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Fingerprints Replace Credit Cards in Seattle
prostoalex writes "According to CNET News.com, Thriftway introduced biometric systems in its Seattle stores as far back as 2002. The customer would have to be identified first and submit his own fingerprints, as well as register credit cards with the grocery store. But then a Pay By Touch system became quite popular among the store regulars. According to CNET, "one man even drove 400 miles to use the technology". The store also reports 0% of such transactions being fraudulent."
Here in we've been using a similar system for unique biometric identification of customers for years. It works a bit like this:
1) Walk into stor
2) Say 'Hello Ifan' to Ifan, the shopkeeper
3) Ifan says 'Hello ' back if he knows you
4) Say '2 grenade launchers, one baboon, and a pint of guinness please, my good man'
5) Ifan produces the above, charges your account, takes payment later. Nice and easy. And if you don't pay....
6) Chop!
News story about the poor bankrupt grocery...
"The store also used to report 0% of such transactions being fraudulent before the story was posted to Slashdot. Then the number of frauds by using "stolen fingerprints" skyrocketed."
Anagram("United States of America") == "Dine out, taste a Mac, fries"
If you think you can't give someone a finger over the Net, then obviously you've never been on IRC. : )
I guess the barcode-on-the-forehead project didn't go so well.
But he would drive 400 miles,
And he would drive 400 more,
Just to be the man who drove 800 miles
To be a big lo-ser.
(apologies to the Proclaimers)
Right, everyone knows Thriftway is just a front for secret government projects. Watch out for seven-11, too. Your Slim-Jim preferences are being logged into the anti-terrorist database. And don't even THINK about buying gas there. Then they'll KNOW about your ties to Al-Qaeda.
Disclaimer: all tongue-in-cheek; no attack on parent
Gummy fingers can even fool sensors being watched by guards. Simply form the clear gelatin finger over your own. This lets you hide it as you press your own finger onto the sensor. After it lets you in, eat the evidence.
The five second rule doesn't apply here.
You must be pretty brave to eat something that just touched something that everybody else has touched and probably has some amount of everything else they had touched on it.
I would be wary even putting my finger on there nevermind eating off of it.
- Times I have already given the government my finger prints:
- First Grade: They came in and took everyone's prints.
- Grade 11: Once again, came and took our prints. It wasn't mandatory.
- 2002: Took my prints when I recieved a concealed handgun permit.
For me, I'm not worried about giving my prints. The man already has my prints. I'm just worrying about someone chopping off my finger and going to thriftway to buy groceries!Pretty Pictures!
...because you CAN'T change your finger print.
Hrmf! Telling me I can't change my finger prints?
*revs up the workbench sander*
I'll show you! ARRRGGHHASDFWDasdfsdaf12~!!!
sea i cntoo chadnfge my ow ow ow fignr prnits ow ow
"I am the king of the Romans, and am superior to rules of grammar!"
-Sigismund, Holy Roman Emperor (1368-1437)