International. Passwords for online banking, social media and email could be replaced by the movement of the palm of the hand if the prototype of a technology developed by Intel is incorporated into tablets and notebooks.
Aiming to end the need to remember passwords for the growing number of internet services, Intel researchers have created a tablet with new software and a biometric sensor that recognizes unique patterns of veins in the palm of a person's hand.
"The problem with passwords is, we use a lot, their rules are complex, and they're different for multiple sites on the internet," Sridhar Iyengar, director of security research at Intel Labs, said at the Intel Annual Developer Forum in San Francisco. "There is a way out, and the option is biometrics," he added.
Iyengar demonstrated the technology, quickly moving his hand in front of a tablet, but without touching it. Once the tablet recognizes the user, it can report that person's identity to banks, social media and other services where the person owns accounts, he said.
Making computers, tablets and smartphones responsible for identifying users would remove that requirement from each of the sites on the Internet and end the need to enter passwords individually on each of them, Iyengar said. "We plan to work with service providers to make the most of this," he said.
The palm identification technology was one of several demonstrations during a keynote speech by Intel CEO Justin Rattner at the forum. Rattner runs Intel Labs, which focuses on identifying and fixing future technology problems. He also showcased prototype technology to improve cell phone base stations and to wirelessly and efficiently connect devices such as printers, tablets and monitors throughout the home.
Palm recognition technology, still under development, requires new software and biometric sensors included in the devices, but does not require the development of any new type of processor, Rattner said. The system works much better than the fingerprint readers found on some laptops today, he said.
