HP's clever new mouse has a fingerprint sensor on board

By Dan Thorp-Lancaster
published

Kill your PC's password with just a touch.

With the advent of Windows Hello in Windows 10 and similar security features across mobile devices, we've seen a boom in biometric security over the past several years. With its latest mouse, HP is aiming to bring that same security to your fingertips. Literally.

Alongside updated Spectre x360 PCs and a new EliteBook convertible today, HP took the wraps off of its USB Fingerprint Mouse, which embeds a fingerprint sensor directly into the top of the mouse's housing.

The sensor allows you to log in using Windows Hello, bypassing the need for a password or pin. The mouse keeps your fingerprint locked down as well, storing your fingerprint data on the peripheral itself and only sending a "pass" or "fail" signal to Windows 10 when you log in. If you lack a PC with an infrared camera for facial recognition, this could be an excellent alternative.

Other than the fingerprint sensor, the HP USB Fingerprint Mouse is a pretty standard pointer. You'll get adjustable DPI, ranging from 800 up to 1600 with a laser sensor. Additionally, your fingerprint is stored in the mouse with AES-256 bit encryption.

Look for the HP USB Fingerprint Mouse to launch in December, when it's expected to launch at a price of $50.

Dan Thorp-Lancaster
Dan Thorp-Lancaster

Dan Thorp-Lancaster is the former Editor-in-Chief of Windows Central. He began working with Windows Central, Android Central, and iMore as a news writer in 2014 and is obsessed with tech of all sorts. You can follow Dan on Twitter @DthorpL and Instagram @heyitsdtl. 

4 Comments
  • "The mouse keeps your fingerprint locked down as well, storing your fingerprint data on the peripheral itself and only sending a "pass" or "fail" signal to Windows 10 when you log in." What's to prevent a third party from finding a way to fake that signal?
  • Nice idea, poor design. That reader is gonna get clogged with skin oils and grime from having a palm rest on it for hours, thereby killing its reading abilities.
  • Just checked my palm, it rests on the edges on the mouse. Also dry skin.
  • I wish this would work on my work machine. Microsoft killed that feature by default, but I can still use a 4 digit PIN instead of my password. I guess 4 digits are more secure than my finger print.