellan RoadMate 700 to deliver a new level of convenience, flexibility and value," said Christian Bubenheim, vice president and general manager of Thales' consumer business. "Marrying exceptional GPS capabilities with multimedia functions and an integrated battery is a natural next step in providing the optimal user experience with solutions for an entirely new set of entertainment and travel needs -- both in and away from the vehicle."

Store and Play Music, Share and Save Photos -- When the navigation feature is not in use, drivers can listen to music and create play lists or view photos and slide shows from Secure Digital (SD) cards, MMC cards or the hard drive. The system's USB 2.0 connectivity provides fast transfers of digital images, MP3 and WMA files to more than 4.5 GB of available internal memory -- great for freeing space on digital cameras when the memory becomes full while traveling. Headphones are included for convenience.

Wireless and Handheld

Written by Everything Science

Oct 08, 2005 at 12:00 AM

ARLINGTON, Texas--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Oct. 5, 2005--National Cellular (NCI) and Starkey Laboratories have signed an agreement for NCI to distribute Starkey's ELI products to the cellular industry.

ELI on back of ear, and on neckloop - courtesy NCI (Photo: Business Wire)

The ELI (Ear Level Instrument) provides Bluetooth(R) connectivity between hearing aids and Bluetooth(R)-enhanced mobile phones.

Hearing aid users often experience a buzzing sound that makes conversations over a digital wireless phone difficult or impossible to hear. To combat the problem, the FCC has required cellular handset manufacturers to provide a small selection of wireless handsets that will significantly minimize or eliminate this interference.

The advantage of the ELI device is that the hearing-impaired user can utilize any Bluetooth(R)-enabled wireless phone. Bluetooth(R)-enabled phones in a cellular carrier's existing inventory become instantly hearing-aid compatible when paired with ELI. And the hearing aid user can choose from a wider selection of wireless handsets.

ELI comes in two different configurations. For Behind-The-Ear (BTE) hearing aids equipped with a Direct Audio Input (DAI), the standard ELI can be used. For hearing aids equipped with a telecoil, ELI can be combined with a specially designed neckloop for proper operation. ELI is FCC, CE and Bluetooth(R) compliant.

Starkey President Jerry Ruzicka said, "ELI offers hearing instrument wearers the freedom to communicate with Bluetooth(R)-compatible wireless phones. Because the solution is wireless, it eliminates the hassle of cable clutter."