Google Wants Biometric Authentication Over Passwords for Glass

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Google’s next version of Google Glass could enable wearers to access websites by scanning their fingerprints or eyes instead of entering a password, as hinted by a patent application that Google submitted last month.

In an application to the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, Google proposes ways of replacing website passwords by using biometric data for a wearable device.

The filing references “head-mounted displays” (HMD), which are designed to scan the wearer’s fingerprints, eyeballs, veins, or voice pattern, and then uses the biometric data to access a website on a computer or mobile device.

Though the filing does not specify that the technology would be used for Google Glass or Android Wear, it makes several mentions of ‘wearables’ and the diagrams included with the filing resemble that of Google Glass.

“The biometric data may be used to authenticate a user in lieu of a password, e.g., so that a user’s HMD can log the user on to a webpage on their laptop,” Google writes in the application, “As such, the biometric data can serve as a replacement for passwords entirely.”

It would certainly make sense that Google is looking for new ways to secure web browsing on its devices, considering top rival Apple already introduced Touch ID fingerprint scanning in iOS 7 on the iPhone 5S.

However, it remains to be seen whether Google plans to incorporate this new feature on a more general basis into Android, or if it will be featured in the new version of Google Glass.

Source: qz.com
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