Windows Hello fingerprint authentication: Not as secure as you think

Photo: Canadian Reviewer

Researchers have found security flaws in several fingerprint sensors used in laptops that work with the Windows Hello authentication feature. These flaws can allow bad actors to bypass fingerprint authentication easily and take control of the devices.

The researchers from Blackwing Intelligence tested laptops from Dell, Lenovo, and Microsoft, which use fingerprint sensors from companies like Goodix, Synaptics, and ELAN. They revealed various attacks that can affect these laptops, such as man-in-the-middle and evil maid attacks, at Microsoft’s BlueHat conference in October.

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Dell's new stylus comes with built-in Tile finding tech

Source: Dell

Dell unveiled a new stylus a few days ago with a handy trick. The Premier Rechargeable Active Pen comes with Tile's finding technology. So, if you misplace it, you can use Tile's app to make the stylus buzz and flash its LED lights to find where it is nearby. And if it's farther than your immediate vicinity, you can see its last known location and use Tile's network to track it down.

The stylus has three shortcut buttons and 4,096 levels of pressure sensitivity. It comes with up to a 40-day runtime on a single charge and can be recharged to 80 percent via USB-C in around 20 minutes. Dell doesn't mention wireless charging for this stylus, but you can magnetically attach it to compatible Dell 2-in-1 laptops. The Premier Rechargeable Active Pen retails for US$110 (around CA$138 converted).

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Dell XPS 13 Plus gets a new keyboard design... and a touch bar?

Source: Dell

Aside from home entertainment updates, CES is also about laptops. One of the new updates from Dell is a new look to its XPS 13 laptop. The latest XPS 13 Plus gets a new keyboard look that flattens the keys into the body, and the large haptic trackpad takes up the area across the bottom of the keyboard. The capacity keys are now in a touch bar-like design above the keyboard, which the company says takes up less space and offers more room for thermals that help keep the air flowing and the system cool.

There are two up-firing speakers underneath the keyboard, which should come in handy when you're watching your favourite shows on the 13.4-inch InfinityEdge display. Dell offers up to 4K resolution configurations with OLED and touchscreen options, too. The screen also gets Eyesafe technology to help reduce harmful blue light coming from the display. The 4K options are DisplayHDR certified. There is a 720p webcam at the top of the screen. Actually, this laptop gets two cameras: an RGB one and an IR for better quality and resolution.

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The Dell Concept Pari is a detachable webcam prototype

Source: Dell

A few weeks before CES 2022, Dell shared a handful of concepts that explores the issues we have with the work-from-home/mobile/flexible setup. One of the standout concepts is a simple little wireless webcam called Concept Pari. It's a standalone webcam you can place on top of compatible monitors magnetically, a standalone arm/accessory, or even in your hand. It is armed with a 1080p resolution camera, the expected resolution for modern webcams. Since this webcam is wireless, you can easily pick it up and place it at an angle that's right at your eye line.

The Concept Pari has a vertical indicator light, ensuring you have the correct alignment while you're on your video call. A compatible charging dock can charge the battery wirelessly, which you will need on hand. Forbes reports the prototype's battery lasts for around an hour. As it stands, concepts aren't guaranteed to become shippable products in the future. But we like where Dell's head is with this concept. And we hope to see it in future gadgets the company will put out. 

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