So I have an idea: Apple Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard should have a feature that allows each MacBook and MacBook Pro to learn what its owner’s face looks like via the built-in iSight camera. After being trained what its owner looks like, the system should then allow a facial recognition scan to unlock the user's keychain instead of a password. Think of the possibilities! Simply arrive at the coffee shop, pop open your MacBook and have the screen flash at you while it takes several scans. Once it recognizes you, your desktop appears and off you go. No password required for a relatively secure experience.
For those people who require added security, this feature could be used as an added layer of security in the authentication process. The system would require both a password and a positive match on your facial scan prior to a verified authentication.
What I would like to know, from someone who is more knowledgeable about the inner workings of OS X than I, is whether this functionality could be shoe-horned into 10.4 as a replacement to the login screen that currently appears – assuming you’ve opted to to “Require a password to wake this computer from sleep or screen saver” in the Security system preference pane. Why wait six months for Leopard when we could have this functionality now?