A pointing device is any piece of hardware that is used to allow a user to input spatial data to a computer. By moving a mouse, pen or a finger around, a user can implement movements and changes on the computer screen. The most common type of pointing device is the mouse and the arrow. …
A biometric coprocessor is a device that is capable of scanning a user’s physical attributes in order to allow access to a building or computer network. A biometric coprocessor is essentially a fingerprint reader, but may also include sensors that analyze the user’s eyes, voice, or even breath. The term “biometric coprocessor” comes from the …
Bluetooth technology has become commonplace in modern society and has expanded the ways in which people communicate with each other. Bluetooth has allowed for drivers to talk on the phone without using their hands, teenagers to listen to music without plugging their headphones into their MP3 players, and computer users to be more mobile by …
Optical mice are the de facto standard for mice to communicate between the end user and the computer. The optical mouse is a great improvement of the mechanical mouse that was created in the early 1970s. Agilent Technologies introduced the Optical mouse in 1999. The technology uses a tiny camera that takes thousands of pictures …
Fingerprint scanners are biometric security systems designed to use the distinct features of an individual's fingerprints to provide security. Fingerprint scanners are now being used in police stations, security-intensive industries and, most recently, on computer shops as a peripheral device for computers. Biology of a Fingerprint Every person has marks on his fingers. These marks …
A flatbed scanner is a device that is able to scan a document and then convert what it has read into digital information. Flatbed scanners are different from other types of scanner because flatbed scanners allow the user to simply lay the document down on the machine, close the lid, and scan both sides of …
To provide additional portability to computer users, IT manufacturers have created wireless keyboards that do not have to be kept at the user's desk. Wireless keyboards can be used by both desktop and laptop users as the technology used in wireless keyboards is universal to all computer models. While wireless keyboards may offer additional mobility …
An occupancy sensor is a device that is capable of detecting and/or recording the amount of people in a room or area. Occupancy sensors are most often used to determine how many people are in an area that may restrict the total occupancy or in a system that turns lights/other accessories off when no one …
A pressure transmitter or pressure sensor is a device that measures pressure in a liquid, fluid, or gas. Pressure transmitters are commonly used to measure pressure inside of industrial machinery in order to alert the user before a catastrophe occurs. They have many different uses, most of which are industrial or automotive in nature. A …
One of the more interesting pieces of technology that has been released for the laptop computer is the fingerprint reader, which makes logging into a computer so much easier. The software that HP laptops use is Bioscrypt’s VeriSoft Access Manager. By sliding one’s finger across a small metallic sensor, the software is able to read …