touch id
Latest
A look at the iPhone 5s Touch ID fingerprint sensor
One of the biggest features of the iPhone 5s announced yesterday is the Touch ID fingerprint sensor that is used for user authentication. Rich Mogull at TechHive has written the definitive Q&A about the sensor built into the iPhone 5s, and there are some fascinating things to know about the future of mobile security. The first thing Mogull points out is that the Touch ID sensor is based on a capacitance reader, which makes use of the fact that the outer layer of your skin is non-conductive while the subdermal layer is conductive. Mogull notes that when you touch the sensor, "it measures the miniscule differences in conductivity caused by the raised parts of your fingerprint, and it uses those measurements to form an image." The ring around the sensor, which is embedded in the home button, is used to turn on the sensor and reduce signal errors. As Mogull says, the capacitance design is less easy to spoof than an optical reader (which a photocopy of a fingerprint can fool), less fragile and less prone to error due to smudged glass. Some internet wag has already created a meme that states that Apple would nab fingerprints to create a huge "name to fingerprint" database. Well, that's not possible. The fingerprint is run through an algorithm to create a fingerprint template, a mathematical representation of your fingerprint. Mogull believes that the template is then run through a cryptographic hashing algorithm and combined with a random or unique number to further scramble the data. Apple mentioned during the keynote yesterday that the fingerprint data is neither transmitted to the company nor stored on their servers. Instead, it is stored only on the iPhone 5s. Whenever your fingerprint is scanned, the phone does the same template creation and compares the result with the stored hash. Mogull points out that while fingerprints are more secure because they are impossible to guess, fingerprints and passcodes are still examples of single-factor authentication. A more secure system would require a passcode and a fingerprint. Passcodes are still required if you damage your finger or break the Touch ID sensor. As for using Touch ID with iCloud and the iTunes Store, Mogull thinks that Apple will store the passwords for those services in the iOS keychain, using your fingerprint to authorize access. OS X and iOS handle stored passwords this way, and it emphasizes Apple's comment that the fingerprint data never leaves the device. Mogull's bottom line is that Touch ID could be game-changing, in that it makes security invisible. Apple noted during the keynote that it thinks of the iPhone to be a "key," so it wishes to eventually make your phone and fingerprints be the keys to just about everything in your life. Imagine door locks or home alarms that are locked or armed with a fingerprint, or payments that can be authorized with a tap of a finger. In the long run, Touch ID might be the most important feature of the iPhone 5s and future Apple devices.
Apple publishes three videos touting the iPhone 5c, the iPhone 5s camera and Touch ID
Apple didn't waste much time yesterday in putting up video of its media event on its website. Now if you don't have time to sit through the entire presentation and aren't content with merely reading recaps, Apple on Tuesday evening uploaded three videos onto YouTube which highlight three of event's biggest announcements. The videos below were pre-produced and were shown to attendees yesterday during the keynote presentation. The first video has Jony Ive and co., set against a white background of course, detailing the work that went into developing the iPhone 5c. Next up in the batting order, we have Apple's slickly produced video highlighting the vast number of camera enhancements present in the iPhone 5s. The burst and slow-mo features are particularly exciting. Lastly, we have a video introducing us to what may very well be the flagship feature on the iPhone 5s --- fingerprint recognition.
Daily Update for September 10, 2013
It's the TUAW Daily Update, your source for Apple news in a convenient audio format. You'll get all the top Apple stories of the day in three to five minutes for a quick review of what's happening in the Apple world. You can listen to today's Apple stories by clicking the inline player (requires Flash) or the non-Flash link below. To subscribe to the podcast for daily listening through iTunes, click here. No Flash? Click here to listen. Subscribe via RSS
iPhone 5s fingerprint reader authentication isn't open to developers for time being
So, you know fancy new fingerprint reading home button Apple showed off for the iPhone 5s at today's event? The company demonstrated functionality for unlocking and buying stuff through iTunes. Cool, but what about third-party apps? We can imagine all sorts of neat uses not limited to buying stuff. For the time being, however, the authentication functionality is off-limits. Apple exec Phil Schiller told All Things D that the hardware won't be opened to developers initially. As to whether that functionality will be arriving in the future, Apple's not ready to say just yet.
Apple reveals Touch ID, a fingerprint sensor built into the iPhone 5s
In a move sure to delight security and privacy gurus, Apple revealed today at its iPhone event that the all-new iPhone 5s features a fingerprint sensor built into the home button. The technology is built into a ring around the home button that can scan sub-epidermal layers of your skin in order to identify you without the need to a passcode or other more archaic security measures. But beyond just allowing you to access your phone, Touch ID can be used to verify things like iTunes purchases without a password. Apple claims that the process of setting it up is super simple, and given the fact that it is a biometric sensor, it's certainly more secure than your mother's maiden name. To further please security advocates, Apple confirmed that the data is never stored on Apple's servers or backed up in the cloud -- it's all saved only to the device in your hand.
