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Passwords You Draw Instead of Write

by Evan Shamoon on October 25, 2007 at 11:29 AM



In the "smart people making things easier for lazy people" category, researchers are getting closer to finishing software that will allow people to draw picture passwords on their screen instead of typing in alpha-numeric combinations. Like, say, the little warped cat face you scribble hundreds of times a day.

The software has been in development for touch-sensitive mobile phones and handheld computers for some time; the idea is that images will be harder than text passwords to copy by thieves, as well as being easier to remember for the actual owner. It will also make things easier for people with dyslexia and other language difficulties.

Dr Jeff Yan, a computer science lecturer, and PhD student Paul Dunphy have developed emerging Draw a Secret (DAS) technology and applied it to a background image. The improved software is known as BDAS -- Background Draw a Secret -- improves things, but also sounds pretty dyslexic if you ask us.

Maybe it's a scientist in-joke? Maybe not.

From DailyMail

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Tags: Future Tech, FutureTech

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