Nose Scanners — the New Face of Biometrics? 115
An anonymous reader writes "Forget fingerprints and ID cards, this photo story shows how the latest thing in biometrics is nose scanning! Bath university researchers have claimed that the nose will soon be able to be used as a way of identifying a person. Apparently the 'PhotoFace system captures a 3D image of a person's face by taking several photos lit from different angles to throw shadows on the face and then building a model of facial features. The software determined that there are six main nose shapes: Roman, Greek, Nubian, Hawk, Snub and Turn-up.' Some cool pictures make this worth a click — but what happens if a person breaks their nose?!"
Roman, Greek, Nubian, Hawk, Snub and Turn-up (Score:4, Funny)
Re:I am worried... (Score:3, Funny)
Actually, it's snot as bad as that.
Sorry, it had to be said.
Re:Worst possible choice (Score:4, Funny)
Two words....
Michael Jackson
nuff said...
What about my nose? (Score:3, Funny)
I'm Tycho Brahe, you insensitive clod!
High School just got worse (Score:2, Funny)
One positive aspect... (was:Re:Before you know..) (Score:5, Funny)
On the positive side, if anyone beats you up and breaks your nose, they can now be sued for aiding and abetting terrorism by making the 'nose database' useless...
I think they should analyze stool samples... (Score:3, Funny)
It would be just as secure and applying for an ID card would be a real hoot.
Better than the alternative. (Score:3, Funny)
Re:Worst possible choice (Score:3, Funny)
Two words....
Michael Jackson
nuff said...
Actually his nose is quite stable now. It's likely to remain in its current state long after the rest of his body has decayed to nothing.
Maybe in some future time someone or something will dig up his remains and wonder what all the extra parts were for.
Re:Worst possible choice (Score:3, Funny)
You Know What They Say... (Score:3, Funny)
What about the genitals? (Score:3, Funny)
Come on, TSA!
You've already got the millimeter body scanners rolling out across the US and rest of the world. Kick it up a notch! Go straight for the biometric genital scanning!
Pfft, privacy. You don't need privacy. You need safety. Now drop your drawers!
Please, Oh, Please... (Score:3, Funny)
Don't let the security-crazed among us start thinking about what other stickout-y parts of the human anatomy they could photograph from six angles, digitize and put on our passports. All to keep the children and kittens safe, of course.
Re:Bath, famous for Rugby Football, to ID on NOSES (Score:5, Funny)
And they stole it from an opposing prop forward.
Re:One positive aspect... (was:Re:Before you know. (Score:1, Funny)
It would be a denial of service attack.
Running afoul of felony battery laws while also breaking DMCA protections!
Life mirrors art I guess... (Score:3, Funny)
There was an old cartoon from back in the 80s when the first really painful desktop security measures were put in place... back when people still ran unpatched OSs and downloading updates (via dial-up modem) wasn't common.
I think it was "The Fifth Wave" series. Wish I could find it to post a link.
Basically, it was a manager turning to an employee looking stubborn at his computer terminal and saying "Now c'mon, Bob, you know nose scanning is our best defense against unauthorized computer use!" The nose scanners were cups on thick cords hanging from the ceiling like airline oxygen masks.
Biometrics is a cute marketing trick, but it's no substitute for good security process. That's why I like signing in to my laptop using the "fingerprint" of a small area on the underside of my scrotum. Any legitimate reason to doff one's pants at work is good. "I'm just logging in." or "Whoops, there goes my screensaver. Zzzzzzzip...."
Erik
Re:Worst possible choice (Score:3, Funny)
Can you imagine some archelogist digging him up in a few millenia and wondering what kind of shaman he must be? I mean, religious mutilation, various artificial parts inserted in the body...
Must've been a really weird cult of human sacrifice and deification of silicon parts. Some successor of Däniken would certainly claim it's clearly a sign that silicon based aliens were worshipped here by us trying to convert one of us into one of them...
Re:Worst possible choice (Score:3, Funny)
Actually his nose is quite stable now. It's likely to remain in its current state long after the rest of his body has decayed to nothing.
Maybe in some future time someone or something will dig up his remains and wonder what all the extra parts were for.
Or, in a zany twist, they might mistake the surviving fragments of a Woody Allen movie as a documentary and elect Mr. Jackson's remains as The Leader.
Re:Before you know it (Score:3, Funny)
I'm sorry, but this idea is about as useful as a box of hair...
Hair Scanners -- the New Toupée of Biometrics?