FBI Picks iPhone As Its New Crime-Fighting Partner, Dismisses Android Smartphones [Re

**lefty** · 12-07-2011

FBI Picks iPhone As Its New Crime-Fighting Partner, Dismisses Android Smartphones [Report]

By Usman on December 7th, 2011 1
According to a report by Cult Of Mac, it seems that FBI has also decided to make use of iPhone’s immense versatility. A pocketable device designed by Fulcrum Technologies called ‘mobileOne’ slips over an iPhone or iPod touch and can instantly take high-quality fingerprints. Because of the iPhone’s Wi-Fi and cellular connectivity, fingerprints obtained can be quickly compared to those in national databases.
According to Ken Nosker, the president of Fulcrum Technologies, an iPhone could significantly shorten the time police officers need to wait while fingerprints are run through a national database. He also dismissed Android smartphones as potential candidates for his device complaining that every handset has a different interface and is simply not as stable as the iPhone’s OS.

Detailing from the source:

The chief benefits of using an iPhone fingerprint device are saving time and money. If an officer must take a suspect in for fingerprints, the delay could be hours, and although there are mobile fingerprinting units, their high price means more delays as police search for the one or two they can afford. On the other hand, many police officers already have iPhones, and the cost of the mobileOne device is within reach of even the smallest police departments.
But why not Android? For biometrics — which can include fingerprints, facial analysis – even voiceprints — “Apple provides the most stable platform, bar none,” Nosker said. He dismissed the vast array of Android handsets, complaining that 30 or 40 Android smartphones had 30 or 40 different ways to interface with his fingerprint device. In other words, Google’s OS can forget about being deputized, and Android will never be a RoboCop.

In 2012, the mobileOne iPhone will be among devices that undergo trials by the FBI. Once approved, the iPhone fingerprint product could be available to all U.S. law enforcement looking for serious criminals. The mobileOne device is expected to cost $600.