So How Do Fingerprint Scanners Really Work?

The launch of the new iPhone 5S has brought fingerprint scanning back to the forefront of security technology, but this isn’t the first time that we’ve talked about fingerprint security and smartphones. Remember that the fact that the Motorola Atrix shipped with a similar piece of technology all the way back in 2011.

Anyway, let’s take a look at how the technology works. There’s two main ways that you can digitally capture your fingerprints, either via an optical scanner or by using clever capacitor circuits...

Read the full story here... Source: Android Authority

Is Apples Touch ID Secure

Earlier today I posted a video on the Geekanoids Channel, which essentially was meant to be a bit of fun. However, on looking over the claims Apple made during their Keynote announcement of this technology, their video highlighting it and their website, it has made me question just how secure Touch ID is.

Essentially, this new technology is meant to provide iPhone 5s users a way of securing their device, which can then only be unlocked by their fingerprint(s). Supposedly much more secure than a password.
During the keynote presentation, Phil Schiller said that the sensor scans through the the LIVE layers of your skin. This was also highlighted during their video presentation on the feature, which adds that the sensor essentially takes a "high resolution image of your fingerprint from the sub-epidermal layers of your skin".

From the various claims, I would imagine many people, like myself, were convinced this offers a very high level of security. The words "Live Layers" surely mean that the finger unlocking the iPhone 5s has to be on a living person and not an inanimate object. Surely Apple had thought of this. According to Apple, Touch ID only works by taking a high resolution images of the "sub-epidermal layers of your skin". If this is the case, why does the technology get fooled by a hotdog (aka wiener, sausage, frankfurter)? Surely, the hotdogs that I purchased from the supermarket to make my video were not alive! They certainly were not barking, mooing, or clucking. If such manufactured objects can be used to fool the system, then surely identical objects could be used to unlock multiple devices. I can see it not being long before Touch ID is truly hacked and cracked.

I have brought this to Apples attention, giving them the right to reply, in the hope they will further explain the technology. If we get a reponse, the update will be published here.

Analyst Predicts No Siri on iPhone 5C, Fingerprint Scanner Solely for Device Unlocking on iPhone 5S

Piper Jaffray analyst Gene Munster late yesterday released a new research note to investors centered around Apple’s upcoming product launches for the rest of the year, including key predictions on the anticipated low-cost iPhone, potentially named the iPhone 5C. 

In his note, Munster predicts that the iPhone 5C will not come with Siri, the intelligent personal assistant within iOS, and that the device will replace the iPhone 4S at the bottom of the iPhone lineup. Munster also believes that the lower-cost iPhone will sell for an estimated $300 off-contract...

Read the full story here... Source: Mac Rumours

Analyst: iPhone 5S Will Have Larger Camera, New Fingerprint Technology, Same Screen Size

Topeka analyst Brian White today issued a new research note summarizing his thoughts on the phone he calls the iPhone 5S, expected to be released this summer. Most notably, he seems to have reversed his prior assertion that the next iPhone will have multiple screen sizes, noting that at a trade show in China there was a consensus amongst his sources that the screen size will be unchanged from the iPhone 5. 

He claims the left side volume and mute buttons will be arranged differently, in line with a parts leak from yesterday, and says the rumoredfingerprint technology will be the differentiating feature for the 5S, like what Siri was to the 4S.

White also shares some additional thoughts about the rumored cheaper iPhone he expects this summer:

Strangely enough, the lower-priced iPhone is still being called the "iPhone mini"; however, the general consensus (albeit a few disagreed and expect a slightly smaller screen) was that this new device would actually have the same screen size (i.e., 4-inches) as the iPhone 5. However, the "iPhone mini" will have a curved back casing made of colored plastic and will be thicker than the iPhone 5. We also learned the pricing could be a bit higher than our recently raised expectation, reaching as high as $400.

The picture around this summer's iPhone releases should continue to come into focus as we see more hardware leaks and get closer to the expected launch.

[Source: MacRumors]

Apple iWatch and iPhone 5S to Sport Fingerprint Scanners

Several reports have already suggested that Apple’s iPhone 5S will launch with a fingerprint scanner under the home button. The idea is what users will be able to securely lock and unlock their phone with a quick fingerprint scan, and it’s a feature that we’ve already seen in phones such as the original Motorola Atrix. Now one analyst says Apple’s iWatch will also offer the security feature.

Topeka Capital Markets analyst Brian White published a note to investors on Wednesday that said checks with his suppliers in Asia suggest the technology will be built into the iWatch. It makes little to no sense, however, since there’s really no need to lock or unlock something that’s constantly stuck on your wrist.

White also suggests that the iTV will launch with an “iRing” for motion controls, even though the Siri voice engine already provides plenty of control. Better yet, Apple could build a sensor into the TV, similar to Microsoft’s Kinect, that would negate any reason to wear a ring. Is April fools over yet?

[Source: TechnoBuffalo]