employee clock in software, fingerprint time clocks, biometric time clocks, attendance system, computer timeclock, timekeeping software
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Attendance Systems for Paid Time Off

Posted by KyleP on June 18, 2013 in Biometric Time Clocks | FingerTec USA - (0 Comments)

attendance systemSummer means a great many things: beaches, bike rides, baseball and possibly even vacations. Plenty of people will be taking advantage of the warm weather to travel the country and the world. For employees, it means a much needed break from work to connect with friends and family and maybe see some the world in the process. For employers, it means keeping track of their employees’ paid time off.

Luckily, FingerTec can help. Our biometric attendance systems will keep track of an employee’s paid and unpaid time off automatically so you don’t have to. Paid time off tracking is just one of the many features of fingerprint timeclocks that make payroll simple. Our timeclocks collect clocking data systematically and manage that data quickly and simply using their built-in software. The fingerprint recognition makes clocking in easy and effective and can also be combined with passwords and RFID, MIFARE or HID cards. The attendance systems are easy to install, simple to use and will save countless hours in payroll and time tracking, especially during these summer months when many employees will be taking holidays and paid and unpaid time off must be accounted for. Let FingerTec do the heavy lifting for you with our efficient and reliable timeclocks.

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Google’s Newest, Unusual Use of Biometrics

Posted by KyleP on June 17, 2013 in Finger Scanner - (0 Comments)

biometric time clocksAs traditional usernames and passwords fall out of fashion, biometrics have become an increasingly popular alternative. Using fingerprints, voice recognition and even retina scans are becoming increasingly common, showing up in operating systems from Apple and Microsoft as well as banks and other places where security could be at risk. One company especially interested in finding a new way to keep data safe is Google. At a recent D11 tech conference, Regina Dugan, head of special projects at the Google-owned Motorola, revealed their interest in unconventional passwords extends far beyond fingerprint door locks and voice-activated logins.

Among Motorola’s experimental logins are an electronic tattoo that a device can scan right from the user’s body to authenticate their identity. Electronics company MC10 creates the temporary tattoos, which look a bit like a yellow microchip. Dugan wore one on her forearm onstage at D11.

Another, even stranger, authentication process: swallowing a pill. Dugan showed off a capsule that can be ingested like a vitamin supplement that uses stomach acid to power a battery which produces an 18-bit internal signal. A nearby device will use this signal to authenticate a user.

These methods, while creative, are probably simply too strange (not to mention impractical) to ever become standard for most electronics. The use of biometric time clocks, however, will likely only grow from here on.

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Biometrics in Tech

Posted by KyleP on May 31, 2013 in Finger Scanner - (0 Comments)

fingerprint door locksAmong the most talked about feature of the upcoming Windows 8.1 isn’t a new graphical upgrade or interface tweak; it’s a security measure. In addition to conventional text passwords and new picture passwords, Windows 8.1 will also include access using fingerprint recognition, a safer and more effective way to keep accounts secure while having the added benefit of making it impossible to forget your password.

But Microsoft isn’t the only one looking at biometrics to replace more traditional access tools. Apple’s iPhone 5S  is also rumored to include fingerprint access, as are the rival Samsung Galaxy S5 and Galaxy Note 3 smartphones. The shift toward biometrics and fingerprint recognition comes after a series of high profile account hacks which have affected everyone from the Associated Press to the Onion. Unlike traditional text passwords, which can be “phished” by con artists who know how to retrieve account names and log-in information, a fingerprint can’t really be stolen and doesn’t need to be changed.

It’s the same reason our fingerprint door lock and attendance systems are so effective: they’re secure, practical and convenient. The tech industries new adoption of biometrics is an acknowledgment that sometimes the best security measure has been right under our nose (or fingers) the whole time. Now that technology has caught up and made fingerprint recognition more practical, you can expect to see more use of biometric measures in the future.

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Biometric Time Clocks at Hotels

Posted by KyleP on May 24, 2013 in Biometric Time Clocks - (0 Comments)

biometric time clocksAt FingerTec, plenty of large companies place their trust in us for an efficient and highly reliable attendance system. Among our many satisfied clients are some major hotel franchises that use our biometric time clock system in their many locations worldwide. Why do large corporations trust FingerTec? While our standalone units can be used individually, they’re also perfect for franchised stores or hotels because they can be managed together on a single system across multiple locations. Here’s a couple hotels where you can find our fingerprint attendance systems.

  1. Holiday Inn: One of the world’s largest hotel chains has over 3,400 hotels globally spanning more than 430,000 bedrooms. Following the first Holiday Inn, which opened in 1952 on 4941 Summer Avenue in Memphis, the company expanded dramatically during the late ’50s and ’60s, opening locations around the country and eventually the world, many of which included the famous roadside “Great Sign” with its signature script type and light-up arrow and star design. Today, more than 100 million people stay at a Holiday Inn each year.
  2. Hilton Hotels & Resorts: Founded in 1919 with the first Hilton Hotel in Cisco, Texas, Hilton Hotels & Resorts has grown over the decades to include more than 530 hotels around the world in 78 countries. This luxury chain has hosted many famous people and events over the years and has locations across all six populated continents.

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Kinds of Fingerprints

Posted by KyleP on May 17, 2013 in Biometric Time Clocks | Finger Scanner - (0 Comments)

attendance systemsWe’ve previously discussed how fingerprints are formed and why they’re unique to everyone, making them particularly useful for attendance systems and fingerprint door locks. But even within the unique patterns of fingerprints, certain distinctive arrangements of the ridges recur from one person to another. These recurring arrangements are called “friction ridges” and are made up of patterns called loops, whorls and arches. Which pattern do your own fingerprints match?

  1. Loops: In this pattern, ridges begin on one side of the finger, curve around or upward, then exit on the other side. There are two types of single, or “simple” loops: radial loops, which slope toward the thumb, and ulnar loops, which slope toward the little finger.
    There are also double loops, which curve first one way and then the other.
  2. Whorls: This pattern forms a simple circle in a spiral shape.
  3. Arches: This pattern slopes upwards and then back down in a steep, narrow arch shape.

Each ridge in a fingerprint’s pattern contains pores which are attached to sweat glands under the skin. If you’ve ever wondered why you leave fingerprints on glasses or mirrors, it’s because of the sweat found in these ridges. That’s what makes fingerprints so adept to identification: Not only are they all unique, they also never change, even as a person ages.

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Fingerprints and DNA

Posted by orens on May 9, 2013 in Finger Scanner - (0 Comments)

fingerprinter timeclocksWe have spoken a lot in recent weeks on our other blog about the Supreme Court’s recent DNA cases and the nature of biometric information. DNA is one of the most standard biometric identifiers, but it is by no means the only one. Fingerprints are more common, but what exactly is a fingerprint and how is it different than a DNA sample?

A fingerprint is unique to someone like a DNA sample but less intrusive to obtain. A fingerprint scanner is sort of a cartographer for your finger. It maps all the ridges and curves of your fingerprints. By mapping and measuring these curves and distances, it can make sure that you are who you claim to be. No two people will have identical fingerprints. Facial scanners work the same way. By taking a series of measurements, the program makes a map of your face. If this unique map matches up with the face in front of the scanner, it knows you are being truthful about your identify.

Everyone’s DNA is one-of-a-kind, and our system works by reading the external reflections of your genetic code’s uniqueness. This makes the system easy-to-use and unobtrusive without sacrificing accuracy. After all, police use the same system, so it must be accurate!

Why Are Fingerprints Unique?

Posted by KyleP on May 7, 2013 in Biometric Time Clocks | Finger Scanner | FingerTec USA - (0 Comments)

fingerpint door locksFingerprint door locks and fingerprint timeclocks are both convenient to use because they only require the touch of a finger, and incredibly secure because they’re next to impossible to fool. The reason: No two set of fingerprints are identical and all seven billion-plus people on the planet have their own unique fingerprints. Even identical twins have unique fingerprints and the patterns are more particular than DNA, but why and for what purpose?

Fingerprints are unique to each individual because they’re formed–essentially randomly generated–in the womb. The grooves in our fingers are an evolutionary benefit that has made it easier to grip, but they’re created by a series of random factors like the position of the fetus in the womb and the disposition of the amniotic fluid. The pressures put on developing fingers in the womb creates these unique patterns, and because the circumstances are different for every fetus, the patterns are different for every person.

It’s also helpful to remember that no part of the human body is identical to another’s. Your lungs, eyes and ears are also distinct from your friends’ and family’s, but the recognizable patterns of the fingerprint is especially easy to identify, making it a particularly reliable form of identification.

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Supreme Court Rules in Favor of Warrant Use in DNA Cases

Posted by orens on April 23, 2013 in Biometric Time Clocks | Finger Scanner - (0 Comments)

timeclock softwareThe Supreme Court has issued a ruling in the landmark DNA case Missouri v. McNeely. Ruling in favor of the plaintiff, the Supreme Court found that a warrant is in fact needed to draw DNA-containing materials like blood. This ruling was seen as a setback to law enforcement officials and a win for champions of privacy laws.

Typically, DNA is thought of as private information, unlike a fingerprint. The state attempted to argue that because alcohol dissipates so quickly from the blood, regular procedures for getting a warrant allow the person to sober up. Eight of the nine justices deemed that because of cellphone and emails, it was still reasonable to expect a law enforcement officer to obtain a warrant quickly enough. What does it mean for the future of biometrics?

This case reaffirms early Supreme Court rulings that while DNA, fingerprints and other biometric indicators can be used to identify someone without the use of a warrant, when that information is gathered as evidence (to build a case against someone), a warrant is needed. It does raise some interesting questions about biometrics. Can a private employer give a fingerprint to police if they believe someone may be stealing or guilty of a crime? What if criminality comes to light during the biometric identification process–can that be used against someone? As technology changes, fingerprint timeclocks included, our laws must change with them.

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Supreme Court Split on DNA Issue (Part 2)

Posted by orens on March 28, 2013 in FingerTec USA - (0 Comments)

supcourtAs arguments for the Supreme Court’s DNA case continues, there appears to be a split among the justices. The more information introduced into the trial, the more questions the justices seem to have. Currently 28 states take DNA at the time of arrest, so this ruling will have huge, national implications. Let’s break down the two arguments at the heart of the trial.

  1. DNA vs Fingerprints: Part of the reason fingerprinting was deemed constitutional is because fingerprints allow law enforcement to identify you. DNA information is not necessary to identify someone, and it gives a lot more information about a person than a fingerprint. So the argument that DNA and fingerprints are on the same legal ground is moot. Taking a fingerprint is also much less intrusive than taking a DNA sample.
  2. Is DNA an Unlawful Search?: When your DNA is taken and put into a database, are the police searching you with the intent of building a criminal case? Not necessarily if, for example, blood is taken to test for alcohol. However, when this DNA enters a database and is checked against other unsolved crimes with DNA evidence, does this count as a search being used to build a criminal case against you?

Check back with us next week to hear the arguments for potential good over potential harm and how much of a search can someone undergo before a warrant is necessary. Will this case have any effect on fingerprint timeclocks? Most likely not, but it does raise interesting concerns about law enforcements.

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Supreme Court Takes Biometric Case

Posted by orens on March 19, 2013 in FingerTec USA - (0 Comments)

supcourtThe Supreme Court is currently in the process of deciding an important case that will have far reaching ramifications for the future of police work and biometric security. The case, Maryland v. King, deals with someone who was arrested, though not charged with, an assault. When his DNA was taken, it was a match for the DNA in an unsolved crime. The defendant was sentenced to life in prison for the other crime. An appeals court later ruled that the taking of his DNA was an illegal search and seizure. The case has made it all the way to the Supreme Court.

One of the major factors of the case is the idea of DNA versus fingerprints. The state is arguing that if the police can take a fingerprint for identification, they can take DNA. The defense argues DNA gives a lot more than identifying information and thus a warrant is needed to take a sample. The case will have far reaching implications. Twenty-eight states allow for DNA samples in certain situations like DUIs or other violations. As biometric security evolves, these concerns may be mirrored in the private realm. Should an employer be allowed to have an employee’s DNA on file? What do you think?

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