bugsbunny
Well-Known Member
I've been using biometric identification for work projects for a few years now, so I am very familiar with the technology.
There are some problems with the technology that aren't readily fixable. When you use two factor authentication (something you have + something you know), biometric is a no brainer since everyone seems to always to remember to bring their fingers with them wherever they go!
At WDW, it was probably their intention to take advantage of a simple read of a print since it is very unique. Tie that to your park pass and VOILA! you cannot give your pass out to other people to use.
When a biometric scanner reads your print, it doesn't actually store your loops and lines of your print. What it does is make a boxed grid (like a checkboard) and when you place your finger on it, it sees if any of your print's lines cross the boxes. if it does, it notes it. WHen finished, it might have taken a sample of a 64 box grid, therefore your fingerprint equates out to a 64 bit long "password" of 1s and 0s. So your fingerprint might read like 100101111001010111100101010....etc.
So its stored with your keycard in WDW computers. When you hit the next park, it compares your print "password" to the last time you used it. Now imagine how many of these it stores per day and then how many times a computer has to find YOUR print in the system and do an analysis of it. Pretty impressive how fast that happens, really.
But all fingers are NOT created alike. Some people have real real rough hands and its hard to read their prints. I have a nice scar on my thumb, so it shows up real nice and therefore, I NEVER have a problem with a biometric reader.
Also, people of Indian (continent, not the indigeous Americans) have a REAL hard time getting thier fingers to read. Sometimes, they might try EVERY single finger and still not get a reader to pick it up. It happens a lot.
if you have dry hands or wet hands, it will NOT read your print real well and in most cases, not at all. Like the other posters have said, you need "normal" pressure on it for it to read. Most people who have problems are smashing their finger on the reader. I have a device that shows the view of the reader when a finger is on there and you can see that people's fingers actually turn white and blurry because they are pressing down too hard.
The secret to make it read your print better or if you have dry hands is to take your index finger and rub it on your forehead. I'm not making this up!! The oils in your skin will enhance your print tremendously! If you fail the next time you are there, rub your finger on your forehead and try again. In most cases, it fixes the trick, no lie.
There are some problems with the technology that aren't readily fixable. When you use two factor authentication (something you have + something you know), biometric is a no brainer since everyone seems to always to remember to bring their fingers with them wherever they go!
At WDW, it was probably their intention to take advantage of a simple read of a print since it is very unique. Tie that to your park pass and VOILA! you cannot give your pass out to other people to use.
When a biometric scanner reads your print, it doesn't actually store your loops and lines of your print. What it does is make a boxed grid (like a checkboard) and when you place your finger on it, it sees if any of your print's lines cross the boxes. if it does, it notes it. WHen finished, it might have taken a sample of a 64 box grid, therefore your fingerprint equates out to a 64 bit long "password" of 1s and 0s. So your fingerprint might read like 100101111001010111100101010....etc.
So its stored with your keycard in WDW computers. When you hit the next park, it compares your print "password" to the last time you used it. Now imagine how many of these it stores per day and then how many times a computer has to find YOUR print in the system and do an analysis of it. Pretty impressive how fast that happens, really.
But all fingers are NOT created alike. Some people have real real rough hands and its hard to read their prints. I have a nice scar on my thumb, so it shows up real nice and therefore, I NEVER have a problem with a biometric reader.
Also, people of Indian (continent, not the indigeous Americans) have a REAL hard time getting thier fingers to read. Sometimes, they might try EVERY single finger and still not get a reader to pick it up. It happens a lot.
if you have dry hands or wet hands, it will NOT read your print real well and in most cases, not at all. Like the other posters have said, you need "normal" pressure on it for it to read. Most people who have problems are smashing their finger on the reader. I have a device that shows the view of the reader when a finger is on there and you can see that people's fingers actually turn white and blurry because they are pressing down too hard.
The secret to make it read your print better or if you have dry hands is to take your index finger and rub it on your forehead. I'm not making this up!! The oils in your skin will enhance your print tremendously! If you fail the next time you are there, rub your finger on your forehead and try again. In most cases, it fixes the trick, no lie.
