User-authenticating, digital data recording pen

An apparatus comprising:

• a digital data recording pen, the digital data recording pen comprising an authentication component for digitally authenticating a user's handwritten password, the handwritten password comprising at least one handwritten character string to be authenticated, the digital data recording pen responding to the user writing out the handwritten password by:
• digitally comparing the handwritten password to at least one handwritten password pre-stored in the digital data recording pen for the user;
• authenticating the user if the handwritten password of the user is within a defined tolerance of the at least one handwritten password pre-stored for the user in the digital data recording pen;
• and
• if user-authenticated, associating an indication of user-authentication with data of the user produced using the digital data recording pen.

An article of manufacture comprising:

• at least one computer-readable medium having computer-readable program code logic to facilitate user-authentication by a digital data recording pen, the computer-readable program code logic, when executing on a processing unit within the digital data recording pen, performing:
• recording a handwritten password of a user of the digital data recording pen to be authenticated, the handwritten password comprising at least one handwritten character string to be authenticated;
• digitally comparing the handwritten password to be authenticated to at least one handwritten password pre-stored in the digital data recording pen for the user;
• authenticating the user if the handwritten password of the user is within a defined tolerance of the at least one handwritten password pre-stored for the user in the digital data recording pen;
• and
• if user-authenticated, associating by the digital data recording pen an indication of user-authentication with data of the user produced using the digital data recording pen.