Forget about passwords and fingerprint readers, Windows laptops of the future may authenticate simply by looking at you.
Using a leaked early build of Windows 8, the hackers at Windows8italia discovered a sensor programming interface with the ability to “detect human presence.” Presumably, this would allow the computer to power on when the user draws near.
A big piece of this puzzle is already in place with Microsoft’s Kinect, an Xbox 360 controller that tracks motion in three dimensions. Kinect already uses facial recognition to log users into Xbox Live, so bringing the technology to Windows seems like a logical step.
Microsoft reportedly thinks so, too. Leaked planning documents from last year suggest that users could log in simply by sitting down in front of the computer, eliminating the extra step of entering a password.
Of course, as CrunchGear’s Devin Coldewey points out, you’d have to get over the paranoia of having a camera that constantly scans the room, looking for you.