Apple is holding an event today at its Cupertino, California, headquarters, where it is expected to unveil new updates to its iPhone product line. One prediction that a lot of tech industry observers have been making is that there will be a fingerprint scanner built into the new phones, which could be used to provide better security than passwords and number combinations.The company purchased AuthenTec, a firm that specialized in fingerprint recognition software, for over $350 million in July, leading many to expect the technology to appear in its hardware going forward.

Fingerprint scanners have actually been available to consumers for many years, but they were often seen is unreliable and lacking in flexibility. The Wall Street Journal reports that Motorola included a scanner on its Atrix 4G phone in 2011, but those who purchased the phone complained that it wasn't useful. Furthermore, many third-party services, such as e-commerce websites and social networks, haven't integrated this technology into their login and purchasing platforms.

If these rumors about a fingerprint scanner being included on the new iPhone are true, it could have major implications for privacy and security going forward. Sites such as Amazon, Facebook and Google could become accessible through reading a consumer's print rather than with a password, which is much less reliable and can be hacked easily. If you wanted to conduct a transaction, you could do so with the scanner rather than having to input other personal data.

And its usefulness wouldn't be limited to the iPhone. If the technology is successful, fingerprint scanners could be integrated into custom laptops, iPads and other computing devices.

Adding a functional fingerprint scanner would cement Apple's reputation when it comes to computing security. The company has been lauded for how safe its operating system is from malware and viruses compared to its competitors. You can find the latest Apple technology at the PortableOne online store.