Synaptics SecurePad to revolutionise fingerprint technology
Apple has been known to revolutionise the industry when it comes to technology incorporated into their devices. Take example when Apple released the iPhone; Android and other competitors wouldn't be the same if the iPhone never came out. And you could argue the same thing when the iPad came out. Apple has done it again with the fingerprint sensor first seen on the iPhone 5S. And almost every manufacturer has tried to compete with the 5S's success. Now, some PC manufactures are trying to do the same thing to laptops.
You have seen fingerprint sensors on a laptop before, but that was mainly for business and enterprise. But not too many people buy enterprise grade laptops. The leading maker of trackpads, Synaptics announced the "SecurePad" which is a trackpad with a fingerprint sensor built into the upper left corner of the device. Unlike the other fingerprint sensors where you have to swipe, this one uses capacitive touch technology, found on TouchID and on the Samsung Galaxy S5. Thus, optimistically resulting in more reliable results. However, some fingerprint technologies that we see on other smartphones are here and there, so it will be interesting to see how Synaptics makes it work.
According to Synaptics, the SecurePad is available for manufacturers to start incorporating the trackpad into their devices. There is no word yet on which manufacturers will use the SecurePad or when devices will be announced with the technology. Synaptics also says that you can probably get the SecurePad in Ultrabook like devices, but could possibly move down to mainstream devices if the overall reception is good. But you can bet that this will help make consumers more secure with technology in their home. 2015 could be the year of security, and that would be a good thing. Drop your thoughts on the future of fingerprint technology below!
