“Bond. James Bond.”
Those words are recognized all over the world. And so is the man they introduce, the handsome, sophisticated spy, James Bond.
Who could be more famous than Bond? Some people would say Q.
Bond fans know that Q is the technical wizard who supplies Bond with creative and high tech gadgets before he goes off on his dangerous spy missions. In From Russia With Love (1963), Bond used a pager and a phone inside his car. At the time, these were state-of-the-art technological marvels. Today they are used by millions of people.
As the Bond films progressed, Q devised more and more intricate and bizarre gadgets to amaze and delight audiences. In Tomorrow Never Dies (1997), Bond used a cell phone with a fingerprint scanner. And he often gained access to Q’s office by putting his palm to a computer screen. The computer identified him by the lines on his hand and said, “Hello, Commander Bond,” as the door opened.
Technology in the twenty-first century has turned many of Q’s high-tech devices into part of our everyday lives. The fingerprint scanner and palm reader are examples of the technology of biometrics. James Bond never had to remember a password. Soon you won’t have to, either. Biometrics researchers say that fingerprints, iris scans, retina scans, or voice prints will soon be used instead of passwords to verify your identity. They hope that biometrics systems like the fingerprint scanner and palm reader will make our lives simpler and safer.
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