Norinchukin Bank to issue vein reading bank cards
By Thomas Ricker 
posted Feb 17th 2006 2:17PM
posted Feb 17th 2006 2:17PM
In what has become the bio-security du jour in Japan, Norinchukin
follows banking security trailblazers Suruga in
announcing new biometric bank cards that identify patrons by the pattern of veins in the palm of their hands. The cards
will be issued starting this October and will include embedded, integrated circuits to assist in processing bank
transactions and presumably to alert the local samuraibot on duty after your veins have been
harvested to access your account.
Sounds cool, though weird. I hope we get some of dem cool biometrics devices here in Canada.
Sometimes I wish our country was more like Japan.. and sometimes not.
Isn't it fascinating that the cultures that are so phobic about what they touch (Japan and Korea both have a mania for things with antimicrobial coatings, ultraviolet germ killers, or which are self-cleaning) is also the society that pushes an ATM you have to slap your whole hand on?
One of the greatest problems with biometrics is that once it's compromised and forged, and it will be what do you do? Passwords, pin numbers even social security numbers (for those in us) can be changed if they're compromised.
Does anyone know the link to this article?? I am really interested in this concept.
Another issue: In both of my hands, I have a vein that I can riggle around when I move the correct finger. Good luck Japan. Wait! I've got it! The ONLY solution is to eliminate money! BANG! No problemo.
Wait wait, but what if that rich guy who lost his hand in a freak and violent croquet match can't access his money via atm anymore? Come on, a rich guy like that.. doesn't have the time to make it before 5 to make a bank transaction.
But seriously, this kind of technology is hardly practical. Can't believe it's actually going to be used... used by extremely paranoid bankers. Not sure if I'm right but aren't the sizes of the blood vessels constantly changing, say with weather.. When it's cold they constrict(get smaller), to keep body heat from being moved to places it can easily excape(tis why the hands get so darn cold when it is cold outside) and get larger when it's warm or when your sick(ever had your hand swell a little and get hot/turn red).
Isn't the typical person needing a quick bank transaction(the same person who is more prone to lose their bank card) at say an ATM the same person who generally works harder, or well not harder but in a sense to wear their hands(new bank card) could be damaged or altered thus keeping them from being able to feed their children with the hand the may or may not have anymore.
Haha, I know it's an extreme thought but really it is a concern. But then again.. you don't have to bank with them.
Pixels for my people,
Anticrawl
My gosh, it's really going like the Bible said it would...later, you won't be able to buy or sell anything without a stupid computer scanning your forehead, or eyes, or fingerprint, or, in this case, veins!
It's potentially dangerous too. What's to prevent someone from slicing off someone else's hand and using it to access the person's account?
I am living in Japan and I happen to have one of these “finger vein reading” bank cards. I didn’t really think I needed it, but I signed up for one when I needed a replacement card. The reason I needed a replacement card was because I was robbed. Yeah, Japan isn’t that safe anymore!
Well, anyway they take several different scans of your finger and make a comparison sample, so I don’t think a slight change or movement in your veins will cause a problem with the scan. Also if you damage your “pass code finger” you don’t have to worry because they also take an alternative scan to be used in this case.
Also these scanners are not like the movies, you still have to have a PIN code to access your account.
I don’t really feel like I need a ”James Bond“ cash card, but at least I don’t have to worry about someone getting hold of my PIN code. Actually there has been a recent trend for thieves here to install mini spy cameras on the ATMs in an attempt to get people’s PIN codes.
http://stuffinjapan.blogspot.com/
Better than China... here, I've seen places that don't accept any non-local credit cards due to fraud by foreigners, banks that require you to type your PIN number to gain access to the ATMs, people that leave their ATM reciepts at the ATMs, with a complete card number, CVV code, and PIN number printed on them. It's a combination of idiocy and paranoia that still results in credit card fraud and theft...