Canadian condos secured by barely lifting a finger

Canadian condos secured by barely lifting a finger

Mon Aug 15, 3:06 PM ET

The latest luxury condominium project on Canada's west coast will be the first residential building in the world to replace key door locks with biometric security, the developer told AFP.

Instead of fumbling with keys, tenants will be able to scan their fingerprint to access their apartment in a new high-rise building now under construction in the Tony Yaletown neighbourhood in downtown Vancouver.

"This technology is usually found in financial, government or high security applications," said developer James Schouw. "But, it has become cheaper, more reliable, and everyone lately is concerned about security."

"Now, you never have to worry about losing your keys," he said.

Scanners will also be set up at the front door, parking garage, bike storage area, and in the elevators to prevent indiscriminate access. If someone loses a finger or has their arms full with bags, the system will recognize several fingerprints encoded from both hands.

Some buyers worried that along with hindering burglars, the security will hinder impromptu visits by friends and family, but a concierge will usually be available to scan guests' fingerprints too and give them temporary access, Schouw said.

The 71 units in the two-phase building were listed for sale from 600,000 dollars (500,000 US) to 4.25 million dollars (3.5 million US).

Copyright © 2005 Agence France Presse. All rights reserved. The information contained in the AFP News report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without the prior written authority of Agence France Presse.

Copyright © 2005 Yahoo! Inc. All rights reserved.