Cutting edge new tech from songs to fingerprint sensing are on their way to their devices.
Among the various barriers that have stood in the way of areas such as m-commerce and payments, has been mobile security, and in an effort to help to provide consumers with a greater sense of confidence, some of the leading tech giants are working on some cutting edge new ways to provide that.
Google, for example, is working on an app that allows typed passwords to be replaced with a user’s unique song.
This mobile security app functions by setting a smartphone next to a tablet or laptop that plays a uniquely generated sound through the device’s speakers. The human ear may or may not be able to hear the unique “song”, but it can be picked up by the smartphone’s microphone. This could, in theory, allow Google to change the way that we think about passwords. The application, itself, was created by Or Zelig, Eran Galili, and ori Kabeli, of Israel. They claim that they created it as “security measures had become overly complicated and annoying.”
At the same time, mobile security news has “confirmed” that the Samsung Galaxy S5 will include a fingerprint sensor.
As the unveiling of the new Galaxy S5 from Samsung is expected next week, rumors are flying, and Sammobile has issued a report that claims that it has “confirmed” that the device will be equipped with a new fingerprint reading technology that will be built into the home button of the smartphone.
The report indicated that the fingerprint sensor feature operates when the finger is used to vertically swipe the pad while it is held flat and the swiping is done at a medium speed. Previous rumors had suggested that the entire screen on the Galaxy S5 would be the equivalent to a single large fingerprint reader. However, this new release indicates that it will be built into the home button in a way that is more comparable to the iPhone S5 from Apple.
Clearly, mobile security is becoming one of the top features that help to expand the appeal of the latest devices. Consumers are starting to feel the need to make their gadgets harder to access by the wrong people, particularly as they are conducting a larger number of sensitive tasks with them.
Voicekey wins contract from UK government concerning development of new m-commerce platform
Voicekey, a developer of biometric security solutions, has been awarded a commercial contract from the United Kingdom’s Technology Strategy Board. The contract represents the second phase of a mobile commerce initiative in the United Kingdom. During the first phase, Voicekey was able to introduce new technologies and security features to the mobile space. The second phase will focus on the development of a market-ready mobile commerce solution that will be easily accessible to consumers as well as secure.
UK consumers are becoming more interested in comprehensive m-commerce services and platforms
Consumers throughout the United Kingdom have become very interested in the concept of mobile payments and purchasing products from merchants using only their mobile devices. Many consumers have encountered troubling problems with the mobile commerce platforms that they use on a regular basis, however. Lackluster security has put consumer’s financial information at risk of exploitation and poorly designed platforms have created an unfavorable experience for many people. The demand for easy to use, well developed, and secure platforms has been on the rise.
Merchants and consumers are somewhat reluctant to engage in the mobile commerce space
Voicekey aims to address that merchants and consumers have when it comes to mobile commerce. For consumers, accessibility has become a serious issue. Many platforms make use of NFC technology, but few people actually have the NFC-enabled mobile devices needed to use these platforms. For merchants, security is a major issue. Merchants are also somewhat uncertain about the potential revenue growth they could see by engaging mobile consumers more aggressively.
Platform expected to be equipped with biometric security technology but will not be based on NFC technology
Voicekey is expected to develop a platform that will address many of these issues. The platform is likely to make use of the company’s biometric security technology, alleviating some of the security concerns that merchants and consumers have. The platform is also expected to be more accessible to consumers without NFC-enabled devices. The platform may use NFC to some extent, but it will not be entirely based upon the technology.