Google is looking at a number of hardware-based authentication mechanisms to bypass one of security s biggest vulnerabilities: the written password. Among the devices Google is eyeing is the open-source YubiKey cryptographic card that automatically logs a registered user into Google accounts using a USB drive. Another is a token or chip embedded in a smartphone that can then be used wirelessly to access online accounts. The Google team admits others already offer authentication via hardware, but it has yet to take off.
Source: https://threatpost.com/google-looking-hardware-help-kill-password-011813/77430/