Items tagged with Touch ID
The concept of "private browsing" has been around for well over a decade and has been incorporated into all major web browsers. The concept is similar across all these browsers as well: it gives users a new, "clean" session that wipes out your browsing history when you close the tab. While your IP address and other information can still be tracked, someone with direct access to your computer or shared mobile device wouldn't be able to easily see what sites you visited or content you searched for. While this is a definite "perk" of private browsing, you still need to actually close out the session or someone could just open the browser, and click over to it. Google, however, is looking...
Read more...
Apple's iPhone 12/iPhone 12 Pro family has only been on the market for a few months, but the rumor mill is already kicking into overdrive for the follow-up iPhone 13 family. Although it's a guarantee that the smartphones will leverage Apple's next-generation A15 Bionic SoC (likely built on a refined 5nm process node), other details are a bit fuzzier. Thankfully, The Wall Street Journal is bringing a little bit of clarity on one of the iPhone 13's features: its biometric authentication. Interestingly, the information is coming from a new report that’s not dedicated to the iPhone 13, but came buried in Joanna Stern's review of the Galaxy S21. Stern claims that Apple will add an...
Read more...
Love it or hate it, Apple has a tendency of waiting longer than some of its competition to roll out bleeding edge features. One of those is an in-display fingerprint sensor. While the technology is found on some Android devices, analyst Ming-Chi Kuo believes Apple will finally introduce the feature on its iPhone models starting in 2021. In-display fingerprint readers are already available on various Android phones, such as Samsung's Galaxy S10 series and the OnePlus 7 Pro. The latest iPhone models, however, rely on facial recognition technology (Face ID) to authenticate a user, or an iPhone X series owner can rely on old fashioned methods, such as tapping a PIN code. One reason why Apple might...
Read more...
There were many people in the U.S. crying foul when it was revealed that law enforcement had a man unlock his iPhone using Face ID, since the man couldn't be compelled to unlock a device secured with a passcode. Constitutionally guaranteed protections that are given to a person to prevent them from self-incrimination weren't extended to biometric devices like facial recognition and fingerprint scanners. A federal judge has now stepped up and issued a ruling that greatly changes the landscape for law enforcement and those accused of a crime. The U.S. federal judge has ruled that the police can't force a person to unlock their iPhone or Android device that is secured with Face ID, Touch ID, or...
Read more...
If you thought that the iOS ecosystem was completely safe from scammy apps and malware, you would be wrong. Apple's App Store certainly has fewer incidences of scammy apps being put up for download by users than Google Play does because Apple checks apps out before they can be offered on the App Store. Apple is now dealing with scammy apps that made it through review and leveraged the Touch ID platform to try and trick users into making payments they didn't want to authorize. Two apps were doing this with one called "Fitness Balance" and the other called "Calories Tracker." Both apps used the same tactic to steal money; they would claim that the user needed to place their finger on the Touch...
Read more...
The rumors were true; Apple has just unveiled an all new MacBook Air and it looks like well, a MacBook Air. The redesigned model continues with the tapered design of its predecessor, but chunks the old USB ports and DisplayPort connectors in favor of two Thunderbolt 3 ports. In addition, the massive aluminum bezel around the 13.3-inch Retina Display has also been removed; instead, the display glass extends from edge-to-edge and the bezels are now much smaller (50 percent smaller, in fact). While the previous MacBook Air weighed in a 2.96 pounds, Apple has managed to shave even more weight off its successor, which comes in at 2.75 pounds. If you were a fan of the old MacBook Air's keyboard, we've...
Read more...
One of the biggest factors that has led to alleged issues with iPhone X production is said to be a shortage of functional TrueDepth camera components, which are used for Face ID. At one point in the production of the camera hardware, it was said that only 20% of the dot projectors, a critical component for Face ID, were functional. According to Ming-Chi Kuo of KGI Securities, those production issues have now been resolved. Kuo says that Apple "won't repeat" the supply and production issues with the 2018 iPhone models that it has faced with the iPhone X. Rumors have suggested that the Touch ID fingerprint sensor currently used on most iPhone models will be eliminated in the next generation...
Read more...
When the first rumors emerged that Apple would be going with bezel-free flagship iPhone, many assumed that the company would be using a Touch ID fingerprint sensor embedded within the actual display panel. However, this wasn't the case, and Apple actually developed a facial scanning tech that worked in conjunction with the front camera as a new way to unlock the smartphone and to authorize payments. Analyst Ming-Chi Kuo has now said that his research shows Apple will be ditching Touch ID altogether from all 2018 iPhone models. Kuo says that instead of Touch ID, Apple will move completely to Face ID as its authentication method because it perceives the tech as a competitive advantage over Android...
Read more...
How much secret information can you siphon out of one accidental firmware leak? Apparently, a lot according to prominent iOS developers that have been hammering away at the HomePod firmware that was mistakenly posted to Apple’s servers. The unreleased iPhone 8 has been the most frequent target of developers’ attention, and two fresh leaks have sprung. For starters, it is believed that Apple has completely give up on its Touch ID fingerprint authentication with the iPhone 8. That means that Apple will have to rely on the infrared cameras to scan your face to unlock the device, and manage passwords used for logging into apps and websites. Developer Guilherme Rambo has also discovered hooks that...
Read more...
Getting in contact with emergency services can be a matter of life and death, which is why it is incredibly easy for citizens to get in contact with dispatchers. Most countries provide a three-digit number that can be quickly dialed, with most everyone recognizing “911” for emergency services in the United States. However, a newly uncovered Apple patent would make it even easier to get in contact with first responders. The patent, which was granted to Apple on Tuesday, describes a method by which Touch ID can be used to trigger a call to 911. The feature could be activated by a pattern of taps on the Touch ID button or even by the amount of force that you exert. This so-called “panic command”...
Read more...
If you have a cracked iPhone screen and want to get it repaired the “right” way, you will soon have a new avenue for getting those repairs completed — and it won’t necessarily have to be at an Apple Store. Apple is sending out its own proprietary machines that can safely and effectively replace iPhone displays, while certifying that secure elements of the device (like the fingerprint sensor) will continue to work. According to a new report, Apple will be sending out 400 of these machines in 25 countries throughout the globe by the end of 2017. Unsurprisingly, Best Buy, which is one of the largest sellers (and repairers) of Apple products in the United States. According to the report, Best Buy...
Read more...
Given that we’re quickly approaching Spring, next generation iPhone rumors are really starting to pick up steam. The iPhone is coming up on its tenth anniversary, which means that people are expecting something really big from Apple for the fall reveal of the iPhone 8. The latest news to come down from the rumor mill is that the flagship smartphone will include 3D facial recognition technology thanks to the help of a laser scanner. In his research note, JPMorgan analyst Rod Hall says that the scanner will replace Touch ID, and has the potential to be more a secure method of authentication. While the adoption of a laser scanner is probable, it seems a bit premature to suggest that it will completely...
Read more...
Apple has received criticism for not injecting more innovation into its iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus handsets, and the same will probably be true of the inevitable iPhone 7s and iPhone 7s Plus variants. However, Apple will have an opportunity to shake things up when it releases its iPhone 8 and one of the things it might be considering is revising its Touch ID system to combine fingerprint recognition with facial recognition for enhanced security. KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo states in a new research report that he expects Apple to go this route, though not only for security purposes. Revising the current Touch ID system would be out of necessity, as he also expects Apple to swap out the...
Read more...
We’ve heard plenty of leaks concerning Apple’s upcoming MacBook Pro refresh, but we never expected for the folks in Cupertino to actually leak the device ahead of Thursday’s keynote. Well, that’s exactly what has happened, as yesterday’s Mac OS Sierra 10.12.1 update included hidden images of the new MacBook Pro in all its glory. Mac Rumors first discovered the images, which show the familiar MacBook Pro design aesthetic, and in this case it appears to be the 13-inch model. The images show that Apple’s smallest MacBook Pro has gained speakers that flank the keyboard (like its larger 15-inch brother), instead being located beneath the keyboard. But that’s not the most important change. The two...
Read more...
When Apple launched the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus last month, it took away the physical Home button, instead leaving behind a fixed panel with haptic feedback to simulate a button press. Future iPhones may ditch this vestigial Home button altogether (and with it, traditional Touch ID) to allow for a more advanced way to read your fingerprint. According to a new Apple patent, the company is working on a way to read your fingerprint through a mobile device’s display. Apple has taken plenty of flak over the years for the huge bezels on its smartphones, and the company acknowledges in the patent that integrated Touch ID into the display, "not the least of which is an interest in avoiding assigning...
Read more...
The MacBook Pro is long overdue for a major refresh, having not received one in over four years, and rumor has it Apple's planning some big changes. One of those changes is the addition of a secondary Organic Light-Emitting Diode (OLED) display nestled above the keyboard in place of the standard row of Function keys.That bit comes from KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo who says the OLED strip will serve up Function keys as needed. What Apple wants to do is make keyboard shortcuts for specialized tasks easier to access and more intuitive. They'll be dependent on the application that's open—fire up iTunes, for example, and the OLED strip will display media playback controls. If you're typing...
Read more...
Law enforcement officials are seeking help from a professor at Michigan State University with creating a special 3D printed replica of a homicide victim's fingers in order to unlock his phone using his fingerprints. In theory it sounds like a brilliant idea, one that would sidestep the potentially contentious process of trying to get Apple or Google to assist with unlocking the device, only there's a pretty major roadblock that stands in the way. There are safeguards in place that require a passcode if a fingerprint scanner hasn't been used in quite some time. For example, as of iOS 9, Apple added a new wrinkle to its Touch ID security, that being an 8-hour time limit in between login attempts...
Read more...
Apple's current generation MacBook Pro isn't exactly a cinder block with a waistline that measures 0.71 inches and tipping the scale at either 3.48 pounds (13-inch model) or 4.49 pounds (15-inch model). Be that as it may, Apple's planning to introduce a new generation of thinner and lighter MacBook Pro laptops that will be somewhat reminiscent of its fancy 12-inch MacBook.Thinner and lighter designs are usually received well by consumers, though the drop in weight and girth might be the least interesting changes coming to the MacBook Pro. Citing unnamed sources who corroborated predictions made by KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, 9To5Mac says to expect a "dramatically overhauled MacBook Pro,"...
Read more...
If you’re heavily invested in the Apple ecosystem, there could be a new convenience feature headed to OS X 10.12 that would allow you to forget about entering a password to login to your Mac. A new report making the rounds suggests that the next major operating system release from Apple will gain the ability to use a Touch ID-enabled iPhone to unlock your iMac or MacBook computer. According to Mac Rumors, a finger placed on a Touch ID sensor would allow a Mac to unlock as long as it’s in close proximity to a paired iPhone. The report also suggests that Bluetooth LE would be used to establish a connection and complete the secure unlock. In practice, this is similar to unlocking an Apple Watch...
Read more...
The government’s ability to compel you to cough up the contents of your smartphone is growing with each day. Just last week, we reported that the U.S. Supreme Court has granted federal law enforcement agencies the ability to issue search warrants for computing devices in any jurisdiction in the United States; an act that U.S. Senator Ron Wyden said would allow the government to “search thousands or millions of computers at once; and the vast majority of the affected computers would belong to the victims, not the perpetrators, of a cybercrime.” Now, U.S. Magistrate Judge Alicia Rosenberg has granted the FBI the the authority to force a suspect to unlock her iPhone using her fingerprint. According...
Read more...
Apple offered a logical explanation as to why iPhone 6 users might see the dreaded "Error 53" code on their smartphone after having an unauthorized repair person replace a defective screen, but will that explanation hold up in court? A class action lawsuit filed in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California aims to find out. Let's back up a moment. The Error 53 code appears on iPhone 6 and iPhone 6s devices that detect a change to the Touch ID sensor. It's a security feature designed to prevent unauthorized users from being able to access a person's sensitive data and to ensure that Apple Pay and other "iOS features related to Touch ID remain secure." Normally that wouldn't...
Read more...
Accidents happen, and even if you use a case, a hard drop could end up cracking your screen or damaging other components in your smartphone. If you own an iPhone 6 from Apple, you might want to think twice about going to an unauthorized service center to have your device repaired. Since getting a screen replacement from Apple is often quite pricey, some people turn to technicians not certified by Apple for repairs. Be it an ad you see via Craigslist offering “mobile” $75 screen replacements right in your home or place of business, or mall kiosks that advertise repairs in less than an hour, consider yourself warned. Some iPhone 6 users are finding out the hard way that those repairs can lead...
Read more...
