Gizmodo
It's been a while since we last found a fingerprint reader we really liked. The previous champion—the lovely Cylon-red Microsoft Fingerprint Reader—was demoted to just Windows login duty (and eventually abandoned altogether) because of its lack of Firefox support. The Eikon? It supports Firefox. That's just one of the reasons why this Upek Digital Privacy Manager USB Fingerprint Reader shines.
In addition to offering flawless Firefox and IE password handling, the reader is simple to use and solid in the way that gasses and liquids are not. Plus, it even works in Vista.
When compared to the most well known fingerprint reader (as judged by Google results and our own anecdotal opinion) by Microsoft, the Upek one comes up the winner in just about every category. It offers a swiping scheme instead of a press-down/mugshot-in-a-police-station scheme. This allows you not to have to clean the sensor with warm water and towel every two weeks like you would for Microsoft's (they actually tell you this in the instructions).
Then, there's the obvious benefits of not having to use Internet Explorer. This alone is a gigantic selling point. But if you do want to use both, say if your bank only supports IE, then the Upek will maintain two sets of passwords for both browsers. Kind of inconvenient to have to enter stuff in twice when setting up the database, but that's a minor gripe.
The reader works just as well for Windows logins under XP and Vista, but there's no Mac support to be found. (Is there even a good one that exists for Macs other than the Sony Puppy?) It even works as an easy way to authenticate and accept the User Account Control notifications in Vista that Apple mocked in one of their ads.
When you finish the setup and actually get around to using it, the reader has a pretty decent recognition rate if you swipe your finger at the optimum speed (or slower). Swipe it too fast and it'll just get confused.
The software is made up of large, easy to read text and icons that you activate by swiping. It's easy to register new pages or "replay your registration," which is their phrase for logging in with your pre-set login and password. Once you get familiar with their sometimes awkward phrasing for saving and entering passwords, you're golden.
In the end we definitely recommend this reader at its dead-presidents-friendly price of $39. You may save $5 by going with Microsoft's solution, but the Firefox support alone is way more to us than $5.
Product Page [Amazon]
Product Page [UPek]
Comments
These fingerprint readers seem ultra-secure and all, but I can't see myself wasting those few precious seconds by pulling my hand away from the keyboard to swipe a finger.
It's more for convenience -- easy way to remember all your passwords without you having to.
This is fine and dandy until I piss off my Yakuza boss.
This will be good for purchasing departments. I hope Steve Jobs is reading this.
biometrics on a home computer is just a little over the top.
I know that made you think of Sylvester Stallone when you just read that.
it's actually a good device to have against possible keyloggers/virus'/malware
I'm more interested in the Wireless Entertainment Desktop in the background of the picture.
cumbirnard: See here.
Looks suspiciously like this:
http://gizmodo.com/gadgets/gadgets/true-me-who-am-i-swipe-...
Imagine having multiple usernames and passwords (yikes!) only to forget what/where they are? But the other benefit to the biometrics reader is you can encypt files (remember those pictures you took while you where in Thiland?). No one can access them unless you swipe your finger!
Fingerfox has been out for quite some time now - the add-on lets you use MS's fingerprint thingy with Firefox.
http://redoneill.free.fr/fingerfox/index_en.php
@Case thanks for the FingerFox tip! Now I can use my MS Cylon again. Woot!
@case: I tried that but I could never get it to work correctly on my machine.
Come on guys, where's the Opera love? We Opera lovers users yearn for a IE free interface as much as you Firefox users but we get no mention in the reviews of products [well not much of a mention anyways]. :) I happen to be in the market for a fingerprint reader so Opera support & Vista were important so I eagerly read your review. Looks like I'll have to troll their website or email their tech support for the answer to the Opera opera-ability [see what I did - give us a Job!]
I wonder what this means for Thinkpad users. At least in the T4x series, UPEK makes the reader, it uses IBM/Lenovo's rebranded software. Will it get an upgrade for good Firefox support?
But does it work on osx?
ive yet to find a biometric scanner that bloody works on osx aside from that stupid sony 'puppy' (no, not aibo) that is impossible to find, especially in aus.
gah
I have a brilliant idea. Take the finger print scanner and mashup it up with a modern mouse. What would the babies look like?
Imagine having the finger print scanner somehow built directly into the scroll wheel of your mouse (for example). Your hand/finger is already on the mouse anyways so it seems only logical to put the finger print scanner in the same place.
This way you don't have to move your hand off the mouse, it would be quicker/more convenient, and it would be one less device sitting of your desk.
xxdesmus:
http://www.secugen.com/products/po.htm
I have one of the Microsoft readers and the one (big) disappointment is that it doesn't support logging onto a domain (work). Not sure if the Eikon does or not.
Why does this thing and http://gizmodo.com/gadgets/gadgets/true-me-who-am-i-swipe-... that thing look exactly alike. excepting color every detail of these is the same, right down to the little square of 9 blue dots.
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