Fingerprint reader Touch ID unlocks new iPhones

[onehandle]

Last edited Wed Sep 11, 2013, 09:37 AM - Edit history (2)

Source: CNET



Home is where you're safest, both in the real world and on the iPhone 5s.

The new iPhone model comes with a capacitive Home button that can read your fingerprint, Apple vice-president of marketing Phil Schiller announced at its iPhone event in San Francisco on Tuesday.

The Touch ID sensor is capacitive and 170 microns thin, Schiller said. It has 500 ppi resolution, and can scan in 360 degrees. That means that the sensor doesn't have to be oriented in a particular manner in relation to your finger. It also can learn multiple fingers.

An iPhone fingerprint reader has been expected since Apple purchased fingerprint reader and identification management software company AuthenTec for $365 million.


Read more: http://news.cnet.com/8301-13579_3-57602245-37/fingerprint-reader-touch-id-unlocks-new-iphones/?part=rss&tag=feed&subj=

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[font size="6"]The fingerprint scanner data is isolated on the individual iPhone, and not uploaded to the Internet.[/font]

See 2:17 in this video:

No more typing in a password or code. Fine by me.

[Xithras]

1. I've got to admit that I'm impressed.

The integration was phenomenal, and Android manufacturers will have a hard time matching it. While fingerprint readers have existed in electronics for years, the 360 degree read and resolution of this thing surpasses anything done on any device so far.

[Proud Public Servant]

2. And Apple gets

it's own customer biometrics database. Can't see any problem with that, nosiree.

[Xithras]

6. They're keeping the fingerprints local to the phone.

I'm not usually on Apple's side on anything, but they appear to have done a reasonable job at keeping those concerns at bay. The fingerprints will be stored locally on the device itself, and will not be transmitted to the cloud or any central servers. That move limits the devices potential to act as a more general form of electronic identification, but it eliminates the possibility that Apple might end up with some master fingerprint database.

[Duer 157099]

10. ...because local networked devices are never hacked

It's nice that they are starting out with this security feature, but it won't be long before hackers know how to tap into that. Or the NSA. Or whoever.

[Xithras]

11. That argument could be made for any electronic device with a biometric reader.

Got a camera on your computer? A laptop with a fingerprint reader?

Most of the paranoia over biometrics is misplaced. Your fingerprint has no real value to those who would be most interested in hacking your devices. Your browsing history and credit card details are far juicier targets.

If fingerprints really had value, identity thieves would be lifting them off of every drinking glass, door handle, and polished object they could find.

[quadrature]

19. nobody believes that .nt

[Xithras]

36. It would be nearly impossible for them to lie about it.

You think that hackers and privacy experts won't be analyzing the data streams from their new iPhones to verify it? I'm no Apple fanboy, but I can't believe that Apple would be stupid enough to lie about something so easily verifiable.

[onehandle]

38. Even if there was a way for the data to be lifted from the 5S...

What would you do with it?

It's uniquely coded to work with an iPhone... That iPhone.

Even I would say it's not impossible to hack someway into the A7 CPU where the data is held separately from iOS 7.

I don't think Apple would say that either.

[RobinA]

28. This Was My Reaction

It's a shame, because in theory I like the idea, but... I am very, let's call it paranoid, about the growing fingerprint database in this country. You need to be fingerprinted to do all kinds of things these days that frankly have very little, if anything, to do with the need to be identified to the fingerprint level. And it's not Apple I'm afraid of. I'll keep my fingerprints to myself, thank you.

[SarasotaDem]

3. And the 1st time you use it ...

The NSA has your fingerprint ...............

[Berlum]

5. Unless you activate with a fake thumb

[snooper2]

7. Conspiracy idiots will LOVE this story

[Javaman]

8. I'm waiting for the insane libertarians to corner that market. nt

[Kelvin Mace]

12. Kind of meaningless

since Apple has helped put tools in circulation that give complete remote access to their phones and the data they contain.

Of course, access to these tools is restricted to just a few groups, like:

NSA
FBI
CIA
DEA
IRS
TSA
Homeland Security
MI-5
MI-6
GCHQ

and a few dozen defense contractors and the thousands of employees on their payroll.

[Kelvin Mace]

13. Oh, and I forgot to mention

Once they have your fingerprint, it can then be transferred off your phone and used on any other device secured with the same biometric.

[onehandle]

14. Scary. We should just go back to four digit numeric codes.

Dose r inbreakable.

[FreeState]

15. Wrong

The print stays in a secure cordoned off section of the processor. Its not uploaded, shared or used by anything other than the lock screen app and iTunes. The print is never uploaded to any server, cloud or external device.

BTW if you have applied for a passport in the last 5 years the government already has your prints. So does 24 hour fitness.

[Kelvin Mace]

21. You aren't paying attention

The NSA and itS legions have total access to iphone and android phones.

In case you thought your smartphone might be a last bastion of safety for your private information, it appears that the NSA has complete and total access to data on devices from each of the leading manufacturers. Spiegel reports “that the NSA can tap into such information on Apple iPhones, BlackBerry devices and Google’s Android mobile operating system.” That information includes contact lists, SMS messages, notes and any location data stored on the phone.

http://news.yahoo.com/nsa-reportedly-access-private-iphone-android-blackberry-data-144006546.html

BTW if you have applied for a passport in the last 5 years the government already has your prints. So does 24 hour fitness.

No to either. Plus I have no intention of giving my prints to anyone.

[2ndAmForComputers]

16. Not buying that or any other Apple product.

Come on, tell me I'm commiting crimes against humanity by choosing a different manufacturer.

[Throd]

17. That is a little too Mark O' The Beasty for me...

After the latest revelations of the NSA, I'm not too inclined to take "trust us" from government or industry.

[Locrian]

25. nah...

Apple could tell people to tattoo '666' on their foreheads and the fanbois would think it was the most amazing idea...

[LanternWaste]

40. I giggled when people said the same thing twenty years ago in regards to passwords.

I giggled when people said the same thing twenty years ago in regards to passwords... and here we are, up to our eyes in a dozen passwords per person.

And in another twenty years, I imagine I'll giggle again when neo-Luddites rationalize scary, new technology via the mechanism of trendy skepticism.

However, I do suppose that a distinction without a difference will be made to justify the use of passwords, "given in trust" to both the government and industry...

[Throd]

47. I don't consider "Luddite" to necessarily be a pejorative. Not all change is progress.

By the way, I'm an old-school Luddite. Neo-Luddites have not yet proven worthy of my trust.

[Snake Plissken]

18. Just what I needed another aggravation added to my cellphone

as if screen protectors are aggravating enough when I'm trying to answer the phone while my finger is wet, let's kick it up a notch for good measure.

[ileus]

20. Sounds like it caught up with my 2.5yo Motorola atrix.

[Fearless]

22. Why?

Seriously though. Why? What is the purpose of this. To sell phones? There's nothing wrong with current systems. Add a little new thing and charge people an arm and a leg for it when it's basically the same thing repackaged with frills. Just a little weird to me.

[onehandle]

24. Price stayed the same for more features, same as every year.

And yes, I think they would like to sell phones.

They even came out with an economy model. Same features as current, for a lot less than current, in five colors.

They'll sell many.

[Fearless]

42. And the price of the old model goes down.

The price is artificially manipulated to make money.

[brooklynite]

33. Apparently, very few people "lock" their phones with a passcode...

...making it a lot easier to disable the phone tracking tools if the phone is stolen.

[Neoma]

34. I don't think people know there's a feature like that too.

I only discovered it like, a few weeks ago.

[onehandle]

35. Yep. I know better, but I only passcode my iPhone when traveling.

Now I won't even have to think about it.

Dunno if I am upgrading this round or not. I usually only upgrade every two years on the full number.

[Fearless]

44. I think it's definitely an age thing.

Those of us who grew up in the 90's and after all use passcodes, swipes, etc. Kids don't like other kids grabbing their phones and posting things on their facebook page.

[Posteritatis]

41. To make people talk about it and make them think Apple's doing anything new. (nt)

[Fearless]

43. Bingo!

[Kablooie]

23. This technology has been available in Japan on cellphones since 2008.

But I don't know about now because Apple bought the company that supplied the fingerprint sensor.

[jsr]

45. Some older tablets also had it

as an option.

[surrealAmerican]

26. I suppose this means it will also have the ability ...

... to scan other small objects. I'm still trying to think of a reason I might want to do that, but I'm sure there must be a few applications for which that would be handy.

[Democracyinkind]

27. Practicable? Maybe... Creepy? Surely

I've been thinking about this since a couple of years; the laptop that I bought in 2008 has a fingerprint scanner as well - it would be way more practical than using passwords. Yet somehow I just don't like the idea of creating an electronic file that contains my fingerprint info. I've managed not to do so all my life, why start now? I get that this is me being a luddite to a certain extent, but something about this just creeps me out. Also, hasn't the technology already been compromised - phsysically and virtually? (Not that this is a good argument, any security feature can be overcome... But the question remains.. How much safer is it... Is that gain in safety and convenience worth the avenue pursued (using biometrics for commerce?). Also, the fact that we are being spyed on and monitored by corps and govs make me reluctant to give out my biometrical data where there is no clear need for it.

Any thoughts?

[onehandle]

29. You're not giving out anything. Apple went out of their way to say that the data is never uploaded.

Last edited Wed Sep 11, 2013, 09:41 AM - Edit history (1)

Anywhere.

Go to 2:17 in this video.

[Democracyinkind]

31. Do you think it is realistic that it will stay that way?

Somehow I doubt it, altough I don't have any practical reasons to think so.

Plus, it's not Apple that I'm concerned about. Ultimately people will target that file. Having some sort of an individual marker for electronic devices has been a pipe dream of many industries for many decades. There's tons of money to be made if someone would get his hands on these files. That's where my ultimate concern is. Also, I'd first would want to have a look at the adjustments made to the terms and conditions concerning biometric data. Again, I get that I might sound like a luddite. It's just that I remember the days where you could get a pre-paid cell phone without registering ANY of your personal data.... (Not that I long for those days... But things are moving fast, aren't they?)

[phantom power]

39. they went out of their way to say it, should we go out of our way to believe it?

[jsr]

46. No kidding

[RobinA]

30. Agree Completely

I would love to do away with this password chaos, but I would prefer not to hand my fingerprints to the security-industrial complex.

Although I think eventually we will all have no choice. It's coming. After that, DNA.

[MrScorpio]

32. Rikki, Don't Lose That Finger

It's the only one you want.

[Dreamer Tatum]

37. Wow - is it 2007 already? nt