fyi Biometric Cell Phones on Slow Track to US Market

All:

Pointer to article:
hhttp://www.technewsworld.com/story/39134.html

Kobielus kommentary:
According to the article, US consumers don’t want to use fingerprint or thumbprint recognition (let’s call it digit recognition) in cell phones because they associate it with criminals, crime scenes, jails, and so forth. Well, why not make digit recognition invisible to the cellphone user? On flip phones, why not embed a digit recognition surface in the phone’s cover—in some slightly recessed surface that the user must push with some digit (thumb or index finger) in order to open? That way, the digit recognition is being used for its ultimate purpose: “opening” the phone so that the authorized individual may use it? Or embed it in the side of the phone, in a “grip” that helps the user to hold onto the phone? That way, it’s implicitly helping the user to physically “hold onto” the phone.

Or, thinking outside the box, why not give cellphone users a smart card with an embedded RFID transmitter chip. They put this card in their wallet or purse. The phone only works when it’s within a certain distance of this RFID transmitter. Outside that range, it’s locked up. Maybe what users want is an electronic leash for their cellphones, so that they can share the devices or leave them (disabled) wherever’s convenient.

Jim