'Passage' Uses Images To Replace Typing Passwords

Startup Peekabu has revealed new project Passage, a way to replace passwords with images that are simply held up in front your computer's camera. Relying on their previous experience with image recognition technologies, England-based Peekabu built Passage ("password" + "image") at the 24-hour Disrupt London hackathon.

Using Passage works as such: when signing up at a website that uses the service, you provide your email address or pick a username as usual. But instead of using a password, you can take any image of your choice and hold it in front of the camera to register it. Suggested pictures to use have included a family portrait, or even your driver's license.

Just as you would use different passwords for multiple accounts, so too can you use a separate image for each login. Also useful is the ability to register a second image to a single account, so if your primary image isn't available, or lost, you have a backup plan. Peekabu says scanned images are run through recognition algorithms, meaning even the slightest difference from the registered image can be detected.

In its current state, the service only works on the web, but the developers are already on their way to having it run on iOS and Android. Don't set your expectations too high just yet though, as they say they are still considering whether to develop Passage into a full password management tool. There are several quality management apps for text-based passwords already available now, but with the continuing exploration into all-around alternatives for passwords, there's certainly space for hacks like Passage to grow.

SOURCE TechCrunch