Apple Reportedly Working with Australian Firm Microlatch on Fingerprint Recognition

[MacRumors]

Even as AuthenTec's board of directors appears to moving toward approval of Apple's $356 million acquisition of the fingerprint sensor chip company, a new report suggests that Apple is also drawing on other expertise to assist with its mobile payments effort. According to The Australian (subscription required), Apple has signed a deal to work with Australian firm Microlatch on similar fingerprint recognition technology for integration with mobile payments via near field communications (NFC).

Word of the deal comes from David Murray, former head of the Commonwealth Bank and a lead investor in Microlatch.

Mr Murray said the company had an agreement with the notoriously secretive Apple to develop fingerprint technology for use in near-field communications applications.

Microlatch has patented fingerprint identification technology that meets banking security standards without the need for central processing or storage; a process Mr Murray described as "self-registering".

Details on Apple's partnership with Microlatch remain unknown, but it is clear that Apple is interested in fingerprint recognition and mobile payment technology. The company has, however, been employing a "go-slow approach" to mobile payments as it examines the potential of the technology and toys with various options for implementing it.

NFC has been a relatively frequent topic for rumors in relation to the iPhone, with some expecting that it might even make it into the 2011 version of the device. Despite numerous rumors about NFC peaking in early 2011, Apple elected not to include it in the iPhone 4S and even decided against bringing NFC to the redesigned iPhone 5 this year.

Article Link: Apple Reportedly Working with Australian Firm Microlatch on Fingerprint Recognition

 

[ghsDUDE]

No more passcode lock...right when I click the home button it recognizes my finger and unlocks...SWEET!

Here's to keeping my thumbs intact.

 

[fins831]

Biometric security would def give me some peace of mind to put some financial apps on my phone. I don't trust the pass code system, 4 numbers is easy to crack.

 

[thelink]

I've had that on my Atrix for almost two years now!

 

[MultiMediaWill]

Why on earth would my phone need fingerprint recognition?

 

[Zwhaler]

I expect this to be a huge feature in iOS.

 

[osx11]

Biometric security would def give me some peace of mind to put some financial apps on my phone. I don't trust the pass code system, 4 numbers is easy to crack.

You do know that you can make a more complex password with all characters.

Just go to settings and turn 'simple passcode' off.

 

[Bathplug]

I was hoping the iphone 5 had a fingerprint scanner.

Biometric security would def give me some peace of mind to put some financial apps on my phone. I don't trust the pass code system, 4 numbers is easy to crack.

Turn simple passcode off and then you can use more numbers.

 

[TheMacBookPro]

Better than attempting to hide the screen when punching in a password with the pop up keys on the keyboard.

 

[avanpelt]

Have the Maps team fix the map data. Until that's done, I could care less about other technology. The iPhone needs to excel at the things it's supposed to be able to do now before they start adding other cool features.

 

[fins831]

I was hoping the iphone 5 had a fingerprint scanner.



Turn simple passcode off and then you can use more numbers.

I honestly would like something simple and yet more secure than 4 numbers....if I go to more numbers, its not simple. The android lock is interesting, but I hate android, lol

 

[goobot]

No more passcode lock...right when I click the home button it recognizes my finger and unlocks...SWEET!

Here's to keeping my thumbs intact.

Damn, what insult to injury, imagine loosing your finger in an accident and not being able to call 911 because you need that finger to unlock your phone?

 

[Born Again]

cool - now we get to see all the finger print naysayers jump on the bandwagon because apple does it.

u can't win with apple fanboys. they hate what they dont have but love what they do.

sometimes it makes me want to smash my iphone 5. but lets not.

 

[bushman4]

Be sure that when Apple finally implements NFC in the IPHONE it will be done right. Everybody was waiting for it in the Iphone5 but it just wasn't ready, but Authentec and now Microlatch certainly make it look as though its happening soon.

 

[CylonGlitch]

1. Most biometric security devices aren't worth the money; they are almost universally fooled very easily.
2. Do I really want to use a finger print to unlock my phone?
3. It has Micro in the name, maybe it's time for Microsoft to jump in and sue.

 

[bandalay]

Duh?

Why on earth would my phone need fingerprint recognition?

When your phone becomes your credit card, bank account and passport, you'll definitely want something that connects it more closely to "you".

'Cause that's where this thing is going.

 

[SavMBP15]

Damn, what insult to injury, imagine loosing your finger in an accident and not being able to call 911 because you need that finger to unlock your phone?

Nope. All cell phones (at least in the US) are required to allow the user to call 911 (emergency services) without unlocking the phone. So you are safe still.

 

[turtlez]

This will compliment passbook very well! Fingerprint > Signatures and 4 digit passwords!

 

[faroZ06]

Better than attempting to hide the screen when punching in a password with the pop up keys on the keyboard.

Ugh, I actually modified the keys on my iPhone 1 so that they wouldn't change color when pressed. Apple needs to fix that.

I can't see this fingerprint system being useful on the iPhone. You'd think "Oh, I can just show it my thumb and get in instantly!", but it usually takes longer than just typing in the password.

 

[g0odfr1end102]

Damn, what insult to injury, imagine loosing your finger in an accident and not being able to call 911 because you need that finger to unlock your phone?

Good one, but here's something you forgot (I think)

 

[ghettochris]

Have the Maps team fix the map data. Until that's done, I could care less about other technology. The iPhone needs to excel at the things it's supposed to be able to do now before they start adding other cool features.

I updated and like apple maps better, less cluttered and I can read the interstate numbers without zooming in with triple tap access accessibility zoom. Works fine for me so far, haven't come across any bad data. I dcould care less about turn by turn, I like to navigate myself to avoid stupid stuff, but the eta is nice.

You know how many times I have even been in a situation where NFC is even an option let alone something I wished I had? Zero.

 

[Constable Odo]

I'm fairly certain that Android devices will have fingerprint readers a lot sooner than Apple. Android always gets the cutting edge features first because there's always some small company out there willing to take the risk. Apple has to be very conservative because they only make one smartphone and if it's no good, then they're in big trouble, just like they are with Apple Maps. If some small Android vendor comes out with a smartphone fingerprint reader and it sucks, nobody will even care and it will just disappear from the market. Android devices already have NFC even if no one is using it.

Lord help Apple if it introduced an iPhone with a fingerprint reader and it wasn't able to read .02% of the fingerprints of consumers. Apple would be torn to shreds by the media for not offering a perfect feature. The media always over-exaggerates every small problem that an Apple device has. I don't think I've ever heard of any media complaints about the Samsung Galaxy S3 in all the time it's been on the market so it must be a perfect smartphone.

 

[shadowtrogan]

Where are all the iphone 5's?

 

[Bensalama21]

Biometric security would def give me some peace of mind to put some financial apps on my phone. I don't trust the pass code system, 4 numbers is easy to crack.

You can set the iPhone to unlock with a longer passcode with words and numbers...

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Why on earth would my phone need fingerprint recognition?

*10 years ago

"Why on earth would my phone need a touchscreen?"

 

[Laird Knox]

Have the Maps team fix the map data. Until that's done, I could care less about other technology. The iPhone needs to excel at the things it's supposed to be able to do now before they start adding other cool features.

Good idea. Everybody stop working until the maps team is done!