In order to combat what must be an
identity theft crime wave of epic proportions, a Tokyo library opening next October will eschew the traditional plastic
card in favor of a biometric vein reader, for allowing people to do whatever they do in those book museums. The readers,
supplied by Fujitsu and already in use at several Japanese ATMs, use infrared light to scan the unique vein pattern on a
person's hand and claim to offer more security than fingerprint, voice, facial, or iris recognition systems. Those
people not living in fear of having Donald Trump's latest tome checked out under their name, or suspicious that this
system could be easily fooled ala the
Play-Doh finger
hack (photocopied hand, perhaps?), will still have the option of getting their library-on with electronic smart
cards.
posted Dec 27th 2005 12:20PM
Who would want to photocopy their hand?
"Who would want to photocopy their hand?"
Every child in America would, at least. Either that was sarcasm or your parents never left you somewhere with a copier unsupervised. :)
Now just look at that image on the monitor. Only Japan, folks. :)
I want the guy on the left's sunglasses. Where can I get triangular glasses like that? I think it would look really tough on me.
hand scanning is an excellent idea. according to the picture, it'll prevent Jack Nicholson from stealing your library card when you're all wound up on meth.
now that pic is just cool.
"will still have the option of getting their library-on with electronic smart cards"
enough with the ironic hipster-speak already. Just don't go there...natch.
Stuart
Actually, biometrics can't be fooled by play-doh. The play-doh won't copy the vein patterns. As you said yourself biometrics are more secure than fingerprint scanners.
If you're a regular at your library, you don't need ID to check out books - the librarian already knows you by name.
What stupid muggers. I can see wanting the yen. But wanting someone's library card? Oooh, you're going to check out a bunch of books and not return them.
You know, Edward, I reckon that even if I went there every day, I might be easy to miss.
Oh man. Japan. How I long for thee, and thy ever-increasing amount of pleasingly lame-yet-surprisingly-useful technology.
... Oh, or HTML doesn't work. I knew that, shhh. Meant to include this link: http://www.bluffton.edu/~sullivanm/illinois/chicago/library/141newlibrary.jpg