The Moscone South Hall is where all the Cool Kids hang: Apple, Adobe, Microsoft, the major accessory makers, etc. West Hall is where the small guys and outcasts are thrown. So logic would follow that The Stuff To See is all in South. Not so! I say, Not so! Many times, the small developers and product-pushers have some of the coolest and most innovative products to show off. Their only fault is they haven’t made it big…yet.
One thing the Mac has lacked for a long time is a viable fingerprint-authentication system — i.e., a little device that allows you to login or access your Keychain by simply swiping your finger. Well, in the back of West, UPEK was demoing its newly-Mac-ified Eikon Digital Privacy Manager, a USB device that finally brings practical fingerprint authentication to our beloved platform.
Install the software, train the device, and blammo: log in and access the keychain with a simple swipe of your finger along the tiny sensor. The Protector Suite software uses OS X’s Authentication Services API to integrate itself with the operating system, and it changes the Mac login window to reflect the new fingerprint log in-method. It takes a little time to get used to properly utilizing the gizmo: you have to learn to effectively swipe, exposing enough of your finger and placing enough pressure on the sensor.
The Eikon Digital Privacy Manager is available from Amazon for $50, and you can find more details about the device on UPEK’s website. Check the flickr gallery for some photos and screenshots.
Sadly, as I am sure many of people have seen on Mythbusters, these things are very easy to fool.
I was going to mention that Mythbusters episode also. On a personal note, there was a call for volunteers at my office to participate in a test of a system that combined several biometric systems. They had two fingerprint scanners. One failed to recognize me because I have an anamolous line across my forefinger pad (probably a really old scar), even though it was there when we entered the print! I have been suspicious of fingerprinting devices ever since.
re: mythbusters - the doorlock is an old school optical reader. the usb reader is a touch sensor from a competitor of the Eikon. the Eikon is a silicon swipe sensor.
in any case, no security is 100%...it's valuable relative to alternatives...in this case passwords which are usually easy to steal or hack. if someone really wants to get into your computer, I'm sure they'll try an easier way before trying to lift your fingerprints.
oh, and don't forget, it's not all about security, it's also about the convenience of not having to type your password every time you login.