Google has added a few new security and login features to Chrome OS recently, including experimental support for using a PIN to unlock a Chromebook instead of password, and the ability to unlock a Chromebook using an Android phone.
Another option may be on the way: according to a Chromium source code commit, it looks like at least one Chromebook with a fingerprint sensor is under development.
The commit is for a board called Gru, which Chrome Unboxed notes is expected to be used in an upcoming device that’s code-named Kevin.
Other code commits suggest the Chromebook will have a high-resolution display, a convertible design, and a Rockchip processor.
All told, it sounds like Kevin could be a fancy new alternative to the Asus Chromebook Flip, one of the first convertible Chromebooks with an ARM-based processor. The new model may have a better screen, a faster CPU, and quicker logins, thanks to the fingerprint scanner… you know, assuming Kevin ever sees the light of day.
The problem with relying too much on Chromium code commits is that sometimes you’ll learn about products that are under development, but which never seem to actually make it out of development.