The 1510 is the first device to use the company's "The Power of Touch" approach, which extends biometric technology "beyond secure user authentication" to incorporate "new features and functions controlled by the touch or swipe of a finger."
Examples of such capabilities, according to the company, include:
- Security -- protects important personal or business data, images and lists from theft or fraud; enables m-commerce and wireless banking.
- Convenience -- opens applications or operate functions via the touch of a finger, rather than requiring passwords or multiple keypad strokes.
- Navigation -- includes scroll wheel and full motion navigating that replaces keypads or other devices; enhances wireless gaming.
- Personalization -- enables personalization of a phone with features such as multi-finger speed dial, individualized buddy lists, etc.
Authentec also claims that the EntrePad 1510 is the fastest sensor in the industry, enabling cell phones to quickly acquire finger images for authentication and to detect motion for smoother navigation and gaming performance. The device can capture images at more than 1500 frames/second and track finger motion at more than 500 mm/sec.
The device is packaged in a 40-pin BGA (ball grid array) chip package that measures 12 x 5 x 1.86 mm. It is currently available for under $5 in production quantities, the company says.
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