Recent security breaches, including a well-publicized incident involving ID fraud at the O'Hare Airport, have caused Congress, airports, and the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) to push for biometric identification for airport employees nationwide. While airports have issued employee ID badges for years, the focus is now shifting towards biometrics, and the inclusion of fingerprints and iris recognition in all airport worker credentials.

In January, Congress authorized for 90-day tests of airport screening, including the use of biometric IDs, to begin in May. Biometric ID cards will be tested at Denver International and Boston Logon International airports, and the TSA will report on the tests next fall.

While Congress and the TSA move forward on this issue, an airport consortium has begun to develop its own biometric solution. The coalition is hoping for an ID card solution that allows for local control. The airports are also working with TSA on an interoperability project that would allow the identification cards to be used at more than just one airport.

It's still undetermined when the biometric credentials would be officially rolled out, and how the project would be funded.

Learn more about biometric identification.

While it's pretty much a given that student IDs on college campuses will serve a variety of functions beyond identification - for instance paying for meals, checking out library books, making photocopies, etc - elementary school ID programs are typically more simple. But with advanced ID card technology becoming more readily available, and affordable, many schools are re-evaluating their ID card programs, looking for ways to increase security and card functionality. One such school is Tatum Ridge Elementary in Sarasota, Fla. Tatum Ridge is one of a handful of schools in Sarasota County testing out new student ID cards that the district hopes to push countywide beginning in 2009.

The new student IDs, beyond serving as name badges, will be integrated with school meal plans. Parents can add funds to an account associated with their child's ID card which is swiped through a reader when the student moves through the lunch line. Students will also be able to use the cards to access materials in the school media center and library. There's no need for an additional library card. Another benefit of the new student ID program is the badges will quickly identify students to substitute teachers who might not know their names.

Learn more about student ID cards.

In Singapore, a new ID card program is about to launch that aims to protect those suffering from dementia. The cards will be distributed to dementia patients so that members of the public can contact the patient's family if he or she found lost or wandering around.

Dementia is a degenerative brain condition that often results in memory lapses. Patients with the condition are unable to care for themselves as it gets worse. They are known to wander from their homes and get lost. The ID cards are meant to be worn on a lanyard around the neck. The information on the card includes the patient's name, spoken language, and contact info for family members. Other important information such as drug allergies will also be included.

Currently, 20,000 people in Singapore are afflicted with dementia.

Learn more about healthcare ID cards.

The days of simply showing student ID cards to attendants at Middle Tennessee State University's rec center are over. Under a new ID card program aimed at higher security, upwards of 23,000 MTSU students are required to trade in their current ID cards, which simply had magnetic stripes, for new Blue ID Cards, which enable biometric features in order to ensure higher security.

Hand geometry technology is the basis of the new Blue ID Card, which takes a scan of the outline of the hand and stores it in a database. When a student enters the MTSU gym with a new Blue ID card, they will first place their hand on a special biometrics-enabled reader that can perform a hand scan and match it to a pre-existing file. After the scan is completed, the student will then have to enter the last four digits of their student ID number. Along with being a more effective way of identifying students, it will also prevent card sharing, where students or unauthorized visitors would borrow a friend's card to use the facilities (a common problem before the implementation of this new ID card program

Read more about the new Blue ID Card at the MTSU Sidelines...

Valparaiso University is ending daytime open access to its dormitories and plans on setting up a card-based access control system by this summer or the start of the next school year. The new system will require student ID cards to open all residence hall entrances.

Valparaiso is just one of many schools taking this step in terms of access control. Campus security has been a huge issue in recent years, and providing tighter security for residence halls is one way to better protect students. With enhanced technology, schools can now create multifunctional student IDs which can be integrated into an access control system using magnetic stripe, proximity card, or contactless smart card encoding.

Proximity cards and contactless smart cards have become quite popular for this application because of the convenience they offer, as well as their strong security features. A system designed to handle these types of cards would require a student to simply waive their student ID card in front of a special reader in order to gain access to their dormitory.

Other benefits of card-based access control for residence halls include integration with alarm systems and automated alerts, and the ability handle lockdown situations in cases of emergency.

In an effort to build multiple functions into a single ID card, the Washington DC city government has unveiled the “One Card.” The photo ID serves as a resident's ID card, while also allowing the holder to access public services at locations such as libraries, pools, and parks. Additionally, the card can function as a student ID, and there are plans to integrate the One Card into the Metro public transportation system. It will also be used as an access card for DC government buildings and programs.

The aim of the One Card is to add convenience, and cut costs by incorporating a variety of functions into one ID card program. This June, for instance, children participating in the city's Summer Youth program will receive One Cards, as will students at all Washington DC public schools next fall. Consolidating different card types into a single program is expected to yield long-term savings for government operations, and offers cardholders a great deal of convenience by eliminating the need to carry different cards for every imaginable function.

Read more at DC.gov...

The Department of Defense is making improvements to its ID card program in order to meet the requirements of Homeland Security Presidential Directive 12. HSPD-12 calls for new personal identification verification (PIV) cards to be issued to all military and civilian employees working for the DoD. The enhanced PIV cards will use contactless card technology to provide physical and logical access to facilities as well as computer systems.

In order to enter DoD buildings, cardholders will be able to waive their identity passes by a reader that interprets the data stored on the ID card. The DoD already has about 2,300 contactless card stations in buildings worldwide for its existing Common Access Card program. Those stations are being upgraded for the rollout of the new HSDP-12 cards.

The HSDP-compliant identification cards look much different than the old Common Access Card. The new IDs feature a wavy background to prevent counterfeiting. They are contactless smart cards, and they include sophisticated features that greatly enhance security, both for protecting the card holder, as well as the Department's facilities and highly sensitive computer systems.

Learn more about military ID cards.

Ithaca College has begun installation of a new access control system for residence halls. The new system will require students to use their ID cards, rather than keys, to enter buildings. Special key card access boxes on the outer doors of residence halls will read the student IDs to grant access.

The new access control system will be piloted on specific residence halls next fall, before a full rollout. All student ID cards will be replaced with new cards designed for use with the keyless entry system.

Benefits of the system include enhanced security and convenience. If a door is damaged, or propped open, the system automatically alerts Public Safety. And if a student loses his or her ID card, it can simply be deactivated before someone else can use it to gain entry.



Read more in the Ithacan Online...

Learn more about access control for residence halls...

ID card accessories aren't the only thing world identification leader HID had up its sleeve this week at ISC west - the worldwide leader in card production also unveiled a new ID card system involving its newest and most advanced printer - the HDP5000. Based around the HDP5000's High Definition Printing (HDP) technology, Fargo's HDP5000 Card Identity System promises to be a comprehensive and secure card printing solution that prints only the highest quality cards.

Like other Fargo printers, the HDP5000 has a modular design that allows the printer to grow along with an organization's needs. This innovative design feature allows users to purchase a simple single-sided printer, then expand it with double-sided, lamination and encoding modules (for magnetic stripes, smart cards, and contactless smart cards). A wide variety of modules and easy field installation makes the Fargo HDP5000 and the HDP5000 system one of the most flexible card printing solutions on the market today.

HID Global, a worldwide leader in ID card printers, announced yesterday at ISC West 2008 that it would be adding a line of ID card accessories to its current offerings. HID's new line of card accessories includes:

• Lanyards - in five different styles (including woven and flat varieties), with seven different colors and five different options for attachment.


• Four different styles of retractable reels, with sixteen color choices and two clip options


• Five styles of clear badge holders.


• Five different kinds of vinyl strap clips.

ID accessories are vital to many different ID card applications, especially those like offices, schools and retail stores - where ID cards need to be visible at all times. HID's new line of ID card accessories can help expand business as well as make creating a comprehensive photo ID system easier than ever. Read more at CR80 News...

A Latino community group in Asbury Park, New Jersey, is building a new ID card program in an effort to improve communications with emergency service providers. The cards are not considered official documents, but include each resident's name, photo, birth date, address, and phone number. For those who speak very little English, the cards will also include the phone number of a friend who can help translate for police when Spanish-speaking officers are not available.

These ID cards could prove valuable in situations where police officers must quickly gather information from a member of the community about a crime or incident. Police are also hopeful that the cards will enable them to track down and notify family members when Spanish-speaking residents are taken to the hospital on first aid calls.

The Latino Network community group will handle distribution of the ID cards.

Zona Systems, a Seattle-based company, has developed an RFID-based system that aims to enhance security for children making bus trips to and from school. Using RFID technology, the new ZPass system makes it possible to identify when a student boards or exits the school bus. Each student is issued a unique RFID card. A special reader on the bus recognizes the card, even if it's kept in the student's wallet or backpack. No waiving or swiping of the card is required.  The system provides parents and school officials with peace of mind by tracking each child's daily journey.

Here's how the ZPass system works: As the student enters the school bus, a card reader captures the time, date, and location, then transmits that information to a secure database. Authorized school personnel can then access the information remotely using a standard Web browser. This allows them to keep better track of children from the time they first board the bus in the morning to the moment they're dropped off after school.

HID Global announced today that it has joined forces with Dynamic Card Solutions to develop and launch CardWizard FCP 20/20, an instant issuance system for printing financial cards. CardWizard FCP 20/20 works using the same high definition printing technology found in Fargo's line of HDP ID card printers. Fargo's high definition printing process enables users of the system to produce sophisticated, full-color cards on the fly, with sophisticated security features and high definition graphics.

The CardWizard FCP 20/20, used in conjunction with Dynamic Card Solutions' CardWizard software, provides a secure and fully automated system for instant financial card issuance, activation, and PIN selection. Cards can be fully personalized on the spot, and financial branches using the system will no longer need multiple pre-printed card stocks to issue various card types. Each card can be printed on demand.

Other benefits of the system, besides instant issuance, include increased security, simplified branch operations, and opportunities for brand marketing.

Blackboard Communications Systems, a networking tool used by universities and learning institutions around the globe, announced that it has joined forces with Sony to produce contactless student ID card systems in the United States. Blackboard is an online teaching aid, in which students and professors may share information, lecture notes, upload assignments and communicate online. Now, Blackboard is venturing into the security business. The multi-functional cards Blackboard plans to develop would combine access, data and security systems. These state-of-the-art ID cards would function as debit cards, building entrance cards, class schedule data devices and more. Professors may even use the cards as a way to take attendance for classes.

The cards will contain FeliCa chips, which integrate with cell phones, door access readers and other card readers-- both attended and unattended. From Japan to the Phillipines, FeliCa chips make transit passes and financial cards work. But Blackboard hopes to use these contactless student ID badges not only for convenience, but to deter and prevent violence in schools, since school shootings have unfortunately become an increasingly regular occurence. If the FeliCa cards are used in conjunction with students' cell phones, it would be possible to send text message updates to all students in the event of class cancellation or, on a more sober note, an emergency lockdown.

Read more about Blackboard's contactless smart card program here.

In a shocking blow for Chicago O'Hare's reputation, federal and local law enforcement officials arrested 24 illegal workers they suspect were using fake security badges to work in restricted areas of the O'Hare airport. The badges were actually real, but deactivated O'Hare ID cards, and police are at a loss to explain how workers still managed to gain access to sensitive areas with the non-functioning cards. Police also apprehended two managers at Ideal Staffing Solutions, Inc., the temp agency that hired illegal immigrants knowingly and provided them with the false IDs, which gave them access to purportedly secure areas around O'Hare. Most of the workers loaded freight for companies doing business with O'Hare-- including commercial airlines.

One specific incident involved Ideal Staffing Solutions manager Norinye Benitez, who allegedly presented a box of 20 ID cards to a worker, instructing him to choose a card with a photograph that most closely resembled himself. Federal agents had enlisted that worker to help them prove that the badges could be used to access sensitive areas of the airport. He ended up using the card to access a United Airlines cargo area. Now, Benitez, who is also in the United States illegally, faces up to 10 years in prison for harboring illegal immigrants and misusing a Social Security number. A police report found that of 120 applications for airport badges submitted by Ideal, 110 of the individuals used false or stolen Social Security numbers.

Aside from the terrifying knowledge that any one of these people had access to cargo that would be directly transferred onto commercial jets, this story reminds us that airport security doesn't stop with passengers. It's up to the airlines to make sure that all of their employees are who they say they are-- and have up-to-date ID badges. We can only hope that this was a freak occurence and not the norm.

Find out more about the false ID situation at O'Hare here.

From Missouri to Utah, parents are learning that it never hurts to be too cautious. Last year’s infamous Michael Devlin kidnapping and child abuse case has spurred a resurgence of child identification database and ID card creation in Missouri, where Devlin held Shawn Hornbeck and Ben Ownby captive in his Kirkwood, MO apartment. While Hornbeck and Ownby were fortunate enough to escape with their lives, the abuse they suffered has left parents wondering what they can do to protect their children—or, at the very least, help get them home safely and quickly—from the nightmare of child abduction.

Enter the Missouri Child Identification & Protection Program (MoCHIP), a free organization that provides parents with their child’s ID card and a mini-disc containing a copy of their fingerprints and digital photographs. The minidisc is compatible with the Amber Alert system (a nationwide alert that goes out whenever a child goes missing) so that law enforcement officials have that information already on hand. Children also bite down on a dental “wafer” that seals the child’s DNA in a plastic casing. So far, MoCHIP has prepared these ID kits for more than 36,000 Missouri children, and its popularity is expected to increase as more parents become aware that the free service exists.

Meanwhile, across the country, the Rotary Club of American Fork, Utah recently raised the funds to launch a similar program to create free Amber Alert Child IDs for parents whose missing children may have been abducted and are facing imminent danger. In an emergency, parents should call police and give the 14-digit number on their child’s card, which helps save precious seconds. Distressed parents may not be in the right condition to give information on a child’s appearance, but with the Amber Alert Child ID system, police can use the number to look up a child’s information and begin the search as fast as possible. All work is voluntary, and they are currently raising money to ID as many local children as possible.

Read more for more information on the Missouri child ID program.

These days, the typical student ID card carries much more than a name and photo. For students enrolled at Ireland's Mary Immaculate College, the cards now provide access to campus buildings, dormitories, and their dorm rooms. The college recently installed a proximity card access control system that involves wall readers, IP-based door locks, and other integrated security features, all operating across a single network. To gain access to campus buildings, students must now hold their student IDs up to special proximity card reader. The cards provide convenience, enhanced security, and completely eliminate the need to carry physical keys.

With electronic access control upping the level of campus safety for students and staff, school officials are now looking at other ways to utilize the new and improved students IDs. Possibilities for additional functions include integration with student printing and photocopying, cashless vending, and parking fees.

Learn more about campus access control systems...

Individuals who work or visit government buildings in La Salle County, Ill. might be required to wear identification badges in the not-so-distant future. The county’s Courthouse and Jail Committee has been asked  to explore the idea of enhancing security for county facilities, most notably the courthouse, and the Governmental and Criminal Justice complex. There is concern that it’s too easy for unauthorized individuals to slip past security and access the buildings. An ID card program would help to ensure that access is only granted to the appropriate employees and visitors.

While board members are already issued IDs, most simply carry them in their wallets. The committee is exploring alternatives to the current system. One idea is to employ a more sophisticated card-based access control system that uses electronic card readers. Restricted areas would only be accessible for authorized employees with a certain ID card. Another option - less costly, and probably less secure - is to require employees to leave their badges at the security desk when they arrive, then pick up the cards when they leave. This would allow security to keep a record of who’s in and out.

Read more in The Times...

Public offices in Los Angeles aren't concentrated - like the city, municipal office buildings and employees are scattered throughout the Los Angeles Basin. From its three city halls to the utility companies, employees had long used independent security systems - with each building being responsible for producing its own entry and access control cards.

Keeping tabs on multiple systems wasn't effective in the long run for the LA city government - with each requiring different software, databases and setup, the independent systems quickly became a drain on both security and administrative budgets. In order to combat the problem, the LA city government is rolling out a universal access control card system based on HID's iClass technology. This versatile card technology supports multiple uses while remaining one of the most user-friendly products on the market.

Along with making administration and management of the city's multiple buildings easier, security has been streamlined. Now with the iClass cards, which all function from the same database, authorities can be notified quickly and efficiently should something in one of the city's many buildings go awry.

Read more at SourceSecurity.com.

In New Delhi, the National AIDS Control Organization (NACO) is pushing a plan that would provide AIDS patients with electronic smart cards containing their entire case history. The aim of the program is to ensure continuity in the treatment of patients seeking care at Anti-Retroviral Therapy (ART) centers located throughout the country.

New Delhi's ART Centers provide free treatment to AIDS patients. With the smart card, it will be much easier for these patients to receive proper and consistent care, even when traveling from one city to another. By issuing electronic smart cards, NACO will also be able to more accurately keep track of the growing number of AIDS patients in the country. The organization is currently in the process of computerizing medical records, and plans to issue the smart cards later this year.

The homeless citizens of Oklahoma City may have more efficient and helpful services in the near future, thanks to an ID card developed by the directory of the city's Homeless Alliance. The ID card program, called the Homeless Management Information System, will store the demographic information of homeless people who commonly use city services.

The homeless who provide information to the database will be given a photo ID card in turn that will be presented when they check into a shelter or food kitchen. Database entries for card holders will be updated regularly. The Homeless Management Information System came to be after fears arose about an antibiotic-resistant strain of tuberculosis was spreading nationwide and in Oklahoma City. With an ID card program, Oklahoma's homeless shelters, soup kitchens, clinics, and other homeless care providers can quickly check on a person's history, monitor trends among the population, and help avoid preventable tragedies.

Read more at KTEN.com...

Many rail, bus, and other transit systems are making the switch to smart cards for quick and easy fare payments. But how convenient is it if you have to carry a different card for each form of transportation, or for mass transit systems in different cities? To solve this problem, a number of cities are exploring ways to develop programs which use a single card for multiple transit systems, even those operating in different regions.

In Pennsylvania, Jersey, and throughout the Northeast, for instance, public transit authorities are moving from tokens and tickets to contactless cards. One idea is to develop a smart card which is compatible with SEPTA, PATCO and NJ Transit. This mutually acceptable card would serve as a handy E-ZPass for transit riders. But in order for the program to come to fruition, each of the transit systems must agree to move forward with standardized cards. The technology is certainly there. Now it's up to the transit agencies to determine how important cross-system compatibility is to its riders.

Read more in The Philadelphia Inquirer...

Team NiSCA has added a new entry-level, single-sided printer to it product line. The NiSCA PR-C101 ID card printer is suitable for basic, low-volume ID card applications. The printer has a compact footprint, allowing it to tuck into virtually any office setting, while also making it perfect for portable use.

The NiSCA PR-C101 has several unique features in its design. By adjusting the driver setting, you can switch the card exit location from the front of the printer to the back depending on the setup of your workspace. The printer also features a unique rotating LCD display panel that provides printer status messages and diagnostic prompts.  To ensure consistent print quality, the PR-C101 uses all-in-one ribbon cartridges that include a cleaning roller. This also makes the printer easier to maintain.

Other highlights of the NiSCA PR-C101 include 24-bit, dye-sublimation printing, a printer security port, and password protection so only authorized users can operate the device.

A smart card system known as Trainline Smart is being rolled out in the UK as a convenient new way to pay for rail and bus fares. Trainline expects its new service to account for half of all rail ticket sales by 2012. Not only does the program add convenience, it also reduces the need for producing paper tickets. Currently, Trainline Smart is being deployed in stages across UK rail and bus systems. In time it will serve as an upgrade the London Underground Oyster smart card ticketing system.

With Trainline Smart, passengers can use their cards for journeys to and from any UK station that accepts smart ticketing. Smart ticket fares are purchased online or via mobile phone, then downloaded onto the passenger's card at rail and bus stations, or at home using an inexpensive smart card reader/writer. Tickets are validated at smart-enabled ticket gates or by onboard train managers with handheld readers.

The Trainline Smart program is seen as a giant step forward in building an integrated national smart ticketing system that will eventually require passengers to carry a single card for all bus, subway, and train journeys.

Students at Sioux City's West High School must now carry ID cards with them at school after administrators got tired of breaking up hallway fights. Assistant principal Jacque Wyant says the ID cards, along with several other security measures, has reduced the number of physical fights on school grounds. But the ID cards aren't just for security. The ID cards work in conjunction with the school's new freshman mentoring program and the transformation of a locker bay that was once a popular spot for altercations into a student lounge for upperclassmen.

The cards also contain student privilege information for the school's reward system. West High administration rewards students that earn credits and behave well with "prizes" like extended lunchtime and early dismissal. If a student loses an ID card, the first replacement is free. After that, a student may pay five dollars or do community service in the building to pay for other cards. With the card program, administrators hope to teach responsibility as well as keep the peace. And while students don't always like the badge system, they do enjoy reaping the benefits of good behavior. Thanks to the program's success, other high schools in the area will implement similar programs in the near future.

Read more about Sioux City's ID card program here.

New Jersey's Lenape Regional High School District has installed an electronic visitor management system know as LobbyGuard in each of its four schools. The system is used to monitor visitors on school grounds. Electronic visitor management systems are a major improvement over the traditional paper sign-in sheets of old. With these new systems, schools are able to print photo ID badges on the spot and track visitors, create databases, run background checks, and more.

For Lenape's high schools, LobbyGuard kiosks have been set up to improve security by keeping record of all visitors who enter. Upon checking in, visitors must first type in their name and have their driver's license scanned. A digital photo of the visitor is taken and a photo ID badge is printed. The badge includes the visitor's photo and information such as date, time, and purpose of the visit. Another key element of the system is its ability to perform instant background checks against the National Sex Offender Registry, and any red-flag lists created by the school.

Learn about electronic visitor management systems available from Alpha Card...

Ever had the urge to purchase an afternoon newspaper, only to come up empty when searching your pockets for loose shrapnel? In London, spare change is no longer necessary, as you can now obtain a copy of The Evening Standard, the city's daily tabloid, by paying with a handy smart card. They're calling it the “Eros” card, in reference to the Piccadilly Circus statue and the figure on the paper's nameplate.

Evening Standard vendors have experienced lagging sales recently, facing stiff competition with a number of free daily rags, dubbed “freesheets,” now circulating throughout town. With the Eros smart card, the paper is hoping to gain back some readers by adding convenience to their daily routine. The card uses near-field communications technology. Essentially, it's a tap-and-go payment system. Customers are able to touch the card to a special device at the newspaper stand to make their purchase. They even receive rewards and discounts for frequent purchasing.

Read more about this unique use of smart cards in Editor & Publisher...

British Airways has selected SALTO Systems to install a smart proximity access control system in its new, state-of-the-art passenger terminal at London’s Heathrow Airport. The system restricts access privileges to authorized personnel only, while also providing continuous audit trail information. It works with the staff ID cards for British Airways employees, giving the airline full control over their security requirements.

The components of the access control system include intelligent wall readers along with over 200 SALTO XS4 Comfort, Security, and Glass Door lock sets. It controls access to British Airlines’ staff doors, lounges, and the first-class lounges in Heathrow’s Terminal 5.

With more and more organizations of varying sizes now printing their own, in-house ID cards and badges, the market for ID card printers is growing. Because of this, it makes sense for companies to offer affordable models equipped with similar functionality to some of the more advanced, high-end card printers.

Manufacturers such as Fargo, Zebra, Magicard, Evolis, and Datacard have all released high-value ID card printers that deliver clear and vibrant images on cards, while offering options for sophisticated functionality. It's now possible to produce multifunctional ID cards without breaking the bank. Features such as magnetic stripe encoding, RFID technology, and even smart card encoding are now available with select value printers.

Of course, there are a number of factors go into choosing the right printer, and for many high-security applications, top-shelf printers are certainly the best choice, but for small to mid-tier environments, this new wave of flexible and affordable ID card printers provides options that are very much welcome.

View Alpha Card's wide selection of ID card printer's to learn more…

Beijing, where contactless ID card technology is already a booming business, will use RFID as an integral part of its security efforts for the 2008 Olympic Games. Recent reports indicate that China is now the world's largest RFID market. Uses of the technology include access control, contactless ticketing, and tagging of equipment and hardware. So it's no surprise that RFID will play an important roll when the Olympics roll into town.

To begin with, Beijing plans on producing around seven million contactless tickets for the 17-day event which is expected to draw some 800,000 visitors. One of the advantages of issuing contactless tickets is that they're harder to reproduce. With the chance of counterfeit tickets less likely, there's no need to manually check each ticket. This will help to speed up lines. The technology will also enable security to track ticket holders, as signals are transmitted from electronic ticketing systems to central monitoring centers.

Along with contactless ticketing, RFID technology will play an important role in facility access control, and, get this, food preparation. Yes, RFID will be used to monitor and track all food products being delivered to the Olympic village. Not only will this help to protect attendees from substandard eats, it will also lessen the chances of an Olympic athlete's dreams being crushed by an untimely bout of food poisoning.

After five years of delays, dockworkers in Tacoma and Seattle will be among the first to participate in the Transportation Workers Identity Credential (TWIC) program, a federal ID card system meant to help secure America’s ports from terrorist attacks. The Transportation Security Administration oversees the program, which issues cards to any dock or transit worker with unsupervised access to secure port areas. To be employed, workers at these ports must give their fingerprints and submit to criminal background checks and terrorist watch list screening in addition to the security screening procedures already in place. Homeland Security legislation mandated that cards should be issued to dockworkers at every port in the country, but so far, only two ports in the country use TWIC cards. The TSA hopes to issue the cards in 39 additional ports, including Tacoma in Seattle, by the end of 2007 and in 147 ports by next autumn.

The government’s spared no expense with this program, and the cards they’ve created are quite advanced. These TWIC identification cards contain a swipe-able magnetic strip, tamper-resistant holograms and a smart card, which is why the cards cost $132.50 apiece. Unfortunately, that cost will be shouldered not by the government, but by individual workers for cards with a five-year lifespan.

Read more about the federal port ID cards in the Seattle Times.

16 major cities in China's southeast coast have made plans to implement smart card fare payment systems by 2010. Convenient transportation is a key factor in the development of this increasingly prosperous economic region. So far, more than 3,300 cabs have been equipped with electronic card readers. Readers are standardized so the same smart card can be used to pay fares for different cab services in different cities.

In Hangzhou, the cab administration has ordered all 7,500 of its cabs to include the electronic card readers, which will be compatible with the readers already mounted in Shanghai cabs, as well as those in Nanjing.

Residents throughout the 16 cities included in the smart card plan frequently travel across the region either for business or weekend getaways. With the new fare payment program, they'll be able to use a single smart card for any cab service. Along with the cab fare program, China's east coast has also used smart cards in electronic payment systems for express railways and fast-pass highway facilities.

The Walter Reed Army Medical Center is implementing Mobilisa's Defense ID system in order to to secure the enormous facility, which has a potential patient population of 8 million people. The center will not be issuing their own cards; instead the Defense ID scanner reads data from any government ID card-- including Canadian driver's licenses-- and crosschecks each individual against more than 100 databases of criminal offenders and other parties who have been banned from military properties.

For the Defense ID system, Walter Reed paid Mobilisa $388,554, which includes equipment, training and support. But unlike other systems that require a person to wait several weeks before receiving a badge, the Defense ID system is instant and doesn't require printing an additional ID card. So far, Defense ID has been credited with preventing almost 25,000 people from gaining entry to more than 50 different military and federal facilities.

In Trinidad, tactical police offers must now wear identification badges with their photographs on display at all times. Criminals in black have been impersonating members of tactical forces, who usually participate in the execution of search warrants and raids, in order to commit crimes against unwitting civilians. From now on, legitimate tactical unit officers will travel with uniformed police, in marked vehicles. Acting Deputy Commissioner of Crime Operations Gilbert Reyes cautioned the public against cooperating with people dressed in black who do not have proper identification on display.

Read about the Trinidad police force's new policy here.

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission is reviewing a proposal that would require all boaters to pass a safety class before operating a vessel. Upon passing the class, each boater would obtain an ID card that proves they're fit for the sea. The aim of the ID card is to cut down on the number of fatalities caused by dangerous boating. Reports show that similar boater ID card programs have reduced the number of boating fatalities by 25 percent in Oregon and Connecticut.

As it stands now, only boaters under the age of 21 must pass a safety course in Florida. The proposed plan would increase that minimum age by 5 years incrementally over the next 11 years. In other words, by 2020, the ID card will be required for all boaters under the age of 76.

With boating fatalities on the rise in Florida, most registered boaters seem to support the idea of an ID card program. In 2005, a record 81 fatalities were recorded. The hope is that those numbers will drop significantly, and the waters will be safer once the boater ID program sets sail.