# Secure Authentication Earbuds NEC Uses Sound-Capturing Earbuds to Verify Your Identity By Malika Renee Butss | Published 2016-03-09 | Tech Source: Trend Hunter, https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/soundcapturing-earbuds References: [engadget](http://www.engadget.com/2016/03/08/nec-earbud-identity-tech/) & [geek](http://www.geek.com/science/nec-uses-sound-echoes-in-your-ear-as-biometric-authentication-1649229/) The tech world thought smartphone security hit a revolution with fingerprint authorization, but the industry has been once again blown away and it's with sound-capturing earbuds. Utilizing technology that uses the way sound resonates in the ear canal to identify a person, tech company [NEC](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/public-safety-and-security) developed a way to [verify identity](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/iris-id) using the ears. The newly developed authentication technology comes in the form of microphone-equipped earbuds that measure the acoustics after sending out a sound. It has been reported that the sound-capturing earbuds work with 99% accuracy and only take a second to extract measurements. While NEC does plan to commercialize the product in 2018, the company sees the earbuds best used to ensure security of critical infrastructure and continually verifying someone's identity during confidential calls. ## Trend Insights (Trend Hunter) - Score: 1.0/10 - Popularity: 11% | Activity: 12% | Freshness: 8% - Audience gender: 50% men, 50% women - Primary generations: Millennial - Top markets: North America ## Categories [Trend Hunter](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends) > [Tech](https://www.trendhunter.com/tech) > [Gadgets](https://www.trendhunter.com/gadgets) ## Key Themes ### What's Driving This Trend - **Sound-capturing Biometrics:** Developing authentication technology that uses sound-capturing earbuds to verify a person's identity through the acoustics of the ear canal presents disruptive innovation opportunities in the field of biometrics. - **Instant Recognition:** Creating earbuds that can extract measurements and verify identity with 99% accuracy in just a second opens up disruptive innovation opportunities in the field of instant recognition technology. - **Secure Authentication Wearables:** Integrating microphone-equipped earbuds as a secure authentication tool for critical infrastructure and confidential calls offers disruptive innovation opportunities in the wearable technology industry. ### Who This Affects Most - **Biometrics:** The development of sound-capturing earbuds for identity verification provides disruptive innovation opportunities in the biometrics industry. - **Instant Recognition Technology:** The advancement of earbuds that can instantly extract measurements and verify identity with high accuracy presents disruptive innovation opportunities in the instant recognition technology industry. - **Wearable Technology:** The integration of microphone-equipped earbuds as a secure authentication tool offers disruptive innovation opportunities in the wearable technology industry, particularly in securing critical infrastructure and confidential calls. ## Related on Trend Hunter - [Neural Technology Earbuds](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/wisearphones-smart-earbuds.md) - [Ear Condition-Diagnosing Earbuds](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/earhealth-earbuds.md) - [Camera-Equipped Earbuds](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/tws-earbud.md) - [EEG-Powered Sleeping Earbuds](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/nextsense-smartbuds.md) - [Personalized Sound Earbuds](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/mbe001-tws.md) - [Heart-Monitoring Earbuds](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/heartmonitoring-earbuds.md) - [Camera-Equipped AI Earbuds](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/cell-buds.md) - [Health-Sensing Earbuds](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/soundcore-liberty-4.md) - [Open-Ear Audio Systems](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/soundcore-aerofit-2-pro.md)