Windows 8 will make use of touch features to a much higher degree than any previous version, including the latest Microsoft has revealed. It is called Picture Passwords, which enables users to use an image and different gestures as passwords.
The latest function from Microsoft has to be considered exclusive for touch screens, but at the same time a very nice one for this particular type of units. Typing a long and complicated password on a touch screen can be pretty annoying and take some time. With a picture password the login on a Windows 8 tablet can be as smooth as using a keyboard.
The principle is quite straight forward: you pickthe picture you want and then choose a touch pattern. In the example above Zach Pace from Microsoft drew a circle around his father’s head, draw a line from his little sister’s head to his big sister’s nose and then pushed his mother’s nose – and that was his password. Everything has to be done in the right order, for example the circle has to be done in the right direction.
Microsoft’s picture password will be many times more secure than traditional typed passwords, three gestures will be as secure as a password of five to six random symbols. It has also set a limit so that no one can guess what you have for “password”, after five attempts you have to use the classic text password. The function is already in the Windows 8 Developer Preview if you want to test it and give feedback to Microsoft.
