iLounge was apparently first mention the presence of a possible authentication scheme, and Boing Boing Gadgets was the first to find some kind of chip inside the headphones—whether or not it was an authentication chip was unknown.

V-Moda, one of the manufacturers who announced shuffle-compatible headphones last week, just confirmed to us that yes, an "authentication chip IS required to enable to volume control functionality with the new shuffle (as well as the latest gen of iPod and MacBooks)." The difference here is that iPods and MacBooks worked with headphones that didn't have the authentication chip. The shuffle does not. Update: This statement was retracted by V-Moda. See bottom of post for details.

V-Moda also says that they've collaborated with Apple for the past few months developing the technology. It seems safe to conclude two things. One, manufacturers who want their headphones to work with the shuffle need to work with Apple in order to get access to the tech inside the authentication chip. Two, only people who Apple "like" are going to get this tech and make compatible headphones—but it's likely that Apple likes almost anybody with the money to pay for licensing.

Whatever the consequences, it does look like Apple is going down the path of locking down headphones, hoping to crunch out another revenue stream from all the manufacturers offering ways of getting sound from your iPod to your ears, whether it be through earbuds or through car adapters.

Image courtesy Boing Boing Gadgets

Update: Another source, plus the original contact at V-Moda, are telling me something different about the chip. V-Moda is retracting their original statement and saying "it is NOT an authentication nor a DRM chip", which I am trying to get clarification on now. The other source says it's supposedly closer to a proprietary control chip that houses the new control scheme, and is an "additional component for the 'made for iPod' program". Again, the phrase "authentication chip" was their language, which they are retracting now. Further updates to come.

Update 2: Joel @ BBG says he spoke to Apple, and they denied the fact that there's any encryption or authentication in the chip. What's also interesting is that another tipster says the chip is relatively easy to clone (a fact Apple strangely corroborates), meaning the reason why the manufacturers are licensing and using Apple's version is most likely to get to market as fast as possible to beat their competitors. And, because they like the fact that they have a made for iPod certification.

Update 3: Spoke to someone else at V-Moda, and they assured me that it was not an authentication chip, but a control chip as part of the "made for iPod" program that they receive from Apple. They've also got no plans to go and duplicate the functionality without the "made for iPod" label, as is probably the case with all other major manufacturers.

The main purpose of the Dynahand system is to alleviate the burden of multiple passwords on your brain, thus simplifying your life. But in order to maintain security, you'll want to set up the system to test you multiple times before each login, a task that no doubt becomes more monotonous than entering a password. Dynahand uses numeric digits and complex handwriting analysis to create your unique written fingerprint, but the developer admits it probably isn't suited for protecting sensitive information like bank accounts.

So is it much ado about nothing? Do you really need to complicate the process for accessing social sites like MySpace and Facebook? Even feasibility is still a concern, as the current method for collecting user handwriting samples is labor-intensive on the provider of the equation. We'll keep an eye out for this approach taking off in the future, but don't buy a ticket just yet.

[Dynahand Handwritten Passwords via Coolest Gadgets]

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. – Jason Chen

Product Page [Amazon]

Product Page [UPek]

Chain of custody documentation, Child care and custody records, Patient consent and HIPAA compliance, Sarbanes-Oxley signoff for corporate SEC filings, US Customs Entry and Biometric Passport Authentication

Not really a big deal for everyday use, but for high security situations like handing off a Metal Gear, you want to make sure the guy you're giving it to really is who he is, and not just Snake in a mask. – Jason Chen

Product Page [Pen-One via Red Ferret via Oh Gizmo]

You could probably use the Face Recognizer as a regular webcam when it's not guarding your PC. Then again, with the right software, you could probably use a regular webcam to do authentication too. That is, if you don't suddenly gain 50 lbs and it can no longer recognize you.

Available for $98. – Jason Chen

Snappy Face Recogniser [Widget via Ohgizmo]

This works fine as a security device until you think of all the times in the movies where someone's eye gets cut out in order to authenticate on a computer/security system.

Product Page

Iris Scan Camera Jiris JCP1000 [i4u]