Insert Coin: PIPA Touch fingerprint reader lets phone owners authenticate most anything

_In Insert Coin, we look at an exciting new tech project that requires funding before it can hit production. If you'd like to pitch a project, please [send us a tip](http://www.engadget.com/about/tips/) with "Insert Coin" as the subject line._

[](http://www.engadget.com/2012/12/12/insert-coin-pipa-touch-fingerprint-reader/)

Mobile security beyond PIN codes and passwords is usually a tentative affair. There's fingerprint readers, but they're often specific to [the device](http://www.engadget.com/2008/08/12/lenovos-p960-handset-packs-a-fingerprint-scanner/) or [the platform](http://www.engadget.com/2012/05/28/precise-biometrics-tactivo-for-iphone-and-ipad-locks-data-by-fingerprint-and-smart-card/), and sometimes limited to just a handful of tasks. Team PIPA wants to raise funds for a more universal solution. Its PIPA Touch scanner can add biometric authentication to phones' lock screens, websites and other tasks through a developer kit, and a modular design lets it slip into cases for the Android, iOS and Windows Phone devices that should receive support. Security goes beyond most fingerprint readers, as well: while a basic swipe-and-done scan is an option, the truly cautious can require a multi-scan sequence that fends off just about any intruder.

[Continue reading _Insert Coin: PIPA Touch fingerprint reader lets phone owners authenticate most anything_](http://www.engadget.com/2012/12/12/insert-coin-pipa-touch-fingerprint-reader/)

Filed under: [Cellphones](http://www.engadget.com/category/cellphones/), [Peripherals](http://www.engadget.com/category/peripherals/), [Mobile](http://www.engadget.com/category/mobile/)

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**Source:** [PIPA Touch (Indiegogo)](http://www.indiegogo.com/pipa-touch)

URL: http://www.engadget.com/2012/12/12/insert-coin-pipa-touch-fingerprint-reader/