NEXT Biometrics has unveiled a new USB fingerprint scanner. The NB-3010-U, nicknamed “The Oyster”, is designed for Windows 7 and 8.1 compatibility, but NEXT is also offering it as a reference design.
Speaking in a press release, NEXT CEO Tore Etholm-Idsøe emphasized the durability of the new device, calling it “a high quality fingerprint sensor that is tolerant against dirt, grease and various conditions like wet and cold fingers.” He added that the company is also selling The Oyster online as an evaluation kit. The company says that the new device is aimed primarily “at markets like logon for notebooks and tablets, e-commerce, file and folder encryption, password container and virtual private networks (VPN).”
It was only last fall that NEXT Biometrics became a certified partner with Microsoft, and it was at that time that the company announced it would begin work on Windows 7- and 8.1-compatible drives. And this week Microsoft announced that Windows 10 will support FIDO 2.0 standards, a clear signal that Microsoft is moving towards biometric solutions like the ones NEXT Biometrics is offering. And other companies are getting into this game, too; EyeLock’s iris-scanning myris USB device is a similar product with a different biometric modality, and was a big hit at this year’s CES. As biometric security continues to be adopted in the mainstream, such USB solutions could prove very popular for laptop and computer deployments going forward.
—
February 19, 2015 – by Alex Perala
Follow Us