US/Canada Radio Frequency IDs Set to Go Live

A lot of outlets are covering this piece of news, Homeland Security to scan fingerprints of travelers exiting the US, but I think a far more interesting tidbit is buried deep in the story:

The DHS is also set to go-live with a trial of RF-enabled biometric identity cards on June 1, aimed at securing the border between the United States and Canada.

[...]

As of June 1, travelers crossing the border will be asked to carry an RF-enabled card which transmits a passport photo image and information about the traveler to border control staff systems, who can then check that photograph against the physical appearance of the traveler or their vehicle.

I think this is a sign of what's to come at the border. For now, these kinds of trials will likely remain limited. Also, given recent problems with more automated verification programs, like in Manchester, these trials will almost certainly require a good deal of manual monitoring and human review for the foreseeable future.

Police Slog Through Party Pics to Solve Case

I am not sure which will be the bigger crimefighting tool in the end. 3VR? Or, Twitter?

(Don't) Say Cheese

Looks like the Hoosier state is quite a trend setter in facial verification technology these days. Back in December, I wrote about Indiana's Bureau of Motor Vehicles restricting scarves, hats and glasses, but the one prohibited 'accessory' that drew the most attention was none other than a teethy grin!

Now, three other states are following suit as researchers have concluded smiles inhibit the technology from accurate identifications, and more 'neutral' expressions are much more conducive to proper authentication.

Arkansas, Nevada and Virginia are all installing systems similar to that of Indiana's BMV and will compare new driver photos with those already existing in the database. If there happens to be a match -- which indicates attempted identity fraud -- department personnel will be immediately notified.

While computerized matching isn't an entirely new venture (31 other states already do it, including Texas and Oregon, and other states like California are well on their way), the regulation on smiles is a step in a new direction.

Despite drawing a few red flags, this type of preventative measure -- using technology to cut down on identity theft and fraud -- is an improvement for all parties concerned. As the article states, Illinois alone has stopped 6,000 attempted fraud cases since first installing the system a decade ago, and with numbers like that, it isn't far-fetched to say the main benefactor of this new technology is the driver!

However, for everyone to realize the advantages derived in such widespread initiatives -- I'm not referencing only DMV deployments, but also public surveillance grids and the like -- program goals and purposes must be explained to the public to ensure their understanding. People will always be resistant to silly or needless rules, so they need to be informed that new developments are being put in place to benefit them! Plus, even though they are nearly always awful, the license mugshot has an undeniable place in American culture and may cause quite the uproar considering the limited number of laughs a 'neutral' face can garner.

Smiles or no smiles isn't what matters -- it's the consistency of the pictures that is at the heart of the issue. While choosing a “neutral” expression probably makes the most practical sense, perhaps we can rise up in revolt and demand that our smiles become the norm if we feel strongly enough! The request might be more difficult to satisfy technologically, but a happy-looking driver may make the DMV a bit more bearable for the semi-annual visit many often make.

There is also more advanced technology out there today that might make this debacle less painful -- just think of that "smile detection" feature on most digital cameras on the market. Using it in reverse and adding on other filters designed to weed out squinting or general silly, odd, or bad poses or expressions, dare I say it might make it possible for the entire American driver population to have a half-decent license photo and one that is immune to identity fraud?

Looks like we're headed in that direction.

London Watching

With 4.2 million CCTV cameras currently in operation in the UK -- that's one for every 14 residents -- what's a couple thousand more?

Recent news out of the UK (via @Steve_Hunt and @kasrar) is that within months a national grid of cameras will be able to automatically read and record license plate numbers. Thousands of cameras are already operating in the UK, and soon enough that ANPR metadata will be shared and available to England, Wales and Scotland via one central computer.

With cameras scanning over 10 million plates daily, it won't matter whether you're driving a stolen vehicle or your mom's Volvo -- the plate number will be logged and stored for two years.

Not surprising that the new implementation is drawing red flags from folks concerned about the lack of regulation and personal information protection -- and for good reason! Even if the technology is intended for criminals rather than law-abiding citizens (police have already seen a 40% increase in arrests!) the public have the right to ensure that personal privacy rights are not infringed upon and that proper regulation of information is enforced.

Many details are still to be worked out, such as a regulatory code for the grid -- the system is far from flawless in nature -- but it looks like the UK is well on its way to effectively utilizing CCTV to cut down on crimes. Let's hope they use it for tracking down criminals and stolen vehicles rather than stopping red-light runners and other minor traffic offenses. We already have enough of that in the US.

For the Music Lovers in All of Us

Looks like Sony Ericsson is becoming psychic for the on-the-go music fan -- the company recently announced a patent that enables mobile music applications to not only be controlled by facial recognition according to 'visual mood analysis', but also create playlists based on these readings.

As a recent SlashGear post explains, "The system could either recognize moods by spotting particular facial characteristics or by comparing the whole face against presets; alternatively, a hybrid of the two might be applied."

If I stub my toe, my phone is ready to commiserate and play some Sarah MacLachlan. If I'm ready to celebrate the great weather expected in San Francisco next week and the camera catches my grinning face, perhaps U2's "Beautiful Day" will pop on. I like these possibilities.

Not sure that will tear me away from my love for the iPhone (or my excitement for its upcoming rebirth), but awesome technology nonetheless.

Daily Headers: May 22, 2009

Report: CCTV Schemes in City and Town Centers Have Little Effect on Crime
The Guardian
Alan Travis

• The use of closed-circuit television in cities, town centers and public housing estates does not have a significant effect on crime, according to Home Office-funded research to be distributed to all police forces in England and Wales this summer.
  
• The review of 44 research studies on CCTV schemes by the Campbell Collaboration found that they do have a modest impact on crime overall, but are at their most effective in cutting vehicle crime in car parks, especially when used alongside improved lighting and the introduction of security guards.
  
• The Campbell Collaboration report says that CCTV is now the single most heavily-funded crime prevention measure operating outside the criminal justice system and its rapid growth has come with a huge price tag. It adds that £170m was spent on CCTV schemes in town and city centerse, car parks and residential areas between 1999 and 2001 alone. "Over the last decade, CCTV accounted for more than three-quarters of total spending on crime prevention by the British Home Office," the report says.
  
• Am going to look into this one a bit further. Definitely some additional factors involved in the effectiveness of CCTV grids, including camera placement and image quality. Interested to dig a bit deeper and read the actual report. I'll report back.

Swiss Narrowly Accept Biometric Passport
Associated Press
Eliane Engeler

• By a narrow margin, Swiss voters accepted an overhaul of the country's passport system to include travel documents equipped with biometric data -- a change needed for Switzerland to stay on the United States' visa waiver program.
  
• The biometric passport was approved by 50.1 percent to 49.9 percent margin, reflecting widespread concern over government intrusion into people's privacy in a country that does not belong to the European Union and has long valued its independence.
  
• Switzerland joined Europe's control-free travel zone last year, which requires countries to register citizens' facial and fingerprint images on an electronic chip in the passport.
  
• Most of the 27 European Union members have issued biometric passports since 2006. But Switzerland has until March 2010 to put in place the new travel document, according to European law.
  
• Great to see this widespread deployment continue. DHS recently announced initiatives to improve current passport technology -- it looks like it's taking off worldwide.
  

Some People Really 'Never Forget A Face'
California Science & Technology News

• A new study suggests that skill in facial recognition might vary widely among humans. Previous research has identified as much as 2 percent of the population as having "face-blindness," or prosopagnosia, a condition characterized by great difficulty in recognizing faces. For the first time, this new research shows that others excel in face recognition, indicating that the trait could be on a spectrum, with prosopagnosics on the low end and super-recognizers at the high end.
  
• The research involved administering standardized facial recognition tests. The super-recognizers scored far above average on these tests—higher than any of the normal control subjects.
  
• One woman in the study said she had identified another woman on the street who served as her as a waitress five years earlier in a different city. Critically, she was able to confirm that the other woman had in fact been a waitress in the different city. Often, super-recognizers are able to recognize another person despite significant changes in appearance, such as aging or a different hair color.
  
• The human mind never fails to amaze me -- and disappoint at the same time.

Will Terminator be the Same Without Arnold?

Movie buffs are obviously taking note that Terminator Salvation, the fourth installment of the series, is just around the corner, and S. James Snyder has written a great feature on MetroMix about the evolution of robots on the big screen.

Beginning with the great silent film, Metropolis, to Robby from Forbidden Planet, and of course, the robots in the first three Terminator films, Snyder describes the continuously evolving nature of futuristic technology.

Cool stuff. I wonder what robots will look like in another 80 years...exactly like us is probably a decent bet.

Robber Makes "Gutsy" Lady's Day (Video)

Here’s a video from TrueTV that I just had to share. In it, Robin, the store manager at a small convenience store, faces off with a would-be robber. After narrowly dodging a bullet, Robin reaches for her gun.

"[W]e looked each other dead in the eye and we were barrel to barrel."

Sadly, the robber got away. And with such poor quality surveillance video, I don't think there is very much for the police to go on.

A Security Blanket to Sleep Through the Night

Rather than do the normal weekly round-up this week, I want to highlight a recent venture I read about earlier this week on SecurityInfoWatch.com. A product architect from one of our partners, Digital Monitoring Products (DMP), recently led an initiative to bring an integrated surveillance system to a Guatemalan orphanage in order to hopefully prevent the frequent burglaries terrorizing the area. Looks like the installation has finally been completed!

Called Operation Security Blanket, this ongoing project aims to raise funds and secure surveillance equipment to provide security to the Eagles Nest Camp and Children’s Orphanage compound. Whether its coax cables, wireless transmitters, volunteer hours or other manufactured items, lots of people have been chipping in to make a big impact in the community.

In fact, the final installation now includes over 85 wireless detectors and 17 different protected areas spanning the six-acre grounds of the orphanage.

Great to see the industry giving back to the people and places that need it most! Inspiring stuff.

Good Luck Hiding Your Face From Face.com

I wrote about this new site about a month ago and exciting new statistics from the alpha launch are detailed on Mashable today.

Although only a few thousand people have the application installed (myself included), Face.com has already tagged over 700,000 faces across 400 million (public) photos.

With the 15 billion pictures already on Facebook, Face.com is already fast at work going through the many fraternity party, wedding reception and family vacation pictures on the social networking site. In fact, it is tagging more than 9,000 images a minute! And if reports are correct, the tagging capabilities seem to be mostly accurate.

Exciting to see facial recognition coming into its own -- Face.com on Facebook, Flickr's use of Polar Rose, iPhoto's new Faces application...

Who knows where it will pop up next?

Daily Headers: May 13, 2009

Facial recognition gates trialled at Stansted Airport
Saffron Walder Reporter

• Facial recognition gates are being trialed at Stansted Airport in a bid to cut queues and improve border security. The facial recognition gates work by using scanners to compare the faces of passengers to their biometric passports.
• The gates can be used by any British or European passenger who has a new e-passport with an electronic chip.
• The system measures points on a person's face and compares them with the digital passport photograph. People who have changed their appearance since their passport pictures were taken will not pose problems, because the system will still be able to compare them accurately.
• Let's hope Stansted gets it right and isn't forced to downgrade matching thresholds like Manchester Airport allegedly did.

Robot teacher conducts first class in Tokyo school
Telegraph UK
Danielle Demetriou

• Saya, the female humanoid robot that I mentioned about a month ago, taught a science and technology lesson to a class of 10-year-old pupils at Kudan Elementary School in Tokyo.
• While Saya's creator Professor Hiroshi Kobayashi said the robot's main purpose was to highlight the joys of technology to children, he also said it would benefit schools suffering from a shortage of human teachers.

Brain scanning may be used in security checks
Guardian UK
Owen Bowcott

• Distinctive brain patterns could become the latest subject of biometric scanning after EU researchers successfully tested technology to verify ­identities for security checks.
• The experiments, which also examined the potential of heart rhythms to authenticate individuals, were conducted under an EU-funded inquiry into biometric systems that could be deployed at airports, borders and in sensitive locations to screen out terrorist suspects.
• The Foreign Office plans to spend up to £15M on fixed and mobile security devices that use methods including "facial recognition (two and/or three dimensional), fingerprint recognition, iris recognition and vein imaging palm recognition".

IHF Roundup: Retail Crime Rates Continue to Climb, Robotic Animals End Poaching Dreams & Other Top Headlines This Week

At their conference in Orlando earlier this week, RILA announced the continuing trend of crime in retail institutions at least partially blamed on the dismal economic conditions we've been experiencing. The survey included some of America's largest retailers in all market segments and inquired about measured or perceived changes in retail crimes over the last four months (on the heels of the December 2008 Crime Trends Survey). Here's a quick rundown of the statistics. Looks like we've still got a ways to go to turn this ship around:

• 61% of retailers surveyed report having experienced an increase in amateur/opportunistic shoplifting in the last 4 months.
• 55% have experienced an increase in financial fraud.
• 72% of respondents report that they continue to see an increase in organized retail crime (ORC).
• No retailers reported a decrease at all in amateur/opportunistic shoplifting since last surveyed.
  

Not exactly encouraging numbers, but they definitely show room for improvement and a growing market for surveillance deployments in the retail sector.

While some are resorting to stealing merchandise to make ends meet, others are betting on Lady Luck for a few extra bucks in this recession. Many casinos have seen increased gambling tendencies -- that is, of already-problematic gamblers -- in the past few months. Should security systems be preventing such detrimental habits? A Toronto Sun writer seems to think so.

With an estimated one-third of gambling revenue coming from problem gamblers in casinos, she puts forth the valid argument as to why they aren't stopped before hitting the tables. As she notes in the article, "In Holland, for instance, all casino visitors have to show their national ID card or a passport and are entered into a computer database that tracks their gambling behavior."

So, why aren't other countries monitoring such negative behavior? Should there be some sort of biometric database in gambling facilities? Good question. Although, if you think about it, isn't that almost like employing biometrics at a fast-food joint and prohibiting those with high blood pressure from ordering certain fatty foods? Definitely something to be considered.

Biometrics (or the lack thereof) aren't only in hot water in casinos -- that's hardly the case.

In England, the Home Office announced plans for organizations (including the Post Office and National Pharmacy Association) to collect and transmit biometric information for ID card enrollment. That would mean fingerprints and facial photographs would be stored on ID cards and in a central database.

However, the big question remains the security of the data itself. With such a massive high-street database, there must be a maximum security standard for the implementation to be viable. Additionally, who would be liable for a breach in the system?

That's an awfully high level of risk with the value this type of highly-sensitive information presents to identity thieves and the like. Still lots of kinks to be worked out here. Plus, really not sure how I'd feel about needing to give a set of prints to receive my prescription either.

Biometrics scans are popping up all over -- even in journalism. Fingerprints and retina scans are now required for all journalists covering the war in Afghanistan before being accredited to travel with NATO units or visit military bases. It's drawing some red flags from legal experts who have called the new produced "strange and offensive" and I'm not surprised. According to the article, "The data, including fingerprints and a retina scan, are used to verify identity and are apparently checked against an archive of known terrorists." I've heard journalists called bad things, but being checked against terrorist images -- not quite. At least yet.

Wrote about this quickly earlier in the week -- robotics out to save Mother Nature. Well, something like that. Researchers have designed robotic animals to catch animal poachers. Turkeys, swimming moose, white-tailed deer, black bears -- you name it, there's a robot that resembles it. These robots are saving species one at a time -- literally. With prices ranging from $500 for turkey to $5,500 for a grizzly bear, these decoys do not come cheap and with special reflective eyes glow at night, I'm not sure I'd want to be out in the wild with either species.

Also, don't forget to check out John Honovich's post about our 3VR Korea study on IPVideoMarket.info (along with the commentary from our CEO Al Shipp and myself) here. Gets into the nitty-gritty of the what the study results really mean. Definitely an interesting read.

3VR CEO Al Shipp Interviewed in Security Products Podcast!

A new podcast was posted on Security Products this week featuring 3VR CEO Al Shipp!

Al spoke with Ralph Jensen, the editor-in-chief of Security Products, for the "On the Move" section of the magazine's May issue. Check it out!

Ralph asks Al about the similarities between his experience at Apple and his role at 3VR, 3VR's recent partnerships and integrations and how they fit in with our strategy down the road, as well as our recent S-Series announcement.

Daily Headers: May 5, 2009

Retail Survey Shows Crime Continues to Rise Amid Troubled Economy
PRNewswire

• Today, RILA released a survey conducted of America's largest retailers that indicates an increase in retail crime associated with an economy in distress over the past four months.
• Respondents included 32 of the largest and most successful retailers in the U.S., from all segments including grocery, mass merchant, specialty store, apparel, electronics and appliances, and fabric/craft retail.
• Of the reported statistics:
• 61% of retailers surveyed report having experienced an increase in amateur/opportunistic shoplifting in the last 4 months.
• 55% have experienced an increase in financial fraud.
• 72% of respondents report that they continue to see an increase in organized retail crime (ORC).
• No retailers reported a decrease at all in amateur/opportunistic shoplifting since last surveyed.
• Looks like the holiday trend I blogged about in December has kept its momentum into the late winter and early spring months.
  

Uproar over face scan for foreign students
WAToday.com
Cameron Houston

• Melbourne colleges are considering the introduction of facial recognition technology at classroom doors to curb abuse of international student visas.
• The proposal has angered civil libertarians and overseas student organizations, which said the new measure has discriminated against foreign students and could threaten Victoria's $3.9 billion international education industry.
• Three Melbourne colleges or TAFE schools said they would consider the software, which requires overseas students to have their faces scanned. Cameras would then identify students entering or leaving classrooms and automatically record attendance.
• Looks like Aussies are following in Mother England's footsteps in implementing biometrics for attendance-taking purposes?
  

Robot Animals Snare U.S. Poachers
National Geographic
Maryann Mott

• Researchers have designed turkeys that are actually robotic decoys designed to catch such outdoor outlaws. Other robots include a swimming moose, white-tailed deer and black bear.
• For nearly 20 years, the Oregon State Police Department's Fish and Wildlife Division has run a decoy operation targeting violators who hunt off-season from their cars and roadways or at night with the aid of a spotlight.
• Molded-fiberglass animals are wrapped in genuine hides obtained by government officers through donations or illegal kills.
• Inside the bodies are radio-controlled motors—the same type found in toy cars or planes—allowing wildlife officers to remotely move a decoy's head, ears, and tail. Special reflective eyes glow at night when light is shined on them.
• The robots don't come cheap: Prices range from $500 for turkey to $5,500 for a grizzly bear.
• Not sure which I'm more afraid of -- the actual mammals or the robotic version. Do know I won't be caught poaching either of them anytime soon.

Do New Biometric Restrictions Make Video Surveillance Illegal?

This past October, the State of Illinois passed the Biometrics Information Privacy Act, which joins similar laws previously enacted in Texas and Virginia in imposing restrictions on the use of certain biometric data. Essentially, companies can no longer collect customer “biometric identifiers” without first receiving written consent. A "biometric identifier" is defined as "a retina or iris scan, fingerprint, voiceprint, or scan of hand or face geometry."

Wait a minute! Doesn’t every video surveillance system essentially “scan” people’s faces?

Well, they certainly do record pictures of people’s faces -- lots and lots of pictures, in fact. So, how exactly is a series of pictures any different from a scan? Did Texas, Virginia and Illinois just outlaw all facial video surveillance?

As you might expect, upon closer inspection it turns out that the new legislation DOES NOT outlaw traditional surveillance. Some laws specifically exempt video surveillance, and others protect it by definition. A picture of someone, it turns out, is not a “biometric identifier,” which is strictly defined to be an actual biometric measurement tied to an actual identity.

Because surveillance video captures “images” of people and places, and not individualized measurements, and because those images are not each individually identified, they are not technically biometric identifiers.

So what about Minority Report stuff?

Can businesses install retinal scanners and toss ads at you based on who you are? This would seem to be outlawed, unless permission is obtained from the individuals being scanned. And large retailers that serve millions of customers each year aren’t likely to ask each person that passes through their doors to sign a consent form authorizing a biometric scan. So, I think Minority Report stuff may be officially off the table.

Is 3VR video search and facial surveillance affected by these laws?

No. In fact, 3VR’s technology might be the only system built to survive harsh biometric prohibitions like what we’ve seen in Texas, Vermont and Illinois; its unique approach and privacy protections give it the same exempted status afforded traditional video surveillance recording under the law.

Unlike prohibited technologies like hand, iris or fingerprint scanners, 3VR exclusively records and processes only what is permitted under the law -- standard surveillance imagery of scenes and people. When a 3VR SmartRecorder does a search or performs a facial matching analysis, what the system is really doing is comparing actual images to each other using a mathematical language that has nothing to do with any underlying identity or physical measurement derived from the image.

The distinction might seem subtle at first, but 3VR’s approach offers several important privacy protections, most notably the fact that none of the data that 3VR uses to catalog surveillance video contains any information about who a person is or what they actually look like.

More importantly, a 3VR’s searchable surveillance index relates recorded content only to itself and compares only images collected by the system to each other. This is very different from a biometric scanner that seeks to relate every one of its scans back to a specific identity. A 3VR only relates surveillance to identities under very limited circumstances, such as when a watchlist match has been triggered or during an actual investigation. Thankfully, in both cases, bad guys are afforded much less protection under the law than the general public.

What’s next?

In the future, expect privacy and security law to conflict more and legislation to become increasingly complex. There will no doubt be more laws, like the “Know Your Customer” provision of the Patriot Act demanding more aggressive data collection and customer identification, and there will also be many more laws like those recently passed in Texas, Illinois and Vermont protecting consumer privacy. Ultimately, we need both kinds of laws, but to navigate them, we’ll need new technologies and approaches specifically designed to ensure security without sacrificing our privacy. You can look for that here.

Meet Cincinnati's "Super" Heroes

With only his bare hands, some pepper spray, and a poorly fitting luchadores mask, Shadow Hare, a 21 year old man from Milford, Ohio, leads a group he calls the Allegiance of Heroes. For the past 4 years, he's patrolled the streets of Cincinatti, fighting crime.


My favorite quote from Shadow Hare:

He surely won't recognize us...because he's blind. But, I am sure he will recognize the taste of a good meal.

Shadow Hare, and his Allegiance of Heroes, is not the only costumed crime fighter out there, however. You can find many more in the World Superhero Registry.

Curious about the secret identity of the enigmatic Mr. Focus? I'll never tell.