Redmond used a public gathering in Seattle to help the Windows Hello software improve the way in which it reads faces, with the end goal being the use of facial recognition as a security feature.
Technology has leapt in the 21st century, while security has also reached a mature stage in an age where we live much of our lives in the digital space.
However, numerous breaches and the dangers posed by an online world mean there is still plenty to do, and some methods simply seem archaic.
Take the traditional password for example. The method of inputting numerals or letters to unlock or secure something is old school these days, and Microsoft is aiming to change security methods and bring them into the 21st century.
Windows Hello, the biometric system Microsoft uses for users to log-in to Windows 10, is being tested for a new feature that would use facial recognition instead of passwords. If this testing is anything to go by, Microsoft could be discussing Windows Hello at its 2016 Build Conference next month.
Windows Hello Advancing
Redmond raised the curtain on Windows Hello when the company launched Windows 10, but so far it has not been integrated widely by PC manufacturers. Microsoft is hoping to refine the technology so a single PC camera can read a face and use Windows Hello as a true face recognition tool.
The company was at the Ballard Locks in Seattle on the weekend and was asking people to take part in 3D mapping that will help Windows Hello with facial recognition improvements. It is hoped that the more recorded faces there are, the more the system will learn how to more successfully read a user’s face for security purposes.
The process required members of the public signing a privacy agreement, with Microsoft explaining that the images taken would be used solely for research purposes. A camera array taped to a computer snapped people from either side in a process that took just five minutes, with the person moving their face and posture into positions asked by Microsoft employees.
SOURCE: Geekwire
