Summary:At the WinHEC conference in China today, Microsoft showed off a new biometric authentication feature called Windows Hello. The ambitious technology, which uses fingerprint and iris recognition to replace passwords, will debut in Windows 10 devices later this year.
For years, biometric authentication has been a sci-fi staple. Bits and pieces of biometric technology already exist in popular technology, most notably the TouchID fingerprint sensors used on late-model iPhones and iPads.
With Windows 10, coming later this fall, Microsoft plans to go big with biometric technology. The new OS will introduce system support for biometric authentication, the company says, “using your face, iris, or fingerprint to unlock your devices … with technology that is much safer than traditional passwords.”
At the WinHEC conference in China today, Microsoft executives showed off the new feature, called Windows Hello. At first glance, it sounds like Microsoft’s response to TouchID — biometric authentication that can use a fingerprint reader, illuminated IR sensor, or other biometric sensor to provide instant access to a Windows 10 device. Show your face or touch a finger, Microsoft says, and you’ll be instantly authenticated on the local device.