BlackBerry seeks fingerprint scanner patent

Research in Motion, the maker of the popular BlackBerry, has a bright idea to improve security. An application filed with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office shows that the company is considering deploying fingerprint-scanning technology into the touchpad navigation system used in some of its latest devices. Some portable devices have had fingerprint scanners for years, but not inside the touch pad, reports CIO.com.

BlackBerry users would not have to manually enter passwords, or change passwords routinely, to unlock their secured devices. What's more, IT administrators would know corporate devices are better protected. But reporter Al Sacco writes in CIO.com that fingerprint readers and associated technologies don't always work as intended. You may have to run you finger over the scanner repeatedly to get it to work, he notes, and sometimes users can lock themselves out of their machines after too many failed scan attempts.

This can turn out to be a burden for IT departments. Sacco said the Blackberry technology may be first-rate, but he also notes it is possible that it "could prove to be more trouble than it is worth" for IT professionals.

For more on Blackberry:
- see this CIO.com article

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