Biometric Scanners

[Vini]

Well... At first I thought this was a gimmick that I wouldnt be interested in. My new laptop (Toshiba Tecra M5) has one built in, and I've just spent the last 5 minutes playing with it.

I have to admit, that I think I could get used to it!!

It uses the UPEK Protector Suite. I love the fact that I can sign into websites etc, purely by scanning my finger. Neat!

And open programs based on the finger used to scan...

Damn clever stuff... Gimmick, yes. Clever, yes!

[Funkstar]

i did notice they are appearing on more and more laptops these days, never played with one though

I don't trust them for security though, not after watching the MythBusters fooling them.

[Vini]

i did notice they are appearing on more and more laptops these days, never played with one though

I don't trust them for security though, not after watching the MythBusters fooling them.

Haha, yeah, but the lengths they went to were a bit ott.

I just like the gimmicky bit to them, quite cool. If a little annoying and long winded.

[Steve B]

using a high-definition webcam as a retinal scanner, now that would be good

[directhex]

Haha, yeah, but the lengths they went to were a bit ott.

I just like the gimmicky bit to them, quite cool. If a little annoying and long winded.

you mean lengths like "using a photocopier"?

[Vini]

you mean lengths like "using a photocopier"?

The direct photocopy didnt work though did it... they had to use the photocopy to make a 'gel' fingerprint (which was about a 5 step process)

[directhex]

The direct photocopy didnt work though did it... they had to use the photocopy to make a 'gel' fingerprint (which was about a 5 step process)

the direct photocopy did work, once they warmed it up a bit

[Vini]

the direct photocopy did work, once they warmed it up a bit

By warmed do you mean scanning in, blowing the image up and tidying it up?

I've just whipped through that episode and couldnt find the bit where a direct photo copy worked

Either way, Its a gimmick, but quite cool.

[chrestomanci]

The basic problem with using fingerprints (or DNA) for biometric identificaton is that you leave samples everywhere you go. This is great for police work because they can easily find out who was at a crime scene, but it is terible if you want to use biometics as a key to unlock somthing like a laptop becase it is easy for someone to take a sample that you have left behind and use it to fool the scaner.

A much better choice would be an iris (not retena) scan. Because of the need to get your eye fairly close to the scanner and hold it still it would be quite hard for someone to capture an image of your retena without your knowlege.

Though it is possible to fake an iris scan using something like a specialy printed contatct lens, it is quite difficult, and definatley harder than trying to fool a fingerprint scanner.

I don't think it would be that hard to include an iris scanner in a laptop. Most new ones have web-cams these days, so all that you would have to to is to put your eye about 6 inches from it, line yourslef up using a small mirror next to the camera lens, and press a button.

[directhex]

By warmed do you mean scanning in, blowing the image up and tidying it up?

I've just whipped through that episode and couldnt find the bit where a direct photo copy worked

Either way, Its a gimmick, but quite cool.

last one they tried

and by "warmed up" i mean "held the paper near a heat source" - they put the photocopy over their real thumb, and it went through

[Steve B]

you dont leave your eyes wherever you go...

[jonnyniner]

I agree that these are useful...It's great that I can push a button in my office when I leave my desk and nobody can start sending e-mails to that ugly lass in purchasing for a date again without my fingerprint to unlock the desktop.

[SpawnofSonic]

i have a USB thumbprint one, its good but as its not built in the software eats a good 15Mb of ram Its good but not good enough for me