Windows 10 says Hello to biometrics-based authentication

MICROSOFT HAS CONTINUED TO TEASE users with mouse-watering information about Windows 10 by confirming a 190-country summer release of the OS, and a Lionel Richie-inspired biometric authentication feature called Hello.

Windows 10, which will be free for some, plays nicely with Raspberry Pis, andmight be offered up as a torrent download, is set to replace the someone-put-it-out-of-its-misery Windows 8, and the Redmond firm is pulling out all the stops to generate as much early interest in it as possible.

In the latest instalment of its campaign to drip-feed the market with little nuggets of information about the forthcoming OS, Microsoft has revealed it will feature something called Hello, a biometric tool that Joe Belfiore, corporate VP in the operating systems group, said lets users log in using their face, iris or fingerprint.

"With Windows Hello, you'll be able to just show your face, or touch your finger, to new devices running Windows 10 and be immediately recognised. And not only is Windows Hello more convenient than typing a password - it's more secure!," he explained.

"Our system enables you to authenticate applications, enterprise content, and even certain online experiences without a password being stored on your device or in a network server at all."

Do not get too excited, though, as Hello will only work if you have the necessary hardware.

Microsoft said Windows Hello uses existing fingerprint reader hardware, plus a combination special hardware and software for facial or iris detection. The cameras use infrared technology to identify the user, and will not be fooled by photograph or someone trying to impersonate the user.

If you are interested in using Hello you will need to get your kit together by the summer. In a blog post yesterday, Windows chief Terry Myerson wrote: "We continue to make great development progress and shared today that Windows 10 will be available this summer in 190 countries and 111 languages.

"Windows has always been global, with more than 1.5 billion users around the world." µ

Source : theinquirer.net