Introducing: Interesting Posts Nobody Read

A couple of times, at the end of a good traffic month I've posted lists of posts that had generated a lot of interest.

See September 2011 and February 2012. Some posts get all the clicks.

This got me thinking; why should popular posts get all the clicks? There are gems — real handsome and thoughtful posts — out there that don't get the clicks they so (obviously) deserve.

Well, it's one thing to complain. It's something else altogether to do something about it.

Without further ado, I give you...

Interesting Posts Nobody Read...

Is fragmentation here to stay?
State of the Art: What Face-Rec Can and Can't Do
Elvis Presley's Biometric Passport?

Here are a few that were perhaps missed because no one yet knew this blog existed at all. These are all short-form posts from early 2010 but the links are all still active and the issues are all still current.

Alas, there are others but it is my profound hope that this does not become too regular a series.

Ghana Biometric Voter Registration: Patriotism, Pride & Optimism

Biometrics are interesting, in part, because of the mix of technical and organizational challenges involved in their deployment. The article below discusses both sets of challenges in a cheerful, heartwarming way.

BVR Progressing Steadily (Daily Graphic)

The process of de-duplication, the identification and weeding out of duplicate or multiple registrations is the crux of the biometric voters registration process to ensure that we have a credible and reliable voters register.

In the face of many challenges and an extremely short time to implementation, the independent National Electoral Commission has demonstrated its commitment, progressive forward-thinking vision and is fulfilling its objective of acting on behalf of and in the best interest of the people.

In return, a grateful nation has embraced and supported the process and with this type of commitment, the voter registration exercise can already be declared a huge success – which bodes well for the upcoming crucial December parliamentary and presidential elections. Well done, Ghana!

Soaring temperatures, long queues and overwhelming technology coupled with people’s frustrations and irritations would normally be a powder keg waiting to explode as the exercise began on Saturday, March 24.

But not so in Ghana. While some countries across the African continent face civil war, coup d'état and the Arab spring, Ghana continues to demonstrate its democratic maturity and insight.

New Jersey Tightens Up State ID Starting May 7

New Jersey's upgraded driver's license to debut May 7 (MyCentralJersey.com)

The federal law intended to tighten security and crack down on ID fraud was passed by Congress in the aftermath of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks in which hijackers gathered driver’s licenses and state identification cards from five states to help them carry out their plot.

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security says the standardized licenses will start being phased in as a requirement for people boarding commercial flights or entering federal buildings by the end of 2014.

Aside from computer upgrades, New Jersey has spent roughly $8.8 million on facial recognition systems and other technology to move to the new standard, with federal grants covering some of the costs, said Raymond Martinez, chief administrator of the state Motor Vehicle Commission. Homeland Security has awarded $175 million through 150 separate grants to the states.

Biometrics Figure in Sri Lanka Passport Office Revamp

Passport office revamped (Sunday Observer)

Immigration and Emigration Controller General Chulananda Perera says his Department is engaged in a major revamping process, with new amendments to the existing Immigration and Emigration Act to keep it in tune with the demands of a post conflict nation.

The Controller General says the Act will introduce severe punishments to those who commit offences such as aiding and abetting illegal immigrants, document forgery and impersonations while it will provide necessary legal backing for bio-metric capturing for future passport issuance.

He added, "The Electronic Visa Authority Scheme which met with a lot of resistance at the outset has now found its own course. ETA scheme has earned the State Rs. 600 million from January 1 to March 28."

Excerpts from the interview

Easier UK Visas for Visiting Artists

Up to a month with official invitation from a UK organisation (WorkPermit.com)

From 6 April 2012, the new system will introduce a permitted paid engagements entry route that allows non-EU artists one month leave to enter the UK without having to go through the points-based system. Additionally, the UK organisation hosting the artist will no longer need to apply to become a licensed sponsor and won't be required to keep the artist's contact details, copy of passport entry stamps and biometric details.

I imagine this will make a lot of people's lives easier.

Zimbabwe Marriage Certificate Biometrics Update

Last Wednesday, we took note of Zimbabwe's new marriage certificates. Today's news on the subject is cause for great concern but as it turns out, the whole affair has little to do with biometrics.

Computerized fingerprint biometrics could be used to create a database of married people in order to prevent multiple marriages. A system of this nature could be deployed with a minimum of inconvenience to those wishing to be married. That's not what Zimbabwe is doing. Instead Zimbabwe has effectively banned marriage. I'll leave it to the interested reader to assess the aims of Zimbabwe's Registrar General.

FBI Combines Rapid DNA-at-a-Distance ID with Drone Technology

The FBI's rapid DNA at a distance identification (DAD-ID) technology is being combined with drone technology with the goal of instantly sequencing the genome of any person, anywhere in near real-time.

FBI's Rapid DNA-at-a-Distance ID (DAD-ID) Technology Program Continues Apace

The old DNA identification system took up to six weeks to analyze a DNA sample for criminal cases and that sample had to be taken, preserved and processed under laboratory conditions. Now the subject's entire genome can be sequenced in under 5 minutes without any physical sample at all, says Rehfeldt. "Our goal for felony case DNA searches is now 10 minutes, and in misdemeanor cases, it's 15 minutes," says Rehfeldt.

A record of all the genetic base pairs and detailed personal information about individuals analyzed by the new system will be maintained in the FBI's Clarksburg, WV facility.

"Deploying this technology on unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV's) will provide obvious tactical advantages over earlier deployments which relied on rather conspicuous motor vehicles."

Asked of the feasibility of deploying the technology on space-based platforms, Rehfeldt responded, "What's your name, again?"

Philippines: Plan to use biometrics to stop fraud

Village leaders deprive allowances to beneficiaries of a poverty alleviation programme (Gulf News)

The social welfare department has proposed to use biometrics in areas where corruption has affected the beneficiaries of the government's poverty alleviation scheme that provides health and school allowances to poor school children, a senior official said.

h/t @SUMAMEXICO

Is there anything that can't be improved by slapping a fingerprint reader on it?

Well, maybe some things can't be improved with biometrics, but I'm constantly amazed at how many things can be.

Cherlapally Prison to get biometric telephones

Now, inmates of Cherlapally Central Prison can officially talk on telephone to their dear ones as home minister P Sabita Indra Reddy will inaugurate six biometric telephones on the prison premises on Thursday. The long-awaited phones will curb their illegal usage in the prison and help nearly 2,000 inmates get connected to their family members, lawyers and doctors.

CN Gopinatha Reddy, DGP (Prisons), who is going to retire from service on March 31, said the six telephones were installed in six partitioned cabins by Vodafone.

Privacy, Biometrics, Standardized Tests and the Licensed Professions

Biometrics—and the Curious Relevance of Occupational Licensing (Cato Institute)

Yesterday, I testified (by remote communications) in the Alaska House of Representatives’ Health and Social Services Committee, which is considering a bill to heavily regulate the collection and use of biometrics. The bill is inspired by a man who was denied entry into the CPA exam when he refused to have his fingerprints scanned for that purpose. You can read more about his campaign at the PrivacyNOWalaska.org site.

Read the whole thing. It's short and to the point, and I'd have to lift most of the article to give more of its flavor. It brings together several issues we frequently discuss here (privacy, biometrics, test-taking, regulation, etc.) together with one we don't — requiring a license to practice too many professions.

See also:
Privacy commissioner seeks to block finger-printing of Canadian med-school applicants
EPIC Fail


h/t @M2SYS

Fingerprint Systems for School Cafeterias

It has been a while since we mentioned school cafeteria fingerprint biometrics. This article on a deployment in Newark, New Jersey covers the privacy, cost and scalability of the system.

School officials say lunch lines could move faster with new software (Newark Advocate)

More on Biometrics in Schools

Dollar Stores: When Pennies Matter Retail Adopts Biometric Time and Attendance

Buried in this rather fascinating article on Canadian retailer, Dollarama, is an interesting note on time and attendance. The dollar store model requires firms to operate at the peak of efficiency. That Dollarama uses biometric time and attendance it a pretty good indication that it helps them make money. The whole article is worth reading. The biometric bit is quoted below.

How Dollarama turns pocket change into billions (Globe and Mail)

Most stores are about 10,000 square feet, with annual sales of about $2.3 million. Dollarama has more than 14,000 employees, usually 20 per store, about a third of them part-time. The Dollarama formula relies on paying as little as possible on this front too. Almost all jobs pay the provincial minimum wage—about $8.75. Given its chosen labour niche, this year the company feels compelled to introduce biometric scanners made by Massachusetts-based Kronos Inc. to monitor employee attendance. Unlike a punch clock, these devices can’t be gamed by sympathetic colleagues.

Cameroon: Religious Leaders for Biometric Voter Registration

Cameroon: Muslims and Christians Support Electoral Reform (All Africa)

Religious leaders in Cameroon usually don't get involved in electoral politics. But in early March, a group of Muslim and Christian leaders went to see the president of the elections governing body, saying they were fed up with previous balloting that included vote-buying, multiple voting and outright manipulation of vote totals.
...
The religious leaders proposed the introduction of biometric registration of voters, the use of a single ballot paper for presidential elections, the introduction of independent candidates, the reduction of the voting age from 20 years to 18 years, and the recompilation of voter registers.

Texas Law Enforcement & Biometrics

Texas Department of Public Safety Partners with NEC to Launch New Criminal Identification Network (TMCnet)

"Designed to search millions of subjects and provide real time positive identification, mobile identification will give law enforcement agencies remote access to the fingerprint collection at TxDPS and will nicely complement the existing access DPS provides to the FBI's Repository of Individuals of Special Concern (RISC)," said Mike Lesko, Deputy Assistant Director of the Law Enforcement Support Division at the Texas Department of Public Safety.

Lesko continued, "Based on national standards and optimized for speed and accuracy, mobile identification can help increase the efficiency of Texas law enforcement by allowing officers to positively identify suspects via fingerprints without having to transport the suspect to a law enforcement station. The efficiency realized by this too can help increase public safety as well as officer safety by providing officers with positive suspect identification and allowing them to act appropriately on that knowledge."

h/t @Allevate

Mystery Patients Continue to Point at Biometric Patient Identification Systems as Solution

Thoughts on biometric patient identification systems at the M2SYS blog

...[A] badly battered, dazed and confused man picked up by the police and transported to Grady Memorial Hospital without any identification on him or means to identify himself other than giving his name. Subsequently, Grady published his photo asking the public for their help to identify the patient, hoping someone may recognize him.

More at the link.

See also: Biometrics for people who can't identify themselves

North Carolina Police Bust ID Thieves Using Facial Recognition

Statesville duo charged with identity theft (WBTV)

As discussed earlier, here's a good example of how states are tightening up their ID processes.

States are making progress in improving ID

Very interesting article about the state of ID in the United States...

Battle to Make REAL ID a Reality (Opposing Views)

I testified a few days ago at a House Judiciary subcommittee hearing on REAL ID implementation. I expected to have harsh things to say about the way REAL ID has been treated by the National Governors Association and the Obama administration. And there was certainly plenty to criticize. But what surprised me after a few years away from the issue was not how badly the secure ID problem had been neglected. It was how much progress has been made, almost reluctantly, by all parties. Much more secure identification is now within reach, though politics may still delay the final steps.

New Travel Application for Biometrics

Diehl Aerosystems is working on biometric recognition technology to monitor passenger movements onboard aircraft (Flightglobal)

Cameras installed in the aircraft's entry area will be able to distinguish between passengers and staff, thus providing an accurate number for who is on the aircraft when the doors close. Conventional technology such as an infrared light ray and photo cell would be unable to differentiate the movement of a person from, for example, a service trolley.

Kammer says it would be possible to use the recognition technology for additional purposes such as directing passengers to their allocated seats. This would require, however, combining the software with a database holding the respective passenger records, for example, from check-in or previous flights.

This application could also be really helpful for making sure people don't sleep through their flight connections. International flights, especially ones transecting the Pacific Ocean can be really tricky. If you sleep through your connection, you could find yourself on a twelve hour flight to somewhere you don't have a visa to visit. I've seen it happen.

Ghana Voter Enrollment Challenges

Blame biometric challenges on climate and untrained personnel – Dr. Gedel (Modern Ghana)

He noted that because the kit operators were not “well trained” there are some lapses in their work.

According to him, he has observed that some kit operators keep piling pressure on the printers used for the registration exercise thus leading to their malfunctioning.

“Some of them (kit operators) instead of issuing one command for printing, some of them go to issue two, three, four and eventually the printer gets locked up because of too much information sent” Dr. Gedel said on Multi TV's political talk show, Majority Caucus.

He also raised concerns about the citing of some of the registration centers in the open which he said can affect the lifespan of the equipment.

Biometrics are about people; they can help managers accomplish goals but they can't run an organization all by themselves.

E-Lected: Electronic Voting in Modern Democracies

Another blog that may interest readers is E-Lected. While e-voting is not synonymous with biometric voter applications, there can be a lot of overlap.

http://e-lected.blogspot.com/