Biometric Security Coming to Apple Products?

Apple Insider:

Published for the first time this week, a patent filing for the process reveals that Apple wants to provide a more secure method for preventing unauthorized access to a whole device — or private information on that device — than current techniques like passcodes; however, it also wants to avoid taking up the owner’s time with a separate scan or consuming extra space with a distinct reader.

The solution, the company suggests, would be to automatically use a sensor either hidden within the device or else repurposed from its usual role. Devices could recognize a fingerprint* or finger vein pattern simply by waiting for the user to touch the display, which would hide the sensors on or behind the screen. A forward-facing camera could alternately look for retinal patterns or even recognize the facial features of owners when they’re in the right position for use.

I’m all for it. In a world where we all carry way too much information around with us, increased security is a must.

That said, users don’t want to be annoyed by the measures put in place to keep them safe. Today, the only real security measure on the iPhone is the passcode lock, which makes users punch in a 4-digit code to unlock their iPhone. While it is simple, it can be a pain to unlock an iPhone with one hand, or while doing something else, like driving.

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* I’ve always liked this feature on Thinkpads and other notebooks.