Trying Microsoft Fingerprint Reader

Today I got the chance to experiment with the Microsoft Fingerprint Reader and I love it!

I believe this is very usefull for elder people who can't remember any passwords at all. For example, I can now setup a computer for my grandmother, and the only thing she has to do when use it, is touch the reader briefly.

Yes, I already hear people saying, why not set it to logon automatically for her or use a password manager? Well, I don't want to have it login automatically, because it could have multiple users, like her grandchildren. And I didn't use a password manager, well, because I had to change to test this, which is in essency a sort of password manager.

Bringing up the point about her grandchildren, it can be configured to detect who touches the reader and log in to the right account as well, and also allows fast user switching by a touch.

The installation was very easy and clear, with graphics explaining how to register your fingerprint with the reader. Everything is very dummy-proof, making it perfect for a normal user on a normal XP installation.

As a normal user mostly uses IE, it doesn't matter if it doesn't work 100% in Firefox (as I have read somewhere). I like the simplicity, the wizard to create a new website logon is also very clear, indicating which field is the username field, the password field and the logon submit button.

It does say it shouldn't be used for corporate networks, but as this is mainly a home product, that's not a big problem. It's really a usefull tool.

11 Comments

  • cool



    where can I buy it :-)



    no serious, this could be a huge succes, cause most of the dummy users hate to give those passwords, logons, etc...

    me well, kinda used to it so to give in a pass or to not give in a pass really just takes a second two type it in. But what I do think is that it'll be harder to hack those passwords cuz you aint got any :-).

    You could begin to think in 007 style with special techniques so you can hack in those systems but that's kinda futurustic isn't it ;-)?

    Any way can't wait to test it!

  • nice stuff!

    i would want one too, then i don't have to type my password everytime i want to log in at a website or at windows :)

    that would save me a second or 2 :p

  • hmm, i think the only difficulty to hack it, is that you have to obtain the code of the fingerprint. As far as i think the fingerprint will somehow be turned into a unique code, and it checks if the code is identically. Well if you can manipulate the input and get hold of the person's fingerprintcode, you can hack it.

  • I've been working with the MS Fingerprint Reader when it just came out, and it's a typically MS consumer product. It works with MS software, anything else, you're boned.



    I don't even understand how you have the guts to say "it doesn't matter if it doesnt work 100% on FireFox, because a normal user uses IE." I'm not a big fan of FireFox either, but statements like these really make me - and probably others - question your intelligence. What good is a fingerprint reader if you can only use it in this and this and this situation?



    As for my experiments with it, the hardware performed pretty well - although this is of course no accomplishment of MS itself, but rather DigitalPersona, the hardware manufacturer.



    What's also pretty depressing is that there is no SDK for this fingerprinting device available. MS does not ship its own, and the DigitalPersona SDK doesn't work with the MS model. I'm still looking for as to why that is usefull, because as for my product, I had to go look for another fingerprint reader, and drop support for MS's one. Real pity.



    Basically, all MS did was get the hardware from someone else, somehow make it _not_ work with their SDK and write a pretty looking shell around it. Boring.

  • no FF suport => kill it :p

    nah joking :p

    think it's a cool gadget, but i can do without right now.



    Maby if I'm gray and old, my child will buy me one, cause i won't be able to handle pc's :)

  • It's a very nice piece of hardware. I also had the change to test it and i loved it. To bad i had to give it back


  • Are there *any* fingerprint reader out there right now that supports Firefox?



    For that matter are there any reader/password software that's hack proof?

  • Hi. I've tried the fingerprint reader and the one thing I dislike about it is that it can only register a single user's fingerprint on a single xp account. you can't register fingerprints for more than one user on one win xp account. is there any way that i can fix this? for example, i logged into my yahoo mail account with my fingerprint and then i logged out. i would like my friend to log in to the same browser that i am using to access his yahoo mail but when he presses his finger on the reader, win xp would automatically exit my win xp account and logs into HIS win xp account where he registered his fingerprints. anyone out there who thinks this problem can be solved?

  • i've got this little gadget, and it supports firefox just fine. works with any windows application that has a password field, actually (with the exception of logging in to terminal services). i'm just sort of bummed that it doesn't work to fill in forms that don't have a password field.

  • ---- rdude:

    i've got this little gadget, and it supports firefox just fine. works with any windows application that has a password field, actually (with the exception of logging in to terminal services). i'm just sort of bummed that it doesn't work to fill in forms that don't have a password field.

    ----



    You must be high. Unless they've decided to update the software it most certainly does NOT work with FireFox. It acts like it does, but it will not insert the password when you attempt to login to a page with it in FireFox.

  • how many ppl can use e finger print at 1 computer ?







    thanks!

    sam

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