Kanguru adds USB2.0 flash drive with fingerprint scanner

Millis, MA, April 28, 2005 -- (MobileVillage) -- Kanguru Solutions today released the Kanguru Bio Drive, the company's first USB2.0 flash drive with a biometric fingerprint recognition sensor that aims to authenticate the user.

The built-in biometric sensor scans the user's fingerprint, allowing access to an encrypted part of the drive once an exact fingerprint match is confirmed. Since an individual fingerprint acts as a password, there is no other password to remember. The Kanguru Bio Drive can store up to 5 fingerprints per drive, and offers the option to set a recovery password should the sensor undergo substantial damage.

To begin using the Kanguru Bio Drive, the user inserts the drive into an available USB port and place a selected finger onto the sensor square on the center of the drive. During set-up, the user is shown that the sensor is reading and recording the fingerprint until the print is fully captured. Once saved, any one of the five fingerprints can be recognized with up to 15 degrees of recognizable rotation, according to Kanguru.

All fingerprint images are stored directly on the Kanguru Bio Drive, allowing the device to be used on any PC. All data on the Bio Drive is stored in an encrypted section of the drive, which is only accessible with fingerprint authorization. The drive uses a finger print sensor that has a false acceptance rate of 1 in 1,000,000 and false rejection rate of 1 in 1000, according to the company.

The Kanguru Bio Drive weighs 19 grams and resists up to 1000G of shock, according to Kanguru. It offers storage capacities ranging from 256MB up to 1G, and operates on Windows 98/SE/ME/2000/XP. For more information, see Kanguru.com.

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