Responsible patrons are issued smart cards, which they slide through a kiosk at the door, a sort of cyberbouncer that checks the card's face and fingerprint data against the live version. Another emerging area where biometrics could come in handy is authentication of e-signatures. The electronic-signature law took effect Oct. 1, making virtual John Hancocks legally binding. The idea is to make it easier to conduct business on the Net, but those who will be exchanging important paperwork in cyberspace need a way to make sure the signature attached matches that of the person who attached it. Biometrics could help.
Some people think so.
Microsoft is working to integrate support for biometrics into future editions of its Windows operating system, focusing first on the version geared to businesses. A fingerprint sensor could easily become a standard part of every cell phone, once people start using their mobile devices to make purchases. The French tech firm Sagem has already announced a fingerprint-reading mobile for the European market. Motorola Labs senior vice president Walt Davis says biometrics-enabled cell phones and personal digital assistants could hit the U.S. market in two or three years. By then, maybe Cameron will be letting more of us join him in the humidor for a smoke.