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Mouse Scans Palms to Verify ID

Posted by CmdrTaco on from the logs-you-in-and-reads-your-future dept.

p00kiethebear writes "'Fujitsu is eyeing a variation on the centuries-old art of palmistry as the latest biometric weapon against unauthorized access to computer systems and facilities. The company has developed a computer mouse that will scan the palm of the user and deliver not a look into the future but verify the identity of that person.', With a .5% error rate I wouldn't be surprised if we saw this in offices within the next few years."

6 of 145 comments (clear)

  1. heh.... by bdowne01 · · Score: 4, Funny

    A lot of good that does from keeping someone from typing 'rm -rf *'. :)

    --
    -brain
  2. Wash your hands by theefer · · Score: 4, Funny

    Now you'll eventually have a reason to wash your hands : if you don't, you won't have access to the computer !

    Mom's gonna be happy ...

    --
    theefer
  3. Re:I can see it now... by Cyno01 · · Score: 5, Funny

    most biometric scanners can compensate for small temorary differences, if 95% of your hand still matches the file your ok, so small cuts are no big deal, if however you spilled acid on your hand or something, that'd be a different story

    --
    "Sic Semper Tyrannosaurus Rex."
  4. Issues with Practicality by neurostar · · Score: 4, Interesting

    I personally am not in favor of biometric protection devices. Even if they are 100% effective and never make mistakes reading, I do not feel that they are a wise choice.

    Bruce Schneider wrote a good column about biometrics here. I don't like the fact that some biometrics are very easy to steal. This means that once someone discovers your biometric "password" they can use it anywhere because you can't change your password.

    So I personally would be wary about having too much faith in such a device. /p neurostar

    1. Re:Issues with Practicality by JoeBuck · · Score: 4, Insightful

      To paraphrase Schneider: if someone steals your palmprint (for example, by getting a print off a surface that you touched and making a duplicate good enough to fool the scanner), where do you go to be issued a new palm?

      Biometrics are ok if they are only part of what you need to get into the system (e.g. the right fingerprint plus the right password).

  5. the question is... by carpe_noctem · · Score: 5, Funny

    Will someone write an application for this mouse to read your palm? That would be a nice touch each morning when checking the 'ol inbox.

    --
    "Quoting famous computer scientists out of context is the root of all evil (or at least most of it) in programming." - K