Right at the bottom of Microsoft's corporate info page on this little gadget there's a small disclaimer that reads: "Should not be used as the only means to protect sensitive data like financial information or accessing corporate networks."

Right. Grrrreat. Exactly.

That one small line of information really does sum up the Finger Print Reader rather accurately. Because it is quite nifty and cool, but it's not something that you really need.

The idea is that whenever you've got a password specified for a certain website or document, or to log on as a user at a PC, then you can use this little gadget instead of having to type in the password.

In other words when you get prompted for a password, you simply let it scan your finger.

Yes, that does sound cool, doesn't it? And yes, it does work very well. But you still have to specify a password, so it doesn't really add an extra layer of security, as one would initially think.

Instead, it offers a shortcut of sorts, making the process of logging onto a PC or website, or getting into a document, just a tad faster.

Gadget freaks will love it. And if you're into making your PC experience as smooth as possible, then this will no doubt help towards that computer user's utopia.

But if you're comfortable with typing in a few letters instead, then you can rest assured that you won't miss out without this one at your side.

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