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"Science fiction and science have always danced around each other. Science fiction is the subconscious of science."
- Greg Bear

Palm Scan  
  A means of positive identification, in this case, for an ATM machine.  

I keep wondering if there are more points of comparison on a palm print than on a fingerprint.

"Palm contact."

Rydell pressed his hand within the outline of a hand. He hated the way that felt. Bad cootie factor with those palm-scan things. Hand grease.

He wiped his palm on his trousers.

From All Tomorrow's Parties, by William Gibson.
Published by Putnam in 1999
Additional resources -

There is an interesting connection with biometric devices that make use of hand geometry; in the works of Frank Herbert you find what he called a palm lock. While in Herbert's universe, everything seemed to be clean and personal, Gibson always gives everything a patina of use, and imagines what the public version would be.

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Additional resources:
  More Ideas and Technology from All Tomorrow's Parties
  More Ideas and Technology by William Gibson
  Tech news articles related to All Tomorrow's Parties
  Tech news articles related to works by William Gibson

Palm Scan-related news articles:
  - Palm Vein Authentication First, Then Book

Articles related to Security
Indian Court Says Brain Scan Proves Murder
Background Draw-a-Secret (BDAS) Makes Graphical Passwords
ID-U Biometrics Eye Tracking Signature
PCASS And The Original Handheld Lie Detector

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