Windows 8 picture passwords: Their great untapped potential

Love it or hate it, Windows 8 is the bellwether for PCs. Where Microsoft goes, PCs follow. And now Microsoft is making a grab for the mobile market, too. The latest version of Windows is designed with touchscreens in mind, and one bright side of that evolution is the addition of features that make Windows more intuitive and easier to use on all devices. Windows 8 picture passwords are an example of such a featureâ€"a new, alternative password system that most Windows 8 users aren't even aware of. Actually, the term picture password is a bit of a misnomer. Sure, the password allows you log in to your machine using a picture instead of an alphanumeric string of characters, but what you're actually doing is sketching a custom sequence of gestures on top of a picture to verify your identity. For example, if you use a photo of a your family, you might sketch a straight line from one person's nose to the next person's nose. Calling these passwords gesture passwords would be more appropriate, but admittedly, that name doesn't have the same alliterative appeal. Worse, highlighting the feature's similarity to the gesture-based login systems on phones and tablets could further alienate die-hard desktop owners already leery of Windows 8. And that's a shame, because picture passwords are a nice alternative to traditional passwords and should have been integrated into PC operating systems a long time ago. To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here