Thanks, Amazon: Swipe Your Palm to Get into Red Rocks Concerts
Let's talk about palm readers, and I don't mean the psychic kind, I mean the biometric technology kind. Associated Press is reporting that Amazon's 'palm-recognition technology' is coming to Colorado's iconic Red Rocks Amphitheatre. We may be one step closer to getting our concert tickets inserted into us on a microchip, so try to scalp that, scalpers.
You may be familiar with Amazon One if you shop at Amazon stores, which I do not, so this is totally new to me. Associated Press said that starting Tuesday, September 14, 'concertgoers at Red Rocks can sign up to connect their palm to a ticketing account by hovering their hand over a device.'
Right now, Red Rocks is the only venue that will be using this technology, though it will likely expand to others. Amazon reportedly made a deal with AEG (AXS), but people who wish to get into shows with a wave of their hand don't need to have an Amazon account.
So, how does it work? According to Gizmodo, the 'highly secure' system 'uses custom-built algorithms and hardware to create a person’s unique palm signature.' Once you've 'enrolled' your palm print, you can use your hand to get into AXS venues, which is most of them (Red Rocks will just be the first).
If the idea of using a part of your body as a ticket makes you uncomfortable, you're not alone. I mean, you don't want someone to be able to hack your hand, and there are a number of skeptics who are weary about that. An executive director at Defcon's Biohacking Village, Nina Alli told Wired that 'Amazon has a major genomics cloud platform, so maybe they hold your DNA and now they’re going to have your palm as well?'
You can always opt to fumble for your phone or use hard tickets — that is, if they still make those.
NoCo Music Venues Then and Now