[Kosh]

http://yro.slashdot.org/yro/08/03/08/003246.shtml


is wrong with you guys?

[Ashrak]

biometric identification is the next step, get used to it.

[Rictor]

It's sad when "Let's see your papers, citizen" is no longer tyrannical enough.

"Thumb-scan here, citizen! Pick up that can!"

[MP-Ryan]

Y'know, iris scans would be much better.  Fingerprinting technology is notoriously buggy, especially the digital prints.  I know - I'm one of those people who is basically impossible to get a decent fingerprint off of.  I much prefer iris scanners.

[Colonol Dekker]

3rd degree burn to the finger anyone? Wouldn't that ness the records

[haloboy100]

Plus fingerprint scanners are notoriously easy to replicate. Then again you could fool an iris scan with some kind of special contact lens?

[MP-Ryan]

Plus fingerprint scanners are notoriously easy to replicate. Then again you could fool an iris scan with some kind of special contact lens?

No.

It would be near-impossible to imprint the level of detail required on a contact lens, and equally difficult to position it so it lines up at the correct angle.

[haloboy100]

Thus furthering my point. Iris scans FTW

[karajorma]

It would be near-impossible to imprint the level of detail required on a contact lens, and equally difficult to position it so it lines up at the correct angle.

I assume you mean to duplicate someone else's not simply to fool the machine into not recognising yours? I'd imagine it wouldn't be half as hard to fool the machine into thinking you simply are someone new it doesn't have the data for.

[MP-Ryan]

It would be near-impossible to imprint the level of detail required on a contact lens, and equally difficult to position it so it lines up at the correct angle.

I assume you mean to duplicate someone else's not simply to fool the machine into not recognising yours? I'd imagine it wouldn't be half as hard to fool the machine into thinking you simply are someone new it doesn't have the data for.

You assume correctly.

However, the point in this system (as I understand it from the article) is to verify that the passenger checking in is the same one as is getting on the plane.  It would be near-impossible to fool an iris scan for that purpose.

Fingerprint scanners are roughly the same, they just have more reading difficulties so you'll get more passengers that don't match even though its the same person.

[Rictor]

I swear to God, there's a few bearded Islamist dudes sitting in their comfy apartments somewhere in London right now, laughing their heads off. What they have accomplished is nothing less brining Britain the closest it has ever been to a police state in modern times, all without lifting a finger. Doesn't your government get it  - it's a trap! And they're scrambling over each other to fall into it as quickly and thoroughly as possible.

[karajorma]

What's really stupid is that we're talking about the same country that pretty much refused to give in to this kind of stupidity when the IRA were at their worst (and they were worse than anything these twats have thrown at the UK when they were at their worst).

[Colonol Dekker]

Are we actually asking to put Thatcher in a giant cyborg body so she can lead us forever? she did order that sub to open fire on the Argy battleship during the falklands. . . I'm not a fan of the baroness but she's got more conviction than blair and brown and bush too.

[karajorma]

That's one of the few things I did like about Thatcher. When Regan invaded Grenada Thatcher complained bitterly at him for the basic stupidity of the entire operation, for disrupting the plans to site missiles at Greenham Common and for lying to her personally about the operation.

Blair would have rolled over like a big puppy dog in that place for certain.


That said her stupid insistence on not talking to terrorists probably held off the IRA cease-fire for several years.

[Colonol Dekker]

Agreed, She had stiff upper-lippedness by the bucketload, But she could be a bit stubborn sometimes.


Brown just doesn't seem to do much at all really...


Anyhow i'm digressing, If optical recognition (not for bad handwriting lol) came into play i'm sure hollywood has taught me that Terrorists would find a way of nicking an eyeball from somewhere.....

[Wobble73]

Anyhow i'm digressing, If optical recognition (not for bad handwriting lol) came into play i'm sure hollywood has taught me that Terrorists would find a way of nicking an eyeball from somewhere.....

Wesley Snipes (Simon Pheonix) knows of a way! With a fountain pen!

Spoiler:

Demolition man anyone? 

[BlackDove]

Teddybear.

[BloodEagle]

[...] i'm sure hollywood has taught me that Terrorists would find a way of nicking an eyeball from somewhere.....

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iris_recognition#Security_considerations

[Prophet]

From BloodEagles wikipedia link:

Analysing the 2D spatial frequency spectrum of the iris image for the peaks caused by the printer dither patterns found on commercially available fake-iris contact lenses

Where can I get these things? 

[Colonol Dekker]

e-bay?