Have you ever worried about keyloggers on public computers? A recently discovered feature from Google allows users to log into Google accounts on public terminals by simply scanning a QR code with their mobile device, bypassing the need to type a password on the computer at all.
Simply navigate to accounts.google.com/sesame on the computer you wish to log into, then scan the QR code that appears with your smartphone using any appropriate app. The QR code will open a URL on your phone that prompts you to log in with your Google account username and password if you are not already cookied. After logging in, the web page will show a warning message, reminding you to proceed only if you scanned a barcode from google.com. You are given two buttons to click, with the options of starting with Gmail or iGoogle. Clicking a button will quickly log you into your start page of choice in the computer's web browser.
We tested it with the official Google iOS app and also a different QR code scanning iOS app, and users have reported that this method also works on Android phones and Windows Phone 7. It's a simple and kind of fun way to log into your Google account securely, and it may be very useful to users in certain situations. Just don't forget to log out of the public computer when you're done.
Update: It would seem that Google has closed off this particular feature for now!
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