Quote:
Originally Posted by Elfwreck
The tech is there for device locking; the software's not yet developed (or if it is, very rare) for individual file locking. For a fingerprint-based ebook to work, you'd have to be able to enter your fingerprint at time of purchase/first download to encrypt the book to your ID. That means you can only buy books from a device that has a fingerprint scanner--no more purchases from most PCs, unless you buy a USB-based scanner.
Any ID tech has to be ubiquitous before it's useful. Credit card info, entered at purchase time, is usable by any site; fingerprint ID, requiring special hardware before purchase and special software at the website, is a much bigger hurdle to force on people.
|
All true. But that doesn't mean it's not do-able. Consumers have accepted other more involved technologies and purchasing methods, if it was presented to them as something they wanted, or that it got them something they wanted. Offer the right incentive, and you'll see biometric readers on all hardware devices faster than USB ports proliferated.
Technology has also been rolled out by the device manufacturers by mutual agreement; manufacturers then present the technology as an "accessory" that can be used, or not, as desired. Later, offers and incentives by other companies ("Use your printscanner to get a sneak preview of
Angry Birds II: The Day of the Condor!"), and consumers begin using the tech that's been in front of them for some time.