Biometrics

So you say you just bought a new IBM laptop that has a finger scanner for passwords.  Yippie for you.  You’ve just announced to the world that you either cannot remember a password to save your life, or you think the information on your computer is so sensitive that you have to make sure your unique, one-of-a-kind fingerprint is the only thing that will allow you to use the machine.  Trust me, no one cares about the hundreds of pictures of your kids swimming in the inflated pool in your back yard, and no one wants to steal your high score on Minesweeper or Spider Solitaire.  And don’t think that it’s a super security device either.  If anything, it’s easier to crack this type of thing.  All you have to do is find the person who owns the computer and cut their finger off while they sleep, John Bobbit style.  Voila.  Then, just keep that finger in a Zip-Lock baggy in the fridge and you have a quick and easy password cracker.  The ball is in your court, IBM.