authorization
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FDA clears Formlabs' 3D-printed BiPAP-to-ventilator converter
Formlabs received an emergency use authorization (EUA) from the FDA to 3D-print adapters that can turn sleep apnea machines into ventilators.
Facebook requires Page managers to complete authorization process
Facebook is introducing a new verification process intended to ensure those who run Pages with a significant following are who they say they are. Starting with Pages that have a large US audience, Page managers will have to complete an authorization process that will require them to confirm their primary country location and secure their account with two-factor authentication. Those required to take this step will receive a notice at the top of their News Feed and they won't be able to post on the Page in question until the authorization process is completed. Facebook says it's taking these steps to make it "harder for people to administer a Page using a fake or compromised account."
Steam Family Sharing now requires two-step process, approval
Do you like sharing games with your friends on Steam? Well good, because you can still do that - you'll just need to assure Steam that you actually know your friends before they can start digging into your library. An update to the Steam Family Sharing community page explains that in addition to authorizing the machine your friend accesses your library from, you'll also need to give clearance to the account they're using. You'll now be able to grant 10 accounts and 10 machines access to your games and DLC, unless of course they require a third-party key or registration. The post explains that the added need to clear accounts allows a library's owner more control over who is accessing it. The change also decreases "the risk of VAC or other bans resulting from an unknown user accessing and abusing shared games on an authorized machine." What kind of friend would troll from a friend's Steam library to the point of drawing administrative attention? Absolutely no one we've ever met, right?
Google Music users granted de-authentication reprieve as company retools activation system
Google Music users learned of a frightful new policy this morning that dictates a user may de-authorize only four devices in a year, out of ten total activations. While the policy is likely to go unnoticed by the majority of consumers, it instantly created a great pain for those who regularly flash ROMs to their phones and tablets. It seems the road to de-authorization hell is paved with good intentions, however, as Google has since responded to critics with the revelation that it'll introduce an activation system that accounts for such nuances. We've determined through our own experimentation that Google has temporarily suspended the de-authorization limit of four devices, and while it's difficult to know how long this reprieve will last, we're hopeful that it'll remain in effect until Google implements this new system to recognize duplicate authorizations. Additionally, we've learned through our conversations with the company that users may, in fact, sign in to their Google Music account from any number of devices, and it's only when a tune is deliberately streamed that your smartphone or tablet will be added to the list of ten. What's more, while the company was rather insistent that songs couldn't be streamed to multiple devices at the same time, it seems that Google's system of checks and balances is spotty at best -- we were able to simultaneously stream tunes to three devices without so much as a hiccup. Yes, the system eventually shook its finger at us, but it serves as a nice reminder to have fun while the insanity lasts.
PSA: Google Music allows four device de-authorizations per year, rooters beware
Just when you thought you could go on rooting and switching ROMs with impunity, it turns out you can't -- at least, not if you want to continue enjoying your Google Music account. Watchful eyes at XDA Developers have discovered a snag in Google's authorization system, which means that not only is there an upper limit of ten devices that can be authorized simultaneously, but there's also a limit of four de-authorizations per year. Since every time you flash your phone or tablet counts as a new authorization, and since your other devices probably hog a few tickets already, rooters will quickly hit the ten-device limit, at which point they're going to have to think long and hard about their de-auth strategy. Is that a ration of one flash per quarter? But then what happens if you buy a new device in a few months' time? Oh, this is too much. [Thanks, Aman]
Nokia N900 does real-time face tracking for verification (video)
In a world where smartphone unlock patterns and PINs can be easily gleaned from display muck, and computer passwords can be deciphered from the telltale audible clicks of the keyboard, it's any wonder that research is funded for alternative identity verification schemes. One promising technology is face verification -- technology we've already seen implemented in webcams, laptops, and more recently, Microsoft's Kinect for Xbox 360. Where we haven't seen it broadly deployed is in the easy-to-lose smartphone, at least not with the level of sophistication achieved by the University of Manchester (UK). Using an N900, the research team developed a prototype that quickly locks and tracks 22 facial features in real time (even when upside down) using the Nokia's front-facing camera. The Active Appearance modeling technique was developed for the EU-funded Mobile Biometrics (MoBio) project as a means of using face verification to authenticate smartphone access to social media sites. Unfortunately, there's no mention of how long Manchester's face-verified login actually takes. Nevertheless, the video, apparently shot in a steam room full of hot man smudge, is worth a peep after the break.
Gmail enables OAuth, Syphir for iPhone already using it
Google has introduced OAuth authorization for Gmail, meaning that approved applications can access your Gmail account without you giving them access to your Gmail username and password. OAuth has been used as Flickr and Twitter for some time, but is a new development for Google. Previously, if you wanted to get push notifications on your iPhone when you received a message at Gmail, you had two options: trust a third-party application with your username and password, or automatically forward a copy of all of your email to a different email address and trust that they would not save a copy of your email. As you can imagine, neither of those made security-conscious users very comfortable. There is already an iPhone app available which uses OAuth, SmartPush ($2.99) by Syphir promises to give you finer control over notifications from Gmail on your iPhone. We hope to have a review of SmartPush here on TUAW in the near future, so stay tuned for that.
iPad still pending FCC approval, not a problem
A few of our readers have pointed out this interesting little blurb currently found down at the bottom of the iPad's specs page: This device has not yet been authorized as required by the rules of the Federal Communications Commission. This device is not, and may not be, offered for sale or lease, or sold or leased, until authorization is obtained. Did Apple just announce a "magical and revolutionary product" that they can't yet sell? Yes and no. Yes, given that the 3G iPads will connect to the cell phone network, the FCC will have to approve them. But will that be a problem? Probably not. As our own Mike Rose would say, Apple prefers to announce their products themselves, and they'd rather not have them leaked by a government filing (since any applications filed with the FCC would find their way out to, well, this very Unofficial Apple Weblog). So it's no surprise Apple has waited until after their announcement to secure FCC approval, and it's very likely that they'll get that approval long before the 90 days until the 3G iPad's release are up. That notice on the page is a formality, and even if the FCC has an issue with the iPad, Apple has plenty of time to fix it.
