Scan your face to unlock your phone or clear immigration checks. Scan your finger to unlock the door. Now, palm reading is also coming to the fore as tech firms get creative with using biometrics.
At Alchemist cafe at 71 Robinson Road, a select group of Visa employees have been swiping their hands for several weeks now to pay for coffee, under a trial with Chinese tech giant Tencent to test its Palm Scan Payments system in Singapore.
Plans are afoot to expand the trial to other DBS Bank, OCBC Bank and UOB Visa card holders in Singapore, Tencent's first international stop outside China after having outfitted Beijing's airport express train service and more than 1,500 7-Eleven convenience stores in Guangdong province with its palm-reading technology.
Imagine the convenience of leaving home with just you. No cards. No phones, which often run out of juice.
The argument for increasing use of people's biometric data in everyday scenarios - in shops, at entertainment venues and on public transport - is convenience and security. However, it is one thing for governments to collect your face, finger and gait data for security, and another when firms with commercial interests get in the game.
What happens if your biometric data is stolen, or falls into the wrong hands? What is the price of paying with your palm?
WHAT DATA IS HARVESTED?
Let's unpack the technology to better understand what could be at stake.
On Nov 6, when The Straits Times visited the Tencent and Visa booths at the Singapore Fintech Festival, the companies demonstrated that a one-time enrolment to capture one's palm data is required.
This is done in a few seconds using Tencent's payment reader, which sports two cameras (one for reading the lines on the palm and another for detecting the veins under the skin).
Diese Geschichte stammt aus der November 08, 2024-Ausgabe von The Straits Times.
Starten Sie Ihre 7-tägige kostenlose Testversion von Magzter GOLD, um auf Tausende kuratierte Premium-Storys sowie über 8.000 Zeitschriften und Zeitungen zuzugreifen.
Bereits Abonnent ? Anmelden
Diese Geschichte stammt aus der November 08, 2024-Ausgabe von The Straits Times.
Starten Sie Ihre 7-tägige kostenlose Testversion von Magzter GOLD, um auf Tausende kuratierte Premium-Storys sowie über 8.000 Zeitschriften und Zeitungen zuzugreifen.
Bereits Abonnent? Anmelden
Star producer of NewJeans quits after legal spat with BTS agency
The South Korean super-producer behind the chart-topping girl group NewJeans resigned from her label on Nov 20, following a protracted legal battle with Hybe that has rocked the country's K-pop industry.
One Direction stars attend Liam Payne's funeral in UK
Family and friends of One Direction star Liam Payne, who died in October after falling from a Buenos Aires hotel room, gathered for his funeral in Britain on Nov 20.
Composer A.R. Rahman and wife separate after 29 years of marriage
Oscar-winning composer A.R. Rahman and his wife, Saira, have announced their decision to part ways after nearly 30 years of marriage.
Audemars Piguet joins hands with Kaws for groovy new drop
Audemars Piguet has teamed up with contemporary American artist Brian Donnelly - better known by his pseudonym Kaws - to create the Royal Oak Concept Tourbillon Companion, a 43mm titanium horological knockout which groovily fuses high watchmaking and pop art.
LOCAL DESIGNERS GET WICKED
Singapore fashion designers have created clothes and accessories in a Wicked collaboration between Design Orchard and NBCUniversal
Captain America excited to flaunt new powers
No serum? No problem. New Captain America Anthony Mackie goes on a different flight path in upcoming movie
SBA RESHUFFLE NETS KIM
S. Korea's ex-Asiad champ will become Singapore women's singles head coach
Yeo targets top-l O spot after maiden win over Sindhu
As far as giants go, they do not come taller in the badminton women's singles circuit than India's 1.79m P. V. Sindhu, who has a 2019 world title and an Olympic silver (Rio 2016) and bronze (Tokyo 2020) to match her stature.
Hearing-impaired Audelle, 10, is rising chess star
It was only when Audelle Sim was six years old that her parents found out that she has a hearing impairment.
THE BEST OF CHESS AND MORE
S,pore world c'ship's side events include fan zones with grandmasters and exhibitions