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        Identity management handheld slims down

        Jonathan Angel | Date: Jul 15, 2010 | Comments: 1


        MaxID announced a Windows CE-based handheld computer designed for identity management applications. The IDL300 includes a 3.7-inch, VGA-resolution screen, plus a fingerprint reader, barcode scanner, and a contactless card reader, the company says.

        According to MaxID, the IDL300 joins its existing IDL500 handheld, and is designed to offer much the same functionality in a smaller form factor. Compared to the IDL500's 3.5-inch, 320 x 240-pixel display, the IDL300 gets a 3.7-inch VGA-resolution screen, and it's said to weigh just one pound instead of the older device's 1.8 pounds.

        The IDL300 (right) is once again designed for identity management, and can read passports and other documents via a 1D/2D barcode scanner or by a contactless card reader, says MaxID. The handheld is also said to include an integral fingerprint reader.

        Like that of the IDL500, the IDL300's Smart Card reader is said to meet ISO 14443a/b proximity and ISO 15693 vicinity card standards. The IDL300 can read documents including Transportation Workers Identification Credentials (TWIC), Common Access Cards (CAC), First Responder Authentication Cards (FRAC), and Personal Identity Verification (PIV) cards, the company says.

        According to MaxID, the IDL300 includes 802.11b/g Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and 3G options. The latter encompass tri-band UMTS/HSDPA and quad-band GSM/GPRS/EDGE, the company says.

        The IDL300 sports a 1.3 megapixel camera, intended for facial image capture and, with an optional accessory, optical character recognition. Omitting the IDL500's 40-key hardware keyboard in favor of a soft keyboard, it does include two scanning keys, says MaxID.

        MaxID says that, like the IDL500, the IDL300 includes a 520MHz Marvell PXA270 processor, 128MB of RAM, and 1GB of flash storage. Sealed against water and dust to the IP65 standard, the handheld can withstand at least six 1.2-meter drops onto concrete, the company adds.

        Features and specifications listed by MaxID for the IDL300 include:

        • Processor -- 520MHz Marvell PXA270
        • Memory -- 128MB of RAM and 1GB of flash
        • Expansion -- microSD slot (1GB card supplied with unit); 2 SAM sockets
        • Display -- 3.7-inch display with 640 x 480 pixel resolution
        • Camera -- 1.3 megapixel, optimized for facial image capture, with optional OCR
        • Keys -- 2 scanning keys
        • Wireless:
          • WAN -- Cellular modem supports tri-band UMTS/HSDPA and quad-band GSM/GPRS/EDGE
          • WLAN -- 802.11b/g
          • PAN -- Bluetooth
        • Other I/O:
          • 1 x USB host/slave
          • barcode reader (reads all common 1D/2D barcodes)
          • fingerprint reader
          • Smart Card reader (ISO 14443a/b proximity and ISO 15693 vicinity)
        • Battery type/life -- 2100mAh lithium-ion battery; hot-swappable
        • Operating range -- 14 to 131 deg. F (-10 to 55 deg. C)
        • Dimensions -- 5.9 x 3.1 x 1.4 inches
        • Weight -- 1 pound (450g)
        • Operating system -- Windows CE 6.0

        Michael McCloskey, chairman of MaxID, stated, "The IDL300 brings to the table a dramatically new form factor and all of the power of its larger IDL500 cousin. We believe that workers in the border management, maritime security, and perimeter security industry will appreciate the combination of small size, ruggedness, performance, and software compatibility with the remaining MaxID Corp product lineup."

        Atom-powered alternatives?

        Earlier this year, Eurotech announced that its Catalyst COM (computer on module) was being employed by MaxID for two different identity management devices: the IDLMax handheld and BHC-100 tablet. The BHC-100 was a tablet-style mobile computer featuring an optical fingerprint reader, camera, barcode reader, GPS, dual Smart Card slots, and wireless networking, according to MaxID.


        MaxID's BHC-100 (l) and iDLMax (r)

        The BHC-100 was said to have a 6.5-inch display with 1024 x 768 resolution, plus a 63-key QWERTY keyboard. MaxID said in January that the device would have a three megapixel camera, capable of scanning irises by focusing six inches from individuals' eyes, and performing other tasks such as streaming video.

        Other methods of identity verification onboard the BHC-100 were to include an optical fingerprint reader, a fingerprint reader, barcode reader, and dual Smart Card slots, according to MaxID. For cross-checking with remote databases, the device was said to include 802.11a/b/g wireless local area networking, Bluetooth, and a cellular modem capable of WCDMA and GSM/GPRS/EDGE.

        MaxID provided much less information about its iDLMax handheld, but this three-pound device was said to measure 9.2 by 4.2 by 2.3 inches, and to include a 3.5-inch display with 320 x 240 resolution. An integrated 40-key QWERTY keyboard is built in, which also includes several programmable function keys, the company added.

        According to MaxID, the iDLMax again sported an optical fingerprint reader, a digital camera, a Smart Card reader, WiFi, Bluetooth, and a cellular modem. The device's operating system wasn't specified, but we suspected the handheld might run Windows CE, given both its screen resolution and the fact that it was billed as an upgrade to the company's ARM-based iDL3ID handheld.

        Perhaps these Atom-powered alternatives were a step too far for MaxID's customers, at least for the moment. While the products were shown on the Pleasanton, Calif.-based company's website in January, the URLs that we cited at the time now lead nowhere.

        Further information

        MaxID does not appear to have yet created a product page for the IDL300, but a data sheet for the device may continue to be available at the PRWeb site, here [PDF link]. The handheld will be generally available in November, MaxID says.

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