There are plenty of ways to keep the data on your computer secure. You could add a password to the login screen, encrypt the data on your hard drive, or carry your computer around in a briefcase handcuffed to your wrist and hope that nobody with a hacksaw is coming to get you. Or you could pick up a laptop with a fingerprint scanner that will only let you login to your computer when you swipe your unique-as-a-snowflake finger over it.
MyDellMini Forum member rich2871 didn’t feel like going out and buying a new netbook with a biometric sensor, so he opened up his netbook and installed one himself. Now, rich2871 is an experienced hacker. He’s also installed a 64GB SSD, an internal 4-port USB hub, and OS X.
The fingerprint scanner mod requires disassembling a USB fingerprint scanner, connecting it to the internal USB adapters, and carving out a piece of plastic from the palm wrest. Not exactly for the feint of heart. But the finished product looks pretty awesome, almost like the fingerprint scanner was meant to be there all along.
via Portable Monkey
New e-bay catagory: Used fingers.
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Seriously, many of these NetBooks are well known “fingerprint magnets” –
How much do you want to bet there is an example fingerprint on the
outside of the case that could be lifted and turned into something that
the fingerprint scanner would be very happy with?
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False security is much worse than no security at all. ™