Wednesday, September 26, 2012
Fantastically dumb idea.
Listening to national news this morning, heard two features in sequence:
(1) Knee replacements are growing more common and costing $9 billion annually to Medicare; we need to do something about this.
(2) Researchers are proposing a new way of gathering biodata for secured identification, using a 'Biosole' attached to your foot to measure your gait. Supposedly this is better than using retinas or fingerprints for high-security situations, because "those body parts can be amputated."DUMB! DUMB! DUMB!First, feet and legs are lost far more often than fingers or eyes. Second, weren't you listening to the item you read just before? Gait always changes with age, and various forms of surgery on joints are even more common than amputations. Third, what if you forget your 'Biosole' gadget? The high-income folks who tend to need high security are constant shoe changers. Drive to the gym in your $500,000 Maybach Saloon for a workout, change into your $1000 cross-trainers, drive back to the office, change into your $1000 spike-heeled Manolo Whatevers. Will the 'Biosole' look good strapped to the Manolo Whatever? Of course not, so it stays in the drawer. Fourth, easy hacking. The 'Biosole' will have to communicate with your computer by radio waves, which means a hacker can intercept and record (or jam) the signal from a considerable distance.
¶ 5:15 AM 
