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Microsoft will use biometric identifiers



The ultimate in convenience and security OR the ultimate in control and in
privacy invasion?

http://www.msnbc.com/news/402255.asp?cp1=1

    Microsoft to use `biometric' tools for Windows
    By Jathon Sapsford
    THE WALL STREET JOURNAL
    May 2 -  Microsoft Corp. has agreed to include in future versions of
    its Windows operating system a type of software that uses "biometric"
    devices such as fingerprint or eye scanners to boost online security.
           MICROSOFT TUESDAY WILL ANNOUNCE it signed a licensing agreement
    with closely held I/O Software Inc. of Riverside, Calif., which has a
    proven "application programming interface," or API, for biometrics
    technology. This essentially is a program that lets fingerprint or eye
    scanners communicate with operating systems. (Microsoft is a partner
    in MSNBC.)
           Some see these scanners, which identify users based on unique
    individual characteristics, as eventually enhancing or replacing
    computer passwords. A crucial step in this process, say those in the
    industry, is the acceptance by both producers and users of an API that
    allows easy employment of the devices. The goal is to create a
    software infrastructure that would let users simply plug in biometric
    devices and start using them to log on.
    [...]