Recent Apple patent filing speaks of stealth biometric security on iPhone, other insane insanity

Recent patent fillings by Apple that AppleInsider has dug up point to the company adding several new methods of insuring the security of its devices for users. The new filings cite biometric authentication methods that would excite Ethan Hunt -- including installation of a hidden sensor behind the screen that would recognize the user's fingerprint when touched, and / or a front-facing camera for retinal recognition. The filing also suggests further possibilities, such as the device being capable of recognizing the user's voice, or collecting DNA samples for recognition via genetic code. We've heard plenty of semi-speculative tech tales in the past, so we always take this stuff with a grain of salt, but Apple seems to be moving forward at least into the research phase of such endeavors. To the future we go! There's one more fantastic scribble after the break, hit the read link for more details.

[insignificance @ Mar 27th 2009 10:15PM]

"DNA samples for recognition via genetic code"

really? isnt that pushing it?

[EI8HT @ Mar 27th 2009 10:41PM]

hell no...if i need to give a semen sample every time i want to talk on the phone then i'll be talking on the phone all damn day long

[EI8HT @ Mar 27th 2009 10:45PM]

all i can say is that there better be some great new wallpaper in the new iphone os

[insignificance @ Mar 27th 2009 10:50PM]

i feel bad for ur girlfriend

[Laura June @ Mar 27th 2009 11:05PM]

Yes, I would say that DNA sampling is officially pushing it.

[insignificance @ Mar 28th 2009 12:58AM]

i can see it happening though...

"luke, i am your father!!!"

"no way!!! wheres my iphone?"

[who? @ Mar 28th 2009 1:17AM]

@EI8HT

You know you can use any image, right? Using Apple's default images like using your computer's default desktop backgrounds, which is just plain sad after the first couple weeks.

[haX0r @ Mar 28th 2009 1:42AM]

@ EI8HT - what you would be doing would be under the iPhone app called "iJizz"

[loocas @ Mar 28th 2009 8:52AM]

Finally a good excuse to take a shit on iPhone?! o_O

[Sean @ Mar 27th 2009 10:15PM]

DNA? Genetic code sensors for a phone?

Kinda leaves me speechless...

[Brad H. @ Mar 28th 2009 1:07AM]

It's not true. DNA sampling requires spinning the sample for about an hour in a centrifuge to extract the genetic code (deoxyribonucleic acid, DNA) from the cell and nucleus in order to even read the DNA. Clearly, this is not going to happen in a small phone.

[Andrew ? @ Mar 29th 2009 2:35PM]

It also includes a centrifuge, teleportation device, and a mind-controlled Wolfenstein.

[ah-palin @ Mar 29th 2009 11:55PM]

Pity you, if all your DNA is found only in your speech.

[sean @ Mar 27th 2009 10:17PM]

I just noticed that AIM is a login option now. Convenient. Because I can't change my avatar with my existing screenname for blogsmith... no matter how much I try.

(Irrelevant, yes I know)

[bill cant fart @ Mar 27th 2009 10:23PM]

Hey! Engadget! I know you can read this! When are you gonna fix the commenting system?! Everyone! Start yelling!!


wah!

[Riley @ Mar 27th 2009 10:54PM]

I'm pretty sure the AIM thing's been around for ages...

[ananimus3 @ Mar 28th 2009 12:21AM]

Since sean opened up this can of worms...

Dear Engadget,

Blogsmith sucks. Please consider something that contains less lame.

Kthxbai,
This guy.

[dan @ Mar 28th 2009 6:40AM]

Consider yourself lucky; I seem to have two different avatars depending on whether I log on at home or at work, and one of them is weirdly corrupted...

[exNewt @ Mar 28th 2009 7:55AM]

Thank goodness for this comment - I thought I was doing something wrong!

[paezbak @ Mar 27th 2009 10:19PM]

this is just too much...

[darkmax @ Mar 27th 2009 10:19PM]

Err.... Insane insanity.... isn't that reverting back to normal?

biometric?.... Is this the evidence that we are all waiting for? That Apple is finally buying the fanbois' souls?

[bill cant fart @ Mar 27th 2009 10:21PM]

If they do implement the front camera, how much you wanna bet that it will be only for retinal recognition... Until iPhone 5.0 after hackers unlock it?

[Greg @ Mar 27th 2009 10:24PM]

That's what I was afraid of... it seems they would lock down the camera to prevent "hacking" the security system.

Although we do know they're not very good at locking things down...

[mynk @ Mar 27th 2009 10:27PM]

eventhough im happy to see this step forward,
i am saddened by two things.
a, the possibility of apple using these against any other compaines once they use biometrics
b, once people start praying to apple and claiming how they invented biometrics.

Many, Many Many companies have talked of research and development of exactly this kinds of stuff, as in laptop touchpad or a touchscreen phone etc with fingerprint recognition. infact, not to sound like im exaggerating or anything, but almost any 8 year old who has use touchscreens, and knows about biometrics, will infact have this idea in their mind.

dont get me wrong, id love to see this show up on the iPhone. i would just not love for it to cause a problem to other companies, even if not legal, people saying that biometric touchscreens would all be "iToo" products... would kind of kill it. I had this idea 3 years ago... just didnt file a patent... am i copying apple too?

[dg @ Mar 27th 2009 10:37PM]

I totally, agree, but the exiting part about Apple products is that they certainly aren't the inventors of all this great technology, but (and only SOMETIMES) they still manage to take ideas that have been around for a while and implement them in a way that one one else has. Or if they have, they haven't done with much success. Again, I stress, only SOMETIMES, but they still do it enough times to take notice.

That said, I hate when people go around spouting how great Apple is and how everyone else "SUCKS!". It's ridiculous. Even with their very solitary methodology, without all the other companies, there would be no iPhone; no iPod, no Macintosh. THAT'S why Apple is a GOOD company (not THE GREATEST COMPANY EVER THAT NO OTHER EVEN COMES CLOSE TO! OHH MAN! I LOVE STEVE JOBS! I JUST POOPED MY PANTS!). They contribute a lot to the world, and they play off of others' contributions very well.

[dg @ Mar 27th 2009 10:38PM]

exciting*

Hah.

[dg @ Mar 27th 2009 10:27PM]

Under-glass fingerprint reader -- pretty awesome.
Front-facing retinal-scanning camera -- still a bit surreal, but very cool.
Voice-recognition -- *yawn*
Genetic code recognition -- CREEPY. I'm sure the next George Bush won't tap the cell networks for collecting THAT.

[austin @ Mar 27th 2009 11:06PM]

im almost positive that engadget was joking about the DNA thing...

[Phil @ Mar 27th 2009 10:40PM]

Anyone think it's interesting that there's an app called "Terminal" on the mockups? Are apple engineers using Jailbroken iPhones for mockups now? lol

[david @ Mar 27th 2009 10:49PM]

yea i noticed that kinda weird...

[nikster @ Mar 27th 2009 10:57PM]

That is interesting. I wouldn't be at all surprised if Terminal.app ran on the iPhone at Apple internal. For the engineers, it would be pretty useful for all kinds of stuff.

Taking DNA samples sounds outlandish but I guess it always depends on the technology available. If a DNA scanner comes in a small enough package and can work without, erm, penetrating the skin somewhere, then why not. I kinda prefer authentication technology that only works on living tissue though - I don't want some mugger to cut off my pinky. Vein scanner would be nice.

[Samboini @ Mar 28th 2009 5:18AM]

Vein scanner ... **shudder** ... I can only imagine what veins some people will be using.

[KevinC @ Mar 27th 2009 10:54PM]

I'm afraid I'm calling horse-sh*t on this one.
Here is an example of the finger print 'technology' from 2004 (http://www.pcworld.com/article/118046/casio_combines_lcd_fingerprint_sensor.html)

Where exactly is the 'Retinal Scanner' getting it's light source from, you can't just use daylight, and what about at night? Are they going to mount a flash bulb to blind you?

The voice deal. yeah, so what.

The DNA deal. I am almost ebarassed for the author for not having made fun of this idea more. I mean really, why isn't everyone laughing uproariously on this one?

The AppleInsider guy that wrote this 'leak' needs a swift kick in the ass.
Best

[Riley @ Mar 27th 2009 11:00PM]

You do know that retinal scanners don't just take a regular of your eye, right? They use infrared, so it doesn't need a light

[Riley @ Mar 27th 2009 11:01PM]

regular picture, that is

[KevinC @ Mar 28th 2009 12:26AM]

@Riley
I did not know that. Thanks for the info...show off. :)

Best,
KevinC

[WTForce @ Mar 27th 2009 10:55PM]

So theyre gonna add all this stuff and then jack up the price by $500

[Damo @ Mar 27th 2009 11:02PM]

The real question is when will Nintendo sue Apple over that obvious "Game" rip off of the original Game Boy? :-)

[vindication84 @ Mar 27th 2009 11:21PM]

interesting, where it's supposed to say at&t up on the left corner, it says 'carrier'... perhaps apple isn't exclusive anymore?

[Ivand @ Mar 28th 2009 12:11AM]

In other parts of the world the iphone runs on other carriers...

[Hedonismbot @ Mar 28th 2009 1:02AM]

Wait, there are other parts of the world other than the United States?

How deliciously absurd!

[Jon Doe. @ Mar 27th 2009 11:24PM]

As always Apple can take their unused patents and stick it up Steve Jobs rectum. they sit on shit that others could be implementing in a meaningful way. Hell when Apple does implement something it ain't meaningful....its superficial, trendy, and only makes sense to Steve "I'm God" Jobs. The rest of the Mactards simply conform to what HE thinks makes sense.

[Sean @ Mar 27th 2009 11:31PM]

Off-topic probably, but I like how it says Carrier versus AT&T.

Could mean this patent may last longer, or not be implemented while AT&T has exclusive rights, or something.

I don't know it is late dammit.

[J5892 @ Mar 27th 2009 11:36PM]

Is it just me, or are the four apps on the bottom the exact icons from some old jailbroken apps?
That gameboy is the icon from the NES emulator, and vrecord is the same name and icon as the old recording app...
It looks like these were direct screenshots taken by a jailbroken phone, then traced...

[MJZimmer88 @ Mar 28th 2009 9:05AM]

Wait a minute... wasnt Jailbreaking deemed illegal by apple? Someone's got some 'splainin' to do!

[mafalec @ Mar 28th 2009 1:18AM]

coooool
btw...should i buy an ipod touch 2g now or wait and buy the new one coming out in june or watever?

[rob @ Mar 27th 2009 11:42PM]

Eh what about the non user replaceable 120kA trilithium battery?

[Cunthor @ Mar 27th 2009 11:44PM]

Who is to prevent your DNA/Biometric data from being sent back to Apple?

[rawrawrawr @ Mar 27th 2009 11:52PM]

Can someone explain "blocks"?

[Dary @ Mar 27th 2009 11:55PM]

testing :)