Cub Foods introduces biometric scanning
By Thomas Ricker 
posted May 19th 2005 1:30PM
posted May 19th 2005 1:30PM
Not to be outdone by Albertsons Shop 'n' Scan system, Cub Foods introduced yet another hi-tech shopping solution when they began testing biometric payments on Monday. The Pay By Touch system reads the shopper's finger (its unique heat signature, not the fingerprint) and then accesses their "electronic wallet." While this will help reduce latency in the twinkie-to-couch mean round-trip time, supermarkets are most stoked at giving those darn credit card companies (and their transaction fees) a real drubbing. Please, do not steal your rich friends' fingers.
I signed up for it, it's in Blane, MN. The only bad part is that you can't have it bill your credit card, you can only use a checking account.
we use that at work. it is okay... but easy to trick it. and it dosn't work well for some people.
the question is... can they be used to ID you? (as in if the cops ran your prints could it match up with their data base?)
mr. bill smith, i have a question about these self-checkout systems. please email me @ fahad822@gmail.com as soon as possible and i will reply with my question.
thanks.
NICE! However all the cool tech like this and self checkout doesn't seem to be in my south Metro neighborhood. :(
Unique heat signature? So what happens when I show up to try to buy cold medicine for a fever?
Thriftway in Seattle, WA has had these from quite sometime
"Unique heat signature? So what happens when I show up to try to buy cold medicine for a fever?"
Your heat sig doesn't change that much and if it does to that point you better not be going to Cub , you should be going to the ER.
Revolution is still superior.
But I hear they're not going to televise that, so who cares...
I'm relieved it's a heat signature, as in living body.
I fear biometric banking machines will cost me an eye or a hand someday, instead of the usual "arm and a leg".
So if my buddy offers to pay for the beer if I go pick it up and lends me his finger, will it be too cold to work by the time I get to the checkout?
How much time does this really save? 5 seconds? The time it takes for you to swipe your card and punch in your pin. Wow.... pointless.
Sounds like a haven for germs. I don't exaclty want to press my finger against the same pad as dozens of other nasties...
Doesnt anyone else just find this a little bit creepy?
If the finger is removed it won't work for long (maybe 2-3 minutes). It has to be living tissue. If you're sick it won't affect your heat SIGNATURE just the temperature. So for a thief to steal your finger he'd have to take you (alive) along for the ride.
'Your heat sig doesn't change that much and if it does to that point you better not be going to Cub , you should be going to the ER.'
And what happens if, god forbid, you go through the FROZEN FOODS section ? Your core temp might not be lowered to the point that a doctor or undertaker is needed, but if you've been handling (ie selecting items and placing them in your cart, and then loading them on the counter to be rung up) frozen foods your hands could be pretty well altered.
I know that cold hands can screw up even fingerprint scanners. If this thing is actually based on the heat itself I should think it would be that much more crucial that your body/extremity temp is well...the SAME every time you go through.
But I suppose it wouldn't have gotten this far if they hadn't found a way around that. My question is how reliable is it ?
I mean, how awesome would it be if every time you went shopping you ended up drawing from someone elses checking account ?
Of course, that would probably mean numerous random people would probably end up drawing from YOURS as well...
I dunno, maybe an ear based 'Thermo-scan' type device would work, as it does a better job of ascertaining your core temp, but 'Jesse's logic would be even more pertinent here. You DON'T wanna share something that's gonna go into one of your orifaces with the masses...
Can any shade tree biotech gurus/scienticians out there tell me if this tech is based on a single static temperature? It seems like you'd need a lot of significant figures if your database is going to serve millions of people. Or is this 'heat signature' a unique thermal wave form that is observed, and not in fact a simple temperature point?
I went there yesterday (in Blaine) I think this is great. But how do I take cell phone pics of a fingerscan and go shopping on e-bay? Seriously...go to www.paybytouch.com and check it out!
#9
Instead you would rather touch and exchange money, which is way worse than that scanner (it will have the same amount of germs - actually a lot less) that the belt that moves the food to the cashier...
I thought we had all decided that biometrics weren't a secure or practical method of payment?
This is just stupid.
Mike:
No, I would continue using my credit card, which has been touched only by me :)
Just touching your credit card? Do you have any idea how many 'touched' surfaces your hands come into contact with on a daily basis? How many people do you think touched that box of cereal before you put it in their cart? How about the cart or basket handles? How about the pen you used to sign your credit card receipt with or the "OK" button on the console? I wouldn't lose sleep over that.
And back to the security issue - according to the website, they're not storing heat signatures, they're just using your fingerprint:
"The Pay By Touch finger reader does not take or store an actual fingerprint - it converts a set of data points into a mathematical equation that can't be used to reproduce your fingerprint."
And then they go on to talk about how you don't even need a password! Like that's something to be proud of. Fuck this technology - I'll wait for my subdermal RFID, thanks anyway.
Just touching your credit card? Do you have any idea how many 'touched' surfaces your hands come into contact with on a daily basis? How many people do you think touched that box of cereal before you put it in their cart? How about the cart or basket handles? How about the pen you used to sign your credit card receipt with or the "OK" button on the console? I wouldn't lose sleep over that.
And back to the security issue - according to the website, they're not storing heat signatures, they're just using your fingerprint:
"The Pay By Touch finger reader does not take or store an actual fingerprint - it converts a set of data points into a mathematical equation that can't be used to reproduce your fingerprint."
And then they go on to talk about how you don't even need a password! Like that's something to be proud of. Fuck this technology - I'll wait for my subdermal RFID, thanks anyway.
Slick technology. Can't wait for it to be everywhere.
Kroger stores in Decatur, Georgia, have them too. Currently, they only use the scanners for check cashing--but that will change over the Summer.
What's the number that this mathematical equation produces? If I don't have my right finger they can use my forehead? Is it so difficult to use a credit card? I believe nobody needs it.
"and then accesses their 'electronic wallet.'"
---You need to learn the english language. It is not 'their' electronic wallet rather 'his or her' electronic wallet. 'Their' is the plural form, which in this case only refers to a singular subject. You must use the singular form 'his' or 'her' and because you dont know the gender of the shopper, you say 'his or her'. Just a comment