Turning your veins into a 3D ‘human barcode’
Luminetx originally developed the technique as a way to help doctors and nurses find veins in patients needing injections. But now, through a new division called Snowflake Technologies, the company is marketing it to banks, credit card companies and even homeland-security officials as a high-tech biometric identification tool. "Our vein structures are completely different, especially when you look at the palm," said Luminetx Chief Executive Officer Jim Phillips, speaking at The Entertainment Gathering conference here Wednesday. "In a way, it's like looking at a bar code. We convert your veins to a bar code."
Luminetx originally developed the technique as a way to help doctors and nurses find veins in patients needing injections. But now, through a new division called Snowflake Technologies, the company is marketing it to banks, credit card companies and even homeland-security officials as a high-tech biometric identification tool.
"Our vein structures are completely different, especially when you look at the palm," said Luminetx Chief Executive Officer Jim Phillips, speaking at The Entertainment Gathering conference here Wednesday. "In a way, it's like looking at a bar code. We convert your veins to a bar code."
Biometrics is simply something we as a society are going to have to deal with. Privacy nuts will no doubt bust a gasket as soon as someone asks to see their palm which in turn instantly pulls up their drivers’ license, dental records, and last bowel movement, but the technology is already here and biometrics makes much better security than 4 digit PINs or easily falsified ID cards.
I for one welcome our new Hyper-Intrusive Overlords.