Your eyeball is your password
Interesting things brewing over at Google, where two recent patents show a push to operationalize new technology that lets you unlock a device using a retinal scan.
The process has three steps:A related patent looks at an encoded contact lens and its application. Perhaps the days of Google Glass will be numbered, as the fashion-conscious will quickly move right to the next, obvious step.
Receiving light on an iris of an eye
Detecting, at one or more light sensors disposed on or within a transparent lens covering at least a portion of the eye, light reflected from the light incident on the iris of the eye, wherein the light reflected comprises image data indicative of a pattern associated with the iris.
Outputting an iris fingerprint based in part on the image data
Things you have
- Name (or username)
- Email address
- Fingerprint
- Retina Scan
- Simple ID Card
This first list is mainly public information that nearly anyone can obtain (or guess) to use as a unique identifier. Nothing on this list should ever be used as a "password substitute."Things you know
- Password (or PIN)
- Shared secret
This second list is secret information that is not public or easily obtainable. These are the things that could be used as a password.To improve security, simply include an element from each list. A common example is: withdrawing cash from an ATM requires both a card and a PIN.