Siemens PalmSecure for security niches

Siemens has teamed up with PalmSecure to create a device that works like a fingerprint reader, except that it scans the palm of your hand and tries to recognize the vein patterns underneath your skin which are unique to each of us.

Although it is an interesting way of using biometrics, it is still a little big and clumsy. It’s probably a bit more secure than (whole-thumb) fingerprint readers because the user doesn’t actually leave his/her palm print *on* the device. It will probably work for niche markets such as banks or hospitals, but I don’t think that this will become popular with consumers anytime soon.