Intel has come up with tools to use biometrics — facial recognition — to replace passwords. It introduced a new password manager app True Key at the Consumer Electronics Show this weekend. It plans to start previewing True Key this month.

You could download the True Key app, register and take a photo of your face with your smartphone camera or webcam. Now, instead of opening up websites by typing in a password, True Key will do the work based on your image.

The company website states that "True Key simplifies your life, and lets the digital world know it's really you. By logging in to True Key™ using unique attributes like your facial math, or your fingerprint, you can instantly get where you want to go conveniently. Add additional factors that are unique like to boost your security and make your True Key stronger."

In December, Intel also acquired PasswordBox. It's being reported that Intel may be considering to use a "freemium" model for True Key, much like PasswordBox does today. The app will be free to be used with up to 15 websites. If more are required, the fee would be about twenty dollars a year.

Apple was first to introduce biometrics via Touch ID for the iPhone 5S and has since added it to the iPad Air 2. We reported on a cluster of Touch ID related patents last year and one of them pointed to biometrics coming to future Macs. With Apple taking the lead in biometric security for mobile devices, it's not surprising that Intel wanted to get a head of the curve and bring biometric security to Window PCs first.

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