Who needs passwords?
Passwords are important, of course. They help to keep your online profiles and accounts secure. But they're also a ridiculously frustrating method for maintaining privacy in the Internet age. If you're like a lot of people, you've probably forgotten a password or two or three in your day. Keeping track of all your passwords and logins can be maddening.
It may not be long, though, before the whole login/password routine becomes as obsolete as those archaic, screeching dial-up modems. Biometrics, technology capable of identifying you based on your unique biological signatures, is on the verge of going mainstream. Before long, passwords will be replaced with devices like those for fingerprint or eye scanning, voice detection or facial recognition.
In fact, a few biometric devices are already ready for the consumer market. Here are five cutting-edge examples. (Text: Bryan Nelson)
1. iPhone
Industry buzz surrounding Apple's new iPhone model, set to be unveiled later this month, strongly suggests the new design will feature a fingerprint scanner. The rumours have steadily picked up steam ever since Apple spent US$350 million to purchase AuthenTec Inc., a company that specializes in making fingerprint scanners.
Although fingerprint scanners are nothing new - various devices are already available to consumers - Apple's stake in the technology is likely to be a major boom for the industry. In fact, the rumours alone have already caused shares of several biometrics companies to skyrocket.
2. PalmSecure
Photo: Fujitsu.com
When you first think about biometrics devices you probably think about fingerprinting, eye scanning or perhaps facial recognition. But there are other unique biological signatures that devices can use for identification. Case in point: Fujitsu's PalmSecure, a device that verifies your identity based on the vein patterns in your palm.
As with fingerprints, your vein patterns are unique. PalmSecure is a device that can read these patterns by radiating your palm with near-infrared rays. This method is not just more hygienic than fingerprint scanners that require physical contact with the scanner, but it is also believed to be more secure, since vein patterns are located under the skin and are therefore more difficult to forge.
3. Scanadu Scout
Photo: scanadu.com
Privacy and identity protection aren't the only uses for biometrics devices. They're also invaluable as medical tools, capable of keeping track of things like heart rate or blood pressure. Perhaps the best all-in-one such device is Scanadu's Scout, which can read essential biometric stats such as blood flow, blood oxygen level, electrical heart activity, temperature and heart rate. And it does it all just by placing the device against your forehead.
It's almost reminiscent of the fictional medical tricorder device often wielded by Dr. McCoy on Star Trek.
4. EyeLock
Eye scanning is widely believed to be the second most trusted form of biometric identification next only to DNA sampling. Unlike DNA sampling, however, eye scanning is far less invasive.
EyeLock, by Hoyos Group, is a device capable of identifying you based on the unique patterns in your eye's iris (not to be confused with a retinal scan). The technology is so sensitive that it can even identify a subject that is in motion and/or at a distance.
5. Xbox One
The latest version of Microsoft's cutting edge gaming console, the Xbox One, will be loaded with biometrics tools. The system will be equipped with facial and voice recognition, will be able to track your movement and gait, and even measure your heartbeat.
Of course, while these features are sure to enhance the gaming experience, they also raise serious privacy concerns. The console will be storing information that can identify you inside and out, and it will be storing this information online.
It's a concern likely to be prominent as the coming biometrics boom picks up steam: How much privacy are you willing to sacrifice for added security or functionality?
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