Skip to main content

Synaptics’ new turnkey USB solution brings biometrics to older laptops

Fingerprint (shutterstock/ italianestro)
Image used with permission by copyright holder
Synaptics, which develops touch-based interfaces for hardware manufacturers, today unveiled its turnkey USB fingerprint solution for third-party manufacturers at the Computex conference in Taiwan.

The turnkey solution allows OEMs and others to integrate fingerprint verification technology into a USB device for use with computers that do not already have a biometric sensor built in. It uses Synaptics’ own FIDO-certified Natural ID fingerprint technology, which is compatible with Windows Hello and Microsoft Passport.

There is an increased demand for more secure password alternatives and biometrics like fingerprints may provide that alternative, especially with the growth of online payments that need quick and easy verification.

However not all devices like laptops have integrated biometrics sensors. This presents an issue as laptop and notebook life cycles tend to be much longer than smartphones, leaving users lacking in some of the latest features. Synaptics believes its new turnkey solution can bridge that gap between old and new laptops.

Synaptics does not appear to be developing the USB devices itself. Rather it will provide the fingerprinting technology that runs the biometric features and will license the solution to USB manufacturers. The company is demoing the technology in action with a USB dongle this week at Computex and expects it to be ready for mass production at the end of 2016.

The turnkey solution will be provided at low cost to equipment manufacturers, according to Godfrey Cheng, vice president of marketing at the Human Interface Systems Division (HISD) at Synaptics, and can be bundled or sold separately.

“Our new USB fingerprint reader expands our lineup of PC peripherals,” Cheng said in a related statement, “enabling our customers to offer consumers myriad options for adding fingerprint sensing to existing notebook and desktop PCs.”

Biometric reader services appear to be growing in popularity. In a recent survey, 52 percent of respondents said they would rather use alternative authentication methods like biometrics for logging in rather than a traditional password.

Editors' Recommendations

Jonathan Keane
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Jonathan is a freelance technology journalist living in Dublin, Ireland. He's previously written for publications and sites…
Microsoft Surface Laptop 5, Surface Pro 9 heavily discounted today
The Surface Pro 9 in laptop mode on a table.

Microsoft's Surface devices are well known for their versatility and performance, but they command premium prices. That's why there's always high demand for Surface Laptop and Surface Pro deals, as who doesn't want to enjoy a discount when making a huge investment? If you're interested, Best Buy is offering the Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 at $300 off, which brings its price down to $1,000 from $1,300, and the Microsoft Surface Pro 9 at $540 off, which lowers its price also to $1,000 from $1,540, ahead of the arrival of the consumer versions of the Surface Laptop 6 and Surface Pro 10. You need to push through with your transaction as soon as possible if either of these bargains caught your attention, as we're not sure how much time is remaining before they disappear.
Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 -- $1,000, was $1,300

The Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 is a traditional Windows 11 laptop that's powered by the 12th-generation Intel Core i5 Evo processor, Intel Iris Xe Graphics, and 8GB of RAM. It won't match up to the performance of the best laptops, but it's going to be more than enough to handle daily tasks for work or school. The laptop features a 13.5-inch PixelSense touchscreen with vibrant colors and sharp details, a battery that can last up to 18 hours on a single charge, and a 512GB SSD that provides ample storage space for your files. The Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 also comes with a 720p webcam and dual far-field Studio Mics for clear video calls.

Read more
The best MacBook to buy in 2024
Apple MacBook Pro 16 downward view showing keyboard and speaker.

Now that Apple has started outfitting its laptops with its M3 generation of chips, it's time to take another look at which is the best MacBook to buy in 2024. That’s not always easy, though, as buying the newest MacBook isn’t always the right decision. Apple has several tiers of performance, as well as various sizes, which can further complicate the matter.

What’s more, you can also still get M1 and M2 MacBooks, some from Apple’s own website and some from third-party retailers. But are they still worth your money? Our guide should help you decide.

Read more
9 best laptops of 2024: tested and reviewed
The MacBook Air on a white table.

To earn the crown as the best laptop in 2024, a device needs to have it all: gorgeous design, killer performance, a productive keyboard, long-lasting battery life, and much more.

Each of the laptops below has been vetted thoroughly by Digital Trends. Whether it's an affordable Chromebook or a top-of-the-line gaming laptop, they've all been subjected to real-world testing, as well as benchmark and battery tests, to collect enough data to objectively pit them against each other.

Read more