If you have a webcam, you can make logging in to your Windows PC super easy. Blink! lets you log into your account by simply looking into your webcam. You have to install Blink! on your system, and then it will load with Windows at startup. From there, it requires no action on your part. Sit in front of your computer, and Blink! uses facial recognition to verify your identity, and log you in.
Photo by Justin Moore.
While we had no way to test their claims, the developers of Blink! say that the app has no false positives. Still, if you place a premium on security, you may want to think twice before using it.
Blink does save your login history, so you can see a snapshot of everyone who successfully logs in to your PC. That alone makes it pretty handy.
Blink! is a free program that works on Windows 7 and Windows Vista. If you have a 64 bit system, make sure you follow the link on the Blink! site to the 64 bit version.
Would you trust a program like this?
Blink! [Luxand]
Daryl says:
Evan – this looks super cool. I am going to give it a try on my netbook later today!
October 13, 2010 — 8:10 am
Kosmo @ The Soap Boxers says:
“While we had no way to test their claims, the developers of Blink! say that the app has no false positives.”
Here’s something to try. Record some video of yourself on a laptop (not the computer you have Blink! on).
Then start the video playing and set it in front of the web cam. Will Blink! figure out that this isn’t really you? You may need to run the video in mirror image to give the right view to the webcam (or maybe not – my brain is a bit fuzzy on that).
October 13, 2010 — 9:51 am
Evan Kline says:
If I get time to conduct the experiment, I’ll have to give it a try. I’d also be curious whether it would work just holding up a photo.
October 13, 2010 — 1:39 pm
Bobby Travis says:
This is pretty cool! And I love the title of the post… :D
I wonder the Blink! people paid attention to the YouTube fiasco that hit HP earlier in the year — the one where the HP facial recognition login didn’t recognize black people…….. O.0
Anyone care to test?
October 13, 2010 — 11:13 am
Evan Kline says:
Yikes! I’m not in the test demographic, but I’d love to hear if it has the problem that HP had.
October 13, 2010 — 1:40 pm
Bobby Travis says:
Well, it registers me just fine, but I don’t look all that African American — or Canadian — or whatever.
I do find it to be a bit slow, though. I could definitely have clicked and typed my login faster.
October 13, 2010 — 4:51 pm
dave says:
Nice idea until some practical joker steals your web cam, then what? Can you over ride it by typing – surely you can.
October 14, 2010 — 11:10 am
Bobby Travis says:
Yeah you can type in your password still.
October 14, 2010 — 11:41 am
Justin Maynard says:
FYI, this is not free anymore. They do not even offer a trial.
December 10, 2010 — 4:09 pm
Evan Kline says:
That’s a shame, Justin. Thanks for the heads up. I’ll have to make sure I hang on to my current install, then.
December 20, 2010 — 1:14 pm