Gov. Rick Scott is on the prowl for new ways to reduce the cost and size of government.
He has a group patrolling for duplication in law enforcement. He wants agencies to scrutinize their budgets.
And he helped create a Government Efficiency Task Force of 15 business leaders and legislators, who will suggest cuts in state spending by up to $3 billion.
Your input is welcome at floridaefficiency.com.
Now, see what you think of this cost-cutting idea:
Issue Floridians a single ID card that would hold several kinds of vital information: your driver's license, car insurance, health insurance and voter registration.
Good idea?
Yes, says Julie Jones, executive director of the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles, who briefed Scott and Cabinet members on the plan in one-on-one meetings.
"This was my attempt to want to save money and create a product that's convenient for our customers," Jones said. "An individual has to carry three or four types of identification just to exist in Florida society... more
"A school has provoked uproar after taking children's fingerprints without permission from their parents.
Pupils were 'frogmarched' to be fingerprinted so they could use touch screens in the canteen to have money deducted from their account, thereby speeding up lunch queues.
Capital City Academy in Brent, north London, was later forced to apologise and wiped all prints it obtained before asking for consent.
It also introduced an opt-out for parents uncomfortable with the technology, allowing pupils to enter a four-digit pin code instead of scanning their print.
The revelation comes as teachers today warned schools are routinely taking children's fingerprints without permission from their parents.
As many as 3,500 schools take biometric data from pupils to speed up basic administration such as buying canteen lunches or borrowing library books.
"India is launching a new census in which every person aged over 15 will be photographed and fingerprinted to create a biometric national database.
The government will then use the information to issue identity cards.
Officials will spend a year classifying India's population of around 1.2 billion people according to gender, religion, occupation and education.
The exercise, conducted every 10 years, faces big challenges, not least India's vast area and diversity of cultures.
Census officials must also contend with high levels of illiteracy and millions of homeless people - as well as insurgencies by Maoists and other rebels which have left large parts of the country unsafe.
President Pratibha Patil was the first person to be listed, and appealed to fellow Indians to follow her example 'for the good of the nation'.
'Everyone must participate and make it successful,' she said in Delhi." ...more
Two Senators, New York Democrat Chuck Schumer and South Carolina Republican Lindsey Graham, certainly seem to think so. They recently presented an immigration-bill blueprint to President Barack Obama that includes a proposal to issue a biometric ID card — one that would contain physical data such as fingerprints or retinal scans — to all working Americans. The 'enhanced Social Security card' is being touted as a way to curb illegal immigration by giving employers the power to quickly and accurately determine who is eligible to work. 'If you say [illegal immigrants] can't get a job when they come here, you'll stop it,' Schumer told the Wall Street Journal. Proponents also hope legal hiring will be easier for employers if there's a single go-to document instead of the 26 that new employees can currently use to show they're authorized to work.
But with a congressional skirmish over comprehensive immigration reform on the horizon, skeptics from the left and the right have raised numerous concerns about the biometric ID — some of which pop up every time a form of national identification is proposed, and some that hinge on the shape this plan ultimately takes.
The sheer scale of the project is a potential problem, in terms of time, money and technology. The premise of using a biometric employment card (which would most likely contain fingerprint data) to stop illegal immigrants from working requires that all 150 million–plus American workers, not just immigrants, have one. Michael Cherry, president of identification-technology company Cherry Biometrics, says the accuracy of such large-scale biometric measuring hasn't been proved. 'What study have we done?' he says. 'We just have a few assumptions.'
Schumer estimates that employers would have to pay up to $800 for card-reading machines, and many point out that compliance could prove burdensome for many small-to-medium-size businesses. In a similar program run by the Department of Homeland Security, in which 1.4 million transportation workers have been issued biometric credentials, applicants each pay $132.50 to help cover the costs of the initiative, which so far run in the hundreds of millions. 'This is sort of like the worst combination of the DMV and the TSA,' says Chris Calabrese, legislative counsel for the ACLU, an organization that has traditionally opposed all forms of national ID. 'It's going to be enormously costly no matter what.'" ...more
"Two U.S. senators met with President Obama on Thursday to push for a national ID card with biometric information such as a fingerprint, hand scan, or iris scan that all employers would be required to verify.
In an opinion article published in Friday's edition of the Washington Post, Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) and Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) say the new identification cards will 'ensure that illegal workers cannot get jobs' and 'dramatically decrease illegal immigration.'
Schumer and Graham pitched the idea to President Obama during a private meeting Thursday at the White House. Graham said afterward that Obama 'welcomed' their proposal for a new ID card law; the White House said in a statement that the senators' plan was 'promising.'
This push for a national ID is part of what the senators say is a necessary overhaul of immigration law, including additional border security, more temporary workers, and a form of amnesty for illegal immigrants already in the United States. It comes just two days before a rally in Washington, D.C. sponsored by groups including the AFL-CIO, Farmworker Justice, and the National Council of La Raza that also calls for amnesty.
Linking national ID cards to immigration reform is a popular idea in Washington political circles. After all, if every U.S. citizen has a biometric-equipped cards, the thinking goes, it's easy to order employers not to give a job to someone without one.
But concerns about privacy, security, and federalism have torpedoed each one of these proposals so far. A similar national ID plan--which also required that employers do verifications--sunk President Bush's broader proposal for immigration reform in 2007. A proposal three years earlier by Rep. David Drier (R-Calif.) to create federal ID cards with Americans' photograph, Social Security number, and an 'encrypted electronic strip' with additional information was even less successful.
Then there was the controversial Real ID Act, which tried unsuccessfully to compel states to standardize their drivers' licenses. But a libertarian grassroots revolt, including an anti-Real ID vote a few weeks ago in the Utah legislature, has halted Homeland Security's plans. (Rep. Ron Paul, the former Republican presidential candidate, argued it would do little to curb legal immigration.)
Under the Schumer-Graham proposal, extracting biometric information from hundreds of millions of Americans is no trivial task. It could mean extraordinary lines at regional Social Security offices--and an inconvenience for Americans switching jobs who haven't had their retina or DNA scanned in and stored on the ID card.
'We would require all U.S. citizens and legal immigrants who want jobs to obtain a high-tech, fraud-proof Social Security card,' the senators' opinion article says. 'Each card's unique biometric identifier would be stored only on the card; no government database would house everyone's information. The cards would not contain any private information, medical information or tracking devices.'" ...more
"The Schwarzenegger administration is considering buying $5,000 high-tech devices to photograph and fingerprint Californians who get subsidized in-home care for the elderly and disabled.
The MorphoTrak 'mobile biometric identification' device can fingerprint, snap a photo and transfer data to government systems, according to state social service officials.
Officials say legislators authorized and budgeted money to invest in tools to curb fraud and save millions of dollars.
The fingerprinting applies as of April 1 to any new recipients of the In-Home Supportive Services program.
Sacramento and San Diego counties are experimenting with cameras on loan from the manufacturer." ...source
"When is a medical experiment in which you implant microchips in 200 old people with Alzheimer’s disease not a medical experiment? According to PositiveID (PSID), it’s when you forget to get permission from an institutional review board, which oversees medical experiments on humans.
The omission will be seized upon by the company’s legion of critics, writing yet another gloomy PR chapter for a company that can’t do anything without triggering negative headlines.
The murk surrounding whether PositiveID got proper permission — either from a panel of experts or the patients themselves — for implanting the Florida senior citizens with microchips linked to their healthcare records was revealed by Penn Bullock in a story on James Randi’s web site for pseudoscience skeptics." ...more
"Lawmakers working to craft a new comprehensive immigration bill have settled on a way to prevent employers from hiring illegal immigrants: a national biometric identification card all American workers would eventually be required to obtain.
Under the potentially controversial plan still taking shape in the Senate, all legal U.S. workers, including citizens and immigrants, would be issued an ID card with embedded information, such as fingerprints, to tie the card to the worker.
The ID card plan is one of several steps advocates of an immigration overhaul are taking to address concerns that have defeated similar bills in the past.
The uphill effort to pass a bill is being led by Sens. Chuck Schumer (D., N.Y.) and Lindsey Graham (R., S.C.), who plan to meet with President Barack Obama as soon as this week to update him on their work. An administration official said the White House had no position on the biometric card.
'It's the nub of solving the immigration dilemma politically speaking,' Mr. Schumer said in an interview. The card, he said, would directly answer concerns that after legislation is signed, another wave of illegal immigrants would arrive. 'If you say they can't get a job when they come here, you'll stop it.'" ...more
"It seems that it won't be long before you'll find facial recognition technology when you apply for a driver's license. And as a result, you better wipe that smile off your face.
In fact, the technology is already in place in Australia. When Aussie drivers apply for licenses they'll have their pictures taken, and the new software will then measure three distances: the spaces between the eyes, nose, and mouth.
License applicants won't notice a drastic difference in the process, but they'll notice they are asked not to smile while the photo is being taken. The machines require a 'neutral expression' in order to pick up the correct measurements. According to creators of the facial recognition software, two photos of the same person can be mismatched if there is a strong expression in one versus the other.
Why all the fancy technology? Australia is using the calculations in comparison to the Roads and Traffic Authority (RTA) database, and if it appears that an applicant is trying to get a license under a different name the system will flag the authorities.
Although it's stated that the 'system is designed to prevent people who have had their license taken away from applying for a second one,' stopping 'license cheats' is only the skin-deep argument.
The deeper issue is identity theft. According to David Borger, the state of New South Wales' assistant transport minister, 'Identity fraud costs Australia more than $3.5 billion a year.' That's about a third of a percent of the nation's entire gross domestic product, almost as much as New South Wales spends on its entire road system in a year.
If it sounds like things are getting all Minority Report in the land Down Under, well, that's nothing compared to what could potentially happen in the U.S." ...more
"IBM has filed applications for a dozen patents that seek a whole new level of airport security.
Forget full-body scans, which are currently being touted as the Next Big Thing™ in security in the wake of the Christmas Day Nigerian crotchbomber. We can't even be sure they would have stopped him.
The IBM patent applications, turned up by InformationWeek's Alexander Wolfe, outline technologies that track you as you stroll through an airport, sniff you, check out what you're eating and drinking, scrutinize your attire, watch for 'furtive' eye movements, and employ a host of other sensors.
That information is then fed to an inference engine that compares the sensors' data to a knowledge base and alerts security if its set of rules determine you might be a threat. And all of this will be done in real time - or, at least, real enough to nab you before you get on an airliner and activate your lethal underpants.
The core idea of the patents is to use a variety of sensors arrayed throughout an airport, both indoors in out. These sensors attempt to both spot suspicious activity and find already-identified suspects, matched to a knowledge base of possible terrorists."...more
"JERUSALEM, Israel - As international airports around the world beef up security in the wake of the failed Northwest Airlines bombing, Israel's Ben-Gurion Airport is introducing a biometric system to make security checks easier.
It's called Unipass - a revolutionary airport security system officials say is the first of its kind in the world.
'It's a biometric system that allows us to do a better security check that enables security checkers to use computerized tools, to remember the passenger using a biometric fingerprint…and to process the traveler in a faster and more efficient way,' airport security official Zohar Gefen explained.
The new machines installed at the airport recognize a passenger's details using a triple biometric identification system.
The machine first scans the passport, then scans the fingerprint and finally scans the Unipass card.
The system allows airport security guards to access any information about the traveler. It is intended to help security personnel determine if a passenger poses a risk.
Unipass is currently in use for business-class passengers only on Israel's El Al airlines. However, it's expected to be expanded next year. ...source
Security experts have long looked to Israel for help in making their airports safer.
Israel's Ben-Gurion airport near Tel Aviv is renowned for its tough security checks. It is also viewed as one of the safest airports in the world."
Leading Provider of Faith-Based Software Solutions to Offer M2SYS Fingerprint Readers and Biometric Software for Membership Management
'We are thrilled to provide this fingerprint recognition technology through our new relationship with M2SYS,' said Frank Canady, president of Shelby Systems. 'The integration with M2SYS is the latest example of how Shelby Systems strives to equip churches and other faith-based organizations with the best technology for improved security and streamlined operations. The biometrics solution will significantly benefit the check-in process for the ministries that we serve."...more
DELRAY BEACH, Fla.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--VeriChip Corporation (NASDAQ:CHIP - News) ("VeriChip"), a provider of radio frequency identification (RFID) systems for healthcare and patient-related needs, and Steel Vault Corporation (OTCBB:SVUL - News) ("Steel Vault"), a premier provider of identity security products and services,announced today that VeriChip has completed its acquisition of Steel Vault to provide unique health and security identification tools to protect consumers and businesses. In conjunction with the merger, VeriChip has changed its name to PositiveID ("PositiveID" or the "Company").
PositiveID represents the convergence of a pioneer in personal health records and the first and only FDA-cleared implantable microchip for patient identification, VeriChip, with a leader in the identity security space, Steel Vault, focused on access and security of consumers' critical data.
PositiveID will initially operate primarily in two areas: HealthID and ID Security. HealthID will focus on bringing innovative health solutions to consumers and businesses based on the Company's intellectual property, specifically a rapid virus detection system for the H1N1 virus and other forms of pandemic viruses, and an in vivo glucose-sensing RFID microchip, both of which are currently under development with partner RECEPTORS LLC. The Company will also offer its Health Link personal health record to help consumers manage their health records online. Through its ID Security segment, the Company will offer identity theft protection and related services including credit monitoring and reporting through its NationalCreditReport.com website.
Under terms of the agreement and plan of reorganization, Steel Vault stockholders will receive 0.5 shares of VeriChip common stock for every share of Steel Vault common stock held. The outstanding stock options and warrants of Steel Vault will also be converted at the same ratio. No fractional shares of VeriChip common stock will be issued in connection with the proposed merger. Instead, VeriChip will make a cash payment to each Steel Vault stockholder who would otherwise receive a fractional share. This merger is a stock–for–stock transaction, and is expected to be a tax free exchange.
Commenting on the transaction, Scott R. Silverman, Chairman and CEO of PositiveID, stated, "In joining these two companies, we believe we are better positioned to accelerate the development of our exciting diagnostic and sensor applications such as glucose-sensing, as well as our rapid virus detection system for the H1N1 virus and other pandemic viruses. By moving beyond the original patient identification application of our implantable RFID microchip technology, we believe that we will be able to get high-value products to market faster with a more efficient use of capital."
Silverman continued, "From a financial standpoint, we believe the merger has made us stronger by eliminating the duplicative costs of running two public companies. Furthermore, we are fully-funded to develop the glucose-sensing microchip and the rapid virus detection system and have no debt."...source
"...58 percent of Americans said they would use biometrics to verify their identities, as long as the biometric data was secured. Around 38 percent said they would not use biometrics. 'We were not surprised to see this high number,' Unisys' Cohn says. 'Given that fraud and personal data [security] is such a concern, it makes sense that people would figure out the best way to protect it.'
Around 93 percent said they would prefer fingerprint scans as a way to authenticate access to their data with banks, government agencies, and other organizations -- an increase of 20 percent over responses a year ago. Iris scanning was popular,as well, with 79 percent of the respondents saying they were willing to use it for authentication. And 62 percent said they would use biometrics based on scanning the blood vessels in their hands.
Nearly 90 percent would use passwords; 88 percent, PINs; 82 percent, photographs; 74 percent, face scans; and 69 percent, voice recording.
'We were surprised to see some of the biometrics numbers for things like eye scanning and blood vessel-scanning,' Cohn says. 'We didn't expect American consumers to aware of those [yet],' he says." ...more return to rampartproductions.com
BNET: "Novartis and Proteus Biomedical are not the only companies hoping to implant microchips into patients so that their pill-popping habits can be monitored. VeriChip of Delray Beach, Fl., has an even bolder idea: an implanted chip that links to an online database containing all your medical records, credit history and your social security ID.
As this presentation to investors makes clear, the chip and its database could form the basis of a new national identity database lined to Social Security and NationalCreditReport.com. The VeriMed Health Link homepage describes the chip:
… a tiny, passive microchip (the nation’s first and only microchip cleared for patient identification by the U.S. Food & Drug Administration) and a secure, private online database that links you to your personal health record. Your Health Link is always with you and cannot be lost or stolen.
That database can be accessed by doctors and nurses:
About the size of a grain of rice, the microchip is inserted just under the skin and contains only a unique, 16-digit identifier. The microchip itself does not contain any other data other than this unique electronic ID, nor does it contain any Global Positioning System (GPS) tracking capabilities. And unlike conventional forms of identification, the Health Link cannot be lost, stolen, misplaced, or counterfeited. It is safe, secure, reversible, and always with you....More
But VeriChip’s ambitions don’t end there, as this diagram indicates:"
Yes, it shows your Health Link chip linked to Google, Microsoft, employers and insurers. The company also sees the VeriMed Health Link linked to your “identity security services,” through a separate VeriChip product, PositiveID. This slide show states:
PositiveID puts people in control of their personal health records and financial information, bridging the gap between secure medical records and identity security
PositiveID dovetails with Health Link:
Cross marketing opportunities: cross-sell the NationalCreditReport.com customer base the Health Link personal health record and vice-versa
Differentiates PositiveID as the only personal health record that offers identity theft protection
It’s a future in which your doctor tags you like a dog with a microchip that allows anyone with the right privileges to look at your medical records, credit history, social security number (see slide 6), and anything else that stems from that.
Suddenly, storing medical records on paper in locked cabinets inside a single doctor’s office starts to look like something we may not want to rush to give up. ...source
"The technology alerts unskilled workers when routine tasks need to be performed, and also enables managers to confirm they've been completed properly."
By Mark Roberti
Sept. 7, 2009—Anyone who has run a retail store, factory or warehouse knows that it's often very difficult to get workers to do exactly what they're supposed to do—and it's even harder to confirm that they've done it. Managers can train low-wage employees who often work part time all they want, but with no way to monitor them, it's difficult to get them to comply. Radio frequency identification has the potential to change that in a powerful way.
Right now, most companies aren't thinking about using RFID in this way. They are stuck on the idea that it's simply a tool to track goods and assets. One firm that has deployed RFID to improve workers' productivity is the Australian tomato grower, d'Vineripe. The company is employing RFID technology to ensure workers perform a variety of tasks each day, including pruning, pollinating, de-leafing, pest and disease control, and picking (see RFID Helps Improve Agricultural Worker Productivity).
As each worker is given his or her daily assignment, the greenhouse's station manager reads an RFID tag specifically identified for the task using a handheld interrogator. The manager then reads another tag designated for the row or rows in which the laborer will work, linking that individual to that task and row. At the conclusion of the employee's task or shift, his or her tag is scanned to indicate that individual is finished working. The data is downloaded into the company's back-end system, where it can be compared against best practices for each task. This enables the managers to address particular problems, such as training or other issues related to a specific employee not working efficiently."...more return to rampartproductions.com
