'Ear prints' will stop iPod and iPhone theft

Scientists have found a way to 'fingerprint' our ears so that others cannot use your iPod

Forget finger prints, scientists have found a way of using the "acoustic fingerprint" of a person's ear to make it possible to prevent other people using your iPod or iPhone.

A barely audible tone is sent through the earphone that stimulates the hair cells beyond the inner ear into producing a minute sound of their own. This sound has a unique "fingerprint" depending on the individual's eardrum, ear bones and the shape of their ear canal and the resulting biometric "pin number" would be detected by the iPod or mobile phone, explains news.com.

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Forget finger prints, scientists have found a way of using the "acoustic fingerprint" of a person's ear to make it possible to prevent other people using your iPod or iPhone.

A barely audible tone is sent through the earphone that stimulates the hair cells beyond the inner ear into producing a minute sound of their own. This sound has a unique "fingerprint" depending on the individual's eardrum, ear bones and the shape of their ear canal and the resulting biometric "pin number" would be detected by the iPod or mobile phone, explains news.com.