Apparently passwords are dead:

[it.slashdot.org]

Bill Gates has just proclaimed the end of passwords. There’s only one drawback – you have to use .Net (well, what else would you expect?). However, the smart card that is at the centre of it – made by Axalto – is still a great bit of technology.

Alas that the Techworld site referenced is slashdotted.

Nonetheless, all this is merely to recycle a age-old, self-evident truth that myself and others have been preaching for literally decades:

[groups.google.com]

From: alecm@…… (Alec Muffett)
Newsgroups: comp.security.unix
Subject: Re: passwd-changing from 56-bit DES// Bruce!
Date: 11 Jul 1994 10:54:56 GMT
[…]

Buy a smartcard or install S/Key. Get out of the password game. Now. Passwords are dead technology. The NSA probably doesn’t give a toss what is on your machine, but if you’re at all interested in keeping *them* out, then give up on passwords entirely.