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Collecting fingerprints

Mathematician

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I'm a techie and trust the NSA, but I'm in the mood to ruffle some feathers. The iPhone 5S coming out today is expected to have a fingerprint scanner for security purposes. With all the rumors about the NSA getting into the smartphones of Americans, how many of you think this is a free fingerprint database for the government?

Mac Rumors: Apple Mac iOS Rumors and News You Care About
 
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I'm a techie and trust the NSA, but I'm in the mood to ruffle some feathers. The iPhone 5S coming out today is expected to have a fingerprint scanner for security purposes. With all the rumors about the NSA getting into the smartphones of Americans, how many of you think this is a free fingerprint database for the government?

Mac Rumors: Apple Mac iOS Rumors and News You Care About

Not me. Makes for good publicity, though.
 
Its pretty useless and potentially dangerous..

Finger print scanners have been in laptops for a decade but were only a semi hit with corporations. The issue is simple.. fingerprint means one person user.... which causes problems for repair guys or family when trying to access the item. Basically means... disable the crap or be around your device all the time when others want access to things... really freaking annoying.

Now where a finger print scanner could have a great application would be in conjunction with authenticating money transfers.. voting and so on. Problem is, the iPhone has none of the technology to make this possible.. expect for the finger print scanner. No NFC or NFC like encryption and that frankly makes any iPhone with a finger print scanner as a gimmick no more no less.. pretty much like SIRI.. looks cool but is pretty much useless.

As for the information of these scanning... since it is on an iPhone then chances are they are stored in the cloud, which means... easy as hell to get access to by the NSA or anyone who really wants access. Even if it is going to be stored on the device, then it is simple to access because of the security holes and back doors in iOS and most Apple products.

Now the creepy issue will be... will there be a rise on finger amputations in conjunction with iPhone thefts?
 
Its pretty useless and potentially dangerous..

Finger print scanners have been in laptops for a decade but were only a semi hit with corporations. The issue is simple.. fingerprint means one person user.... which causes problems for repair guys or family when trying to access the item. Basically means... disable the crap or be around your device all the time when others want access to things... really freaking annoying.

Now where a finger print scanner could have a great application would be in conjunction with authenticating money transfers.. voting and so on. Problem is, the iPhone has none of the technology to make this possible.. expect for the finger print scanner. No NFC or NFC like encryption and that frankly makes any iPhone with a finger print scanner as a gimmick no more no less.. pretty much like SIRI.. looks cool but is pretty much useless.

As for the information of these scanning... since it is on an iPhone then chances are they are stored in the cloud, which means... easy as hell to get access to by the NSA or anyone who really wants access. Even if it is going to be stored on the device, then it is simple to access because of the security holes and back doors in iOS and most Apple products.

Now the creepy issue will be... will there be a rise on finger amputations in conjunction with iPhone thefts?

I "donated a day" to our local police department (Assistant to the Chief) as part of my quest to get the job. When I got there to help, the Assistant (who was out of the office for several days) had password protected her computer. One doesn't have to guess why. I could do practically NOTHING. The chief was furious and vowed to change policy immediately.

Password protection (known only to the user) serves only the user. In a corporate setting, where one's files belong to the company, it is inappropriate.
 
I "donated a day" to our local police department (Assistant to the Chief) as part of my quest to get the job. When I got there to help, the Assistant (who was out of the office for several days) had password protected her computer. One doesn't have to guess why. I could do practically NOTHING. The chief was furious and vowed to change policy immediately.

Password protection (known only to the user) serves only the user. In a corporate setting, where one's files belong to the company, it is inappropriate.

Actually, password protection serves the corporate entity (which may not be a for-profit business entity). In some cases, like a doctors office, the information is protected by law. In others, password protection protects "trade secrets", etc

The problem you faced was that the security was applied at the wrong "level". The computer itself should not have been password protected; just the databases and systems it could access. If there were any sensitive files stored on that computer, they should be password protected individually, or stored on a central server.
 
May become an issue. They had a piece on NPR yesterday about how Apple was about to screw up in Asia by introducing the lower cost iphones. Basically, Apple cannot compete on price with a lot of existing companies in the lower end of the market, but they are going to lose on the upper end because people buy those phones to be seen with them for status. If poorer people have access to them, they will no longer be trendy.
 
May become an issue. They had a piece on NPR yesterday about how Apple was about to screw up in Asia by introducing the lower cost iphones. Basically, Apple cannot compete on price with a lot of existing companies in the lower end of the market, but they are going to lose on the upper end because people buy those phones to be seen with them for status. If poorer people have access to them, they will no longer be trendy.

It is not going to be lower cost.. 400+ dollar phone is not low cost. So yes Apple is about to screw up.. although getting access to China Mobile might help a bit.

And people in Asia have different "trendy" requirements.. for example, in China... screen size is very important, and a 4 inch Apple iPhone is too small. And in Japan, NFC is massive.. and the iPhone line up does not have it.. and wont have it.

The only place iPhones are trendy and the group peer pressure aspect works is in the US and some countries in Europe, but in the rest of the world price and screen size and features are far far more important than "being cool".
 
I "donated a day" to our local police department (Assistant to the Chief) as part of my quest to get the job. When I got there to help, the Assistant (who was out of the office for several days) had password protected her computer. One doesn't have to guess why. I could do practically NOTHING. The chief was furious and vowed to change policy immediately.

Password protection (known only to the user) serves only the user. In a corporate setting, where one's files belong to the company, it is inappropriate.

Yes I agree. But your problem could have been solved by calling the person and asking for the password.. it gets a hell of a lot trickier with a fingerprint...
 
It is not going to be lower cost.. 400+ dollar phone is not low cost. So yes Apple is about to screw up.. although getting access to China Mobile might help a bit.

And people in Asia have different "trendy" requirements.. for example, in China... screen size is very important, and a 4 inch Apple iPhone is too small. And in Japan, NFC is massive.. and the iPhone line up does not have it.. and wont have it.

The only place iPhones are trendy and the group peer pressure aspect works is in the US and some countries in Europe, but in the rest of the world price and screen size and features are far far more important than "being cool".

If your understanding of China were true, they wouldn't consider Buicks status cars.
 
I'm a techie and trust the NSA, but I'm in the mood to ruffle some feathers. The iPhone 5S coming out today is expected to have a fingerprint scanner for security purposes. With all the rumors about the NSA getting into the smartphones of Americans, how many of you think this is a free fingerprint database for the government?

Mac Rumors: Apple Mac iOS Rumors and News You Care About

Well then - easy to avoid, just don't use it. Of course, knowing it's Apple, I wouldn't be surprised if that was the only "option" they gave you in the future. . . they like to do that - slowly take away your "options" until your choice is fish.
 
If your understanding of China were true, they wouldn't consider Buicks status cars.

Talking about phones not cars.

And it is not "my understanding", it is what all the experts on the Chinese market say.. How else can you explain why Apple's market share has fallen by 50% in a year.. from about 10% to under 5%? An iPhone costs full price in China.. that means 650+ bucks... that is a lot of money in a country like China.
 
I'm a techie and trust the NSA, but I'm in the mood to ruffle some feathers. The iPhone 5S coming out today is expected to have a fingerprint scanner for security purposes. With all the rumors about the NSA getting into the smartphones of Americans, how many of you think this is a free fingerprint database for the government?

Mac Rumors: Apple Mac iOS Rumors and News You Care About

The sad thing is there is no consumer backlash against companies that basically spy for the government.
 
Seems you can with the new iPhone 5S (not the cheaper 5C... 550 dollars cough..), buy things with your fingerprint on iTunes. That means there is some communication between your phone, fingerprint information and Apples servers.

But for now, this aint open to 3rd party developers and the Apple claims that the fingerprint information is stored in a secure place on the phone...we heard that before and it has not been true..
 
Maybe if the iSheep wouldn't run out every year and buy a new iPhone, we wouldn't be worrying about some stupid fingerprint scanner.

Solution: Don't buy the new iPhone. Apple will figure it out and make the necessary adjustments.
 
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