Biometric Technology and Smartphones: A consideration of the practicalities of a broad adoption of biometrics and the likely impacts

The Widespread Global Adoption of Smartphones across all demographics and the rapid commoditization of the technology to the point at which an entry-level device can be sold profitably for less than US$100 suggest that we are moving rapidly to a time at which almost everyone will own a smartphone. Or, perhaps more accurately, these devices will own us! They are compelling devices, combining a capability to act as a personal messaging hub, providing mobile access to web services, a sophisticated entertainment device for playing music and videos, and, most recently, a personal broadcasting engine created using new web technologies [1], should you require such capabilities. The ability of a smartphone to augment our daily lives is already effecting substantial changes in social behavior. For many years, it was considered quite rude to leave your cell phone active in meetings; today, it is quite acceptable to tap away at this gadget in your hand. Indeed, it now seems to be considered impolite to interrupt someone who is engaged in such arguably antisocial tapping.