Payment cards with a built-in fingerprint scanner. Free Technical Library News

NEWS OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY, NOVELTY IN ELECTRONICS
Free technical library / timeline

Payment cards with built-in fingerprint scanner

15.03.2019

British bank Natwest has announced the launch of a test program under which its selected customers will receive payment cards with built-in fingerprint scanners. The program starts in mid-April this year, at the first stage only 200 people will participate in it.

Using a payment card with a fingerprint scanner, the client will be able to pay contactlessly (that is, using Mastercard PayPass / Visa PayWave NFC systems), without entering a PIN code and without leaving a personal signature on the check. Also, such transactions will not be subject to the standard restrictions on the maximum amount of payment (in the UK - ?30).

To date, when buying goods worth more than £30, the British buyer must use exclusively the "Chip and PIN" method, that is, insert (and not attach) the card to the terminal, allowing it to read information from the chip and enter the PIN code.

The data about the user's fingerprints is stored on the card chip in an encrypted form, so that if the fingerprint is successfully recognized, the card transmits to the terminal only information about the approval of the operation, and not data about the fingerprints themselves. Thus, attackers will not be able to steal the cardholder's personal information as easily as it happens with PIN or CVV codes, which can simply be "peeped".

To make a "biometric" card, you must physically visit a bank branch, where the client's fingerprints will be taken, which will then be recorded on a chip. However, the developers hope that in the near future, users will be able to write fingerprint data to the card on their own using any smartphone with a built-in scanner.

<< Back: Electric bandages are more effective than regular bandages 16.03.2019

>> Forward: Anti-radiation suit for the NASA lunar mission 15.03.2019

Latest news of science and technology, new electronics:

The existence of an entropy rule for quantum entanglement has been proven 09.05.2024

Quantum mechanics continues to amaze us with its mysterious phenomena and unexpected discoveries. Recently, Bartosz Regula from the RIKEN Center for Quantum Computing and Ludovico Lamy from the University of Amsterdam presented a new discovery that concerns quantum entanglement and its relation to entropy. Quantum entanglement plays an important role in modern quantum information science and technology. However, the complexity of its structure makes understanding and managing it challenging. Regulus and Lamy's discovery shows that quantum entanglement follows an entropy rule similar to that for classical systems. This discovery opens new perspectives in the field of quantum information science and technology, deepening our understanding of quantum entanglement and its connection to thermodynamics. The results of the study indicate the possibility of reversibility of entanglement transformations, which could greatly simplify their use in various quantum technologies. Opening a new rule ... >>

Mini air conditioner Sony Reon Pocket 5 09.05.2024

Summer is a time for relaxation and travel, but often the heat can turn this time into an unbearable torment. Meet a new product from Sony - the Reon Pocket 5 mini-air conditioner, which promises to make summer more comfortable for its users. Sony has introduced a unique device - the Reon Pocket 5 mini-conditioner, which provides body cooling on hot days. With it, users can enjoy coolness anytime, anywhere by simply wearing it around their neck. This mini air conditioner is equipped with automatic adjustment of operating modes, as well as temperature and humidity sensors. Thanks to innovative technologies, Reon Pocket 5 adjusts its operation depending on the user's activity and environmental conditions. Users can easily adjust the temperature using a dedicated mobile app connected via Bluetooth. Additionally, specially designed T-shirts and shorts are available for convenience, to which a mini air conditioner can be attached. The device can oh ... >>

Energy from space for Starship 08.05.2024

Producing solar energy in space is becoming more feasible with the advent of new technologies and the development of space programs. The head of the startup Virtus Solis shared his vision of using SpaceX's Starship to create orbital power plants capable of powering the Earth. Startup Virtus Solis has unveiled an ambitious project to create orbital power plants using SpaceX's Starship. This idea could significantly change the field of solar energy production, making it more accessible and cheaper. The core of the startup's plan is to reduce the cost of launching satellites into space using Starship. This technological breakthrough is expected to make solar energy production in space more competitive with traditional energy sources. Virtual Solis plans to build large photovoltaic panels in orbit, using Starship to deliver the necessary equipment. However, one of the key challenges ... >>

New method for creating powerful batteries 08.05.2024

With the development of technology and the expanding use of electronics, the issue of creating efficient and safe energy sources is becoming increasingly urgent. Researchers at the University of Queensland have unveiled a new approach to creating high-power zinc-based batteries that could change the landscape of the energy industry. One of the main problems with traditional water-based rechargeable batteries was their low voltage, which limited their use in modern devices. But thanks to a new method developed by scientists, this drawback has been successfully overcome. As part of their research, scientists turned to a special organic compound - catechol. It turned out to be an important component that can improve battery stability and increase its efficiency. This approach has led to a significant increase in the voltage of zinc-ion batteries, making them more competitive. According to scientists, such batteries have several advantages. They have b ... >>

Alcohol content of warm beer 07.05.2024

Beer, as one of the most common alcoholic drinks, has its own unique taste, which can change depending on the temperature of consumption. A new study by an international team of scientists has found that beer temperature has a significant impact on the perception of alcoholic taste. The study, led by materials scientist Lei Jiang, found that at different temperatures, ethanol and water molecules form different types of clusters, which affects the perception of alcoholic taste. At low temperatures, more pyramid-like clusters form, which reduces the pungency of the "ethanol" taste and makes the drink taste less alcoholic. On the contrary, as the temperature increases, the clusters become more chain-like, resulting in a more pronounced alcoholic taste. This explains why the taste of some alcoholic drinks, such as baijiu, can change depending on temperature. The data obtained opens up new prospects for beverage manufacturers, ... >>

Random news from the Archive

Electric capsule to stimulate the stomach and improve appetite 05.05.2023

American engineers have created a capsule that, when swallowed, electrically stimulates the cells of the stomach, prompting them to produce the hunger hormone ghrelin. The first trials of the invention, which may help in the treatment of nausea and decreased appetite, were carried out on pigs.

The hormone ghrelin is responsible for the feeling of hunger and is known for its ability to increase appetite and counteract nausea. It is produced primarily by cells in the stomach, which is why MIT scientists have hypothesized that electrically stimulating the stomach from within can increase production of the hormone. This would be useful in the treatment of conditions accompanied by poor appetite and nausea in humans.

To avoid implanting electrodes in the organ, the scientists created a prototype capsule that can be swallowed like a regular tablet and will temporarily act in the stomach until it naturally leaves it. It has electronics in its structure that generates electrical signals and sends them to the cells through an electrode wound on the outside of the capsule, and also contains a battery inside to power it.

To ensure that the fluid in the stomach does not interfere with the electrode contact with the cells, the engineers gave the capsule a shape inspired by the skin of Moloch lizards. In these animals, it has a system of microscopic channels that absorb and direct, thanks to capillary forces, rainwater and dew into the mouths of the Molochs.

A similar system of channels with a hydrophilic coating was also given to the surface of the capsule so that it would drain excess fluid from the electrode, allowing it to contact and stimulate cells. And so that the capsule does not begin to act even in the esophagus, it was coated with isomalt, a sweetener that degrades in stomach acid.

Testing on 13 pigs showed that after ten minutes of capsule stimulation, blood levels of ghrelin increased by about 40 percent. The capsule remained in the stomach for a day, and then all animals got rid of it naturally within two weeks, which is a normal indicator for pigs.

The study of the tissues of the digestive tract of the test animals did not reveal signs of inflammation, trauma or other pathologies due to the capsule, which preliminary indicates the safety of the technology. In addition, the observed increase in ghrelin levels is considered sufficient by scientists to reduce nausea and improve appetite, but further human experiments are needed to verify this.

See full Archive of science and technology news, new electronics

All languages of this page

Home page | Library | Articles | Website map | Site Reviews