Apple Patent Applications: Heartbeat Biometrics, Multidimensional Dashboard Widgets

[rwilliams]

Ya think your passcode is more secure than fingerprints? Biometrics offer the promise for better security AND convenience. I'm sure either Apple or 3rd party will enable you to still type, or tap morse code for access if you wish.

My point was that I can't imagine having data on my phone that's so sensitive that I'd need something like biometrics to secure it.

 

[icrew]

having a heart attack with a lock out of phone service?!

Yeah, my thoughts exactly--I have a heart attack, manage to survive, and this technology adds insult to injury and locks me out of my phone!

They'd definitely have to have some way to override, I think.

Still, though, it's an interesting concept--It's a novel way to implement 2-factor authentication, in addition to the obvious exercise and health uses. (All authentication is made up of some combination of 3 factors: something you have (like a key), something you know (like a password), and something you are (like a fingerprint)).

 

[vidster]

Phone as phone

My point was that I can't imagine having data on my phone that's so sensitive that I'd need something like biometrics to secure it.

Currently I use my cellphone as a phone only. But phone-as-computer is here. Smartphones are becoming the norm with ever increasing features, and ever increasing benefit to most. I can't imagine not availing myself of mobile services in coming months for which data security is requisite. Regardless, it's all not about you, or me

That said, it's not clear as others have commented that this patent is about security.

 

[louis Fashion]

Widget thingy

I cannot wait to see the 3d stock quote. I hope it works.

 

[tunde]

multidimensional widgets not new

This is very similar to the concept of the navihedron developed by Roy Stringer at Amaze (www.amaze.com) in the 1990s. He developed a navigation system which allowed users to approach a subject form multiple perspectives, the content they received was influenced by the perspective which they arrived at the content from. It was usually presented as a 12 node polyhedron which usrs could rotate and interactive with to navigate content.

Sadly Roy is no longer with us and this aspect of his work has fallen from favour - untill now. This is the web archive of the original site -
http://web.archive.org/web/20000229234911/http://www.navihedron.com/

I can't find any versions which are still live on the web but here are two links giving more information.

http://cogdogblog.com/2005/09/30/lost-navihedra/

http://denali.asap.um.maine.edu/marcelsite/?q=node/289

 

[G4er?]

Will the phones come with ringtones or songs like Neil Diamonds "Heart Light" or Don Johnson's "Heartbeat"?

 

[iphones4evry1]

Awesome. Heart monitors will be useful when we are older. Hopefully, they will prevent heart attacks and save our lives.

The cubic interface seems cool too - I just hope the sides enlarge to full screen.

 

[Gordonclyne]

Not so fast there....

even if you give margins of error, this technology is very precise now that we have sensors capable of making such accurate measurements at good prices. The way your heart beats and your blood volume is very unique if you treat the data properly, normalize it, continue to sample etc. you can build up a very strong biometric view of the owner, sufficient to tell if you have had a coffee, get pregnant, had a drink, run a mile etc. just two or three beats can pick you from say 1500 people, and six or more could pick you uniquely from the US population. I've worked on this before. at Palm, but they didnt see the light....
=====

The poster you replied to has a big point. EKGs/ECGs are not constant. I doubt to a very high extent that you can couple an EKG to a person, unlike iris scans, vein scans and fingerprints. Also, the EKG will vary depending on how you grip the sensors on the phone, and even depending on which hand you use.

So, I'm actually confused about what Apple's doing here.

If a valid user gets an arrythmia, what is the phone going to do?[/QUOTE]