Intel Corporation (NASDAQ:INTC) and McAfee are collaborating to bring in biometric technology to be used as passwords, says a report from PC World. Kirk Skaugen, senior vice president and general manager of the PC client group, said last week that McAfee software will come up with biometric technology to verify users’ identities by the end of the year.
Apple Pay uses similar technology
There was no detail on the software, but if true, this technology could do away with the need to type and remember passwords in PCs and tablets. According to Skaugen, an average user keeps around 18 passwords, and with the advent of biometric authentication gadgets will be easier to use.
The chip maker owns McAfee, which allows it to benefit from the company’s security software for its smartphones, tablets and PCs. Additionally, the company also worked on a project to design biometric technology for wearable devices like SMS Audio’s BioSport In-Ear Headphones, which can measure a person’s heart rate.
Biometric technology has already made its way into Apple Pay, in which users need to verify their identities through their fingerprint to make a payment by a credit card through their iPhone or iPad. Intel is already working on various forms of biometric authentication through fingerprints, gestures, and face and voice recognition.
“Your biometrics basically eliminate the need for you to enter passwords for Windows log in and eventually all your websites ever again,” Skaugen said.
Intel working to enhance user experience
Intel’s quest to make PCs and tablets more convenient for users continues, as the company is in the process of designing wireless charging, display, docking and quick data transfer. If these experiments materialize, users will no longer be required to carry power bricks and cables.
These features will probably start showing up in laptops next year, with sixth-generation core chips code-named Skylake, which are coming in the second half of the year. The wireless display technology will be powered by WiGig, which is faster than 802.11ac Wi-Fi. Intel wants to put its wireless charging technologies in cafés, lounges and other public areas.
As of now, the company will showcase its wire-free computing through reference design laptops powered by Skylake, which will be unveiled by the end of this year. Skaugen said their reference design laptops will not require any USB or power ports.
