Authentec rolls out "world's smallest" fingerprint sensor

There may be a smaller and faster fingerprint sensor coming to a laptop or PDA near you. Authentec, a Florida-based company, has rolled out a tiny EntrePad 1610 fingerprint sensor. This 12 by 5 millimeter sensor is compatible with several Trusted Computing platforms and also works with Windows and Linux operating systems.

Authentec claims the sensor is the "world's smallest fingerprint sensor" and two-thirds smaller than the competition. Users can log into their computers by swiping their fingertip past a small window. In addition, users can set a screensaver fingerprint and safely walk away from the machine.

Like other sensors, the fingerprint information is stored as a hash or a bunch of numbers depicting various parts of the fingertip. The EntrePad 1610 will store the hashes inside of the sensor's flash memory, instead of the computer's hard-drive. Authentec has not disclosed the number of fingerprints the sensor can store.

Humphrey Cheung was a senior editor at Tom's Hardware, covering a range of topics on computing and consumer electronics. You can find more of his work in many major publications, including CNN and FOX, to name a few.

  • Glenn Hicks, Product Marketing Manager, AuthenTec Inc.

    TrueSuite identity management software is a great compliment for our fingerprint readers. You can get more information at http://truesuite.authentec.com.
    Reply