Biometric purchasing: Here it comes!!!!

Looks like biometric purchasing (Mark of the Beast?) is coming soon to an Apple device near you with a biometric fingerprint technology called TouchID. You scan the barcode and then place your finger on the screen to authorize the payments.

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When Touch ID was first rumored, there had been much speculation about whether the iPhone 5s would act as an electronic wallet, with payments to retailers authorized by fingerprint. While that hasn’t yet happened, it does now seem clear that it’s on the way.

Asked about mobile payments during yesterday’s earnings call, CEO Tim Cook gave what is, in Apple terms, a surprisingly direct response.

"The mobile payments area in general is one we’ve been intrigued with. It was one of the thoughts behind Touch ID [...] it’s a big opportunity … "


While some Android mobile devices already support mobile purchasing by NFC (near field communication), it looks like Apple will go straight to the biometric.

Some Android handsets already offer electronic wallet functionality by allowing virtual copies of cards to be uploaded to the phone, and then using NFC to authorize payment by touching the phone to a payment terminal. A recent piece in the WSJ suggests that Apple may be planning a different approach.

Link to full article here:

[link to 9to5mac.com]

If this technology takes off, expect it to spread like wildfire.

Thoughts?