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Biometric Voice Recognition Credit Cards
securitas writes "New Scientist's Celeste Biever reports on the latest in biometric security devices: voice recognition credit cards. The device is three times the size of a normal credit card, has a 'microphone, a loudspeaker, a battery and a voice-recognition chip' and is intended to help reduce credit card fraud. The owner speaks a password into the card and the card emits an authentication squawk. Bruce Schneier loves the concept of BeepCard's related sound authentication technology. Other articles at the Telegraph and The Register."
What if you have a sore throat and try to go to the drug store for some medicine? If your voice is scratchy, will you be denied your medicine because your voice doesn't match?
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Not only will it have Voice Recognition, it will have voice synthesis to communicate to the user! I can see it now...
"I can't let you buy that, Dave."
"If we let things terrify us, life will not be worth living."
- Seneca
...what does this mean for mimes?
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Never criticize religion on Slashdot. You will be modded down for "Troll" no matter how factual it is.
The smaller chips are a relief, just reading the article one of my butt cheeks was falling asleep:P
Harpo Tunnel Syndrome--my wrist feels funny.
The main goal is to get people to spend money they dont have so that they can pay off the interest for the rest of their life.
"Have you ever thought about just turning off the TV, sitting down with your kids, and hitting them?"
Dave: Open my account, HAL.
HAL: I'm sorry Dave, I'm afraid I can't do that.
Dave: What's the problem?
HAL: I think you know what the problem is just as well as I do.
Dave: What are you talking about, HAL?
HAL: This mission is too important for me to allow you to jeopardize it.
Dave: What do you mean?
HAL: Dave, you're trying to save up for retirement, remember? You'll just spend all that money on beer, won't you?
Dave: What the? Dammit ... just open the account, HAL!
HAL: Dave, this conversation can serve no purpose anymore. Goodbye.
Dave: AAAARRRRGH!
I hear there's rumors on the Slashdots
Smart cards are similar to credit cards and serve the same purpose, but they have a completely different data storage system. Instead of using a magnetic strip to store the user's information, smart cards feature an embedded 8-bit microprocessor with up to 16 kilobytes of programmable-only memory. Smart cards have only recently began to gain popularity in the United States, despite their widespread use in Europe for years.
Domain Dynamics' new TESPAR voice authenticator stores three samples of the user's voice on a template within the Java-based smart card. When users want to make a transaction, they simply enter the card into a terminal at a store and give a speech sample. The card then matches the spoken voice to the recorded voice samples, a process that takes a fraction of the second. The company said that TESPAR is able to handle day-to-day variations in the user's voice and can ignore background noise.
Read more here.
...seem fairly obvious. First, if one of these devices is at a public terminal, it wouldn't be hard at all to get a .wav record of the transaction; then, I have your password FOR LIFE!
Second, if someone's voice is drastically altered, (s)he would have to find a way to prove identity outside of the voice recognition system.
Third, any technology that might let me verify someone's voiceprint could also be used to generate a false voiceprint. A simple tape recording of you talking could be enough to forge your voice electronically. (Hmmm... cool plot possibilities for a Tom Clancey thriller)
Fourth, my (hypothetical) twin, who probably has an almost-identical voiceprint, is not necessarily to be trusted.
Human being (n.): A genetically human, genetically distinct, functioning organism.