Apple's Face ID Feature Works With Most Sunglasses, Can Be Quickly Disabled to Thwart Thieves

[macs4nw]

Pretty awesome to see Craig reply to these emails!

Craig is such a personable individual and a likeable guy at that, so his speedy response doesn't surprise me a bit.

Besides it's in their interest to quell any and all fears/uncertainties in these early days if they want mass acceptance of this new technology. Rumors spread fast and are hard to counteract once out there, so any doubts about FaceID need to be nipped in the bud.

I was in a mall at the time of the keynote, and I heard a tv blaring out: "Apple's face recognition feature failed on the first try." That kind of thing is all you need to sow the seeds of FUD, as many may only hear one little snippet about it not performing without getting the whole story.

 

[orisonmarden]

This will create a new glasses marketing gimmick.

Face ID enabled glasses.

 

[filmantopia]

What about people with ADD?

SOL.

 

[zeesix]

The good thing is that I don't have to take off my gloves in the winter. Second problem are the sweaty of wet hands after running. I might preorder it after a see some reviews on November the 3rd. One more thing you can do is to go to the Apple Retail Store to test it out before you decide.

Do you have the special gloves that work with touch screens? Because you still need to swipe up.

 

[BaltimoreMediaBlog]

I am embarrassed for many people posting here to be honest. I've been here for a long time and I swear every year the Chicken Little types both here on this forum and in the world at large are becoming a larger percentage of the population.

There are legitimate concerns with privacy regarding any device that carries our personal information. No one disagrees with that. Biometric unlocking, pattern unlocking, and so on are designed to help us have some security while also having some convenience. IF you're truly concerned about these things, put in a long passcode and use ONLY that passcode. Skip the biometric identifications or pattern unlockings altogether.

It is legal in the US and perhaps some other countries for you to be compelled to unlock a phone with Touch ID or similar, and likely will be just the same with Face ID and similar facial and retinal scanners. This is not new. The key is that Apple's seems to work better. Just a few weeks ago reviews of the Note 8 made comments about the facial and retinal scans as being gimmicks and just for publicity. So it seems they're not that much better than they were a few years ago on some devices. Maybe this will be different.

Ridiculous comments about it being useable while sleeping, or while being robbed, or whatever are honestly irrelevant. If someone wants you to use a finger, that's no more secure when you're under duress. If anything, this is better because the phone is designed to allow other bypass methods (the two button press) that will lock it for a PIN.

I'm not even of the camp that "if you have nothing to hide, you have nothing to fear" people. Security is an issue and is real. But this isn't making it easier. Just disable it and ALL biometric, pattern, and short PIN numbers. Use longer PINs and guard your phone. Put nothing on it you don't want others to see. Have some common sense. Stop with the fear mongering.

You are far WORSE than the people you insulted. You called us "Chicken Little types" and then gave no proof to support your argument, only that other companies were worse! HAHA! Too funny. You obviously were never on a debate team.

Your Chicken Little FUD is not very compelling. If it walks like a duck, quacks like a duck, it's usually a duck.
Enjoy thinking otherwise.
[doublepost=1505441142][/doublepost]

No—but I just read a straw man argument that was pretty sad.

I’ll wait while you Google that and look forward to a coherent response.

My experience in the media is that people making the straw man accusation are most often the people who use it.
Why is that? They have more experience at it and it's a cheap way of disarming an opponent who might not know exactly what it means. Often the argument is about exactly the same thing and you win by default by "appearing" smarter.

 

[OldSchoolMacGuy]

Yeah, but which finger? You get 5 tries to unlock with TouchID before it is disabled. You have 10 fingers to try with. Three tries are wasted on the same finger, "I don't know why it is not unlocking." After that, you get 2 tries with the remaining 9 fingers. "No, no, I'm sure it was my thumb." Once it is disabled you don't have to provide your password.

You only have one face.

As someone that works in computer forensics, I can say that we have yet to see even a single case where someone used anything but their index finger. That's always the first finger people program. And even if it wouldn't be that, it'd be their thumb.

Sorry bud, it's very simple to figure out what finger they use.

And honestly, we don't need their fingers or Touch ID to unlock it. Our software has been unlocking the iPhone without it since 2008. Works today like it did then and we've been selling it to government agencies around the world since.

 

[goudok]

As someone that works in computer forensics, I can say that we have yet to see even a single case where someone used anything but their index finger. That's always the first finger people program. And even if it wouldn't be that, it'd be their thumb.

Sorry bud, it's very simple to figure out what finger they use.

And honestly, we don't need their fingers or Touch ID to unlock it. Our software has been unlocking the iPhone without it since 2008. Works today like it did then and we've been selling it to government agencies around the world since.

Thats a cool story bro, but I have yet to see anyone use their index finger. Everyone programs their thumb first, not exactly sure why would someone program their index finger unless you unlock it laying flat.

 

[flat five]

Thats a cool story bro, but I have yet to see anyone use their index finger. Everyone programs their thumb first, not exactly sure why would someone program their index finger unless you unlock it laying flat.

i have my right index finger saved.. and both thumbs twice.

(*not meant as an argument)

 

[Rosooki]

As someone that works in computer forensics, I can say that we have yet to see even a single case where someone used anything but their index finger. That's always the first finger people program. And even if it wouldn't be that, it'd be their thumb.

Well, you would have blown the investigation on me then. And I also work in security.

Sorry bud, it's very simple to figure out what finger they use.

It is not simple. You can guess for a few tries, but after that, you can't risk a wrong guess, because once you lose the TouchID, you lose the ability to open the phone.

And honestly, we don't need their fingers or Touch ID to unlock it. Our software has been unlocking the iPhone without it since 2008. Works today like it did then and we've been selling it to government agencies around the world since.

Not buying it.

 

[dav1dd]

A lot of people concerned about the cops. What are you, breaking the law??

 

[Rosooki]

A lot of people concerned about the cops. What are you, breaking the law??

Yes. And so are you. About 50 times per day, without knowing it.

 

[Vineeth23]

I still don't see any real benefit over Touch ID.

They've replaced it with something that's more convenient in some and less convenient in other ways, works slower and has more potential of someone else unlocking it against your will.

Not saying Face ID sucks, but shouldn't the new thing be significantly better and not just different and for many people even worse?

after placing your finger on touch ID anyway you are going to place it on the home screen. In case of Face ID it gets unlocked and after swiping up, the finger is anyhow above the display. that doesn't mean its slower its just the reaction times that makes the difference

 

[talones]

I've said more convenient in some and less convenient in other ways...



It is significantly slower.

Look at the time it takes to get to your home screen to do something:
- tap the screen to wake / use power button to wake
- scan your face until the lock symbol gets unlocked
- swipe up from the bottom

Touch ID is way faster.
Press button, short (but still sort of unnecessary) animation, done.

I bet they will have a "Go to home screen once authenticated" feature, just like how touchid has "rest finger to open".

 

[bushman4]

Living in NYC it is doubtful that anybody would have the opportunity to press the power and up volume button to disable FaceID when riding on a subway train or even walking in the street. Has to be a better way to disable FaceID Hopefully Craig you get to see this post

 

[sanook997]

So then it can easily be used while sleeping. It can easily be used by cops.

Yes correct, as long as you sleep with your eyes open like most of us.....
[doublepost=1505457765][/doublepost]

I still don't see any real benefit over Touch ID.

They've replaced it with something that's more convenient in some and less convenient in other ways, works slower and has more potential of someone else unlocking it against your will.

Not saying Face ID sucks, but shouldn't the new thing be significantly better and not just different and for many people even worse?

Works slower?....What other features can you comment on since you have been using it?

 

[Tech198]

remotely disable *And* wipe your device... its still secure..

 

[Bonte]

A iPhone X on a table will try to look at all the faces passing by resulting in a lockdown, like what happened on stage with Craig. I hope Apple fixes that problem as it would make faceID worthless in lots of situations.

 

[bmacir]

My guess is that Face ID won't work with polarised sunglasses.

 

[ColdShadow]

So then it can easily be used while sleeping. It can easily be used by cops.

1-You don't sleep with eyes open.
2-if cops can force you to keep your eyes open and stare at the phone,they can also forcefully put your finger on a touch id.

 

[redAPPLE]

Why are so many people concerned about handing their phone to a cop? Wtf are some of you up to?

it is just a possibility that some people simply do not trust cops.

 

[JLL]

So then it can easily be used while sleeping.

You sleep with your eyes open?

 

[gwaizai]

Has anyone ever thought about how

this super sophisticated 3D digital portrait of our faces-- with beards that we might grow, or hair styles we might change, with glasses on or off,
hats, hoodies, scarfs that we might wear one day and not the next--

and the cataloging of our facial expressions, enough to create animated emojis of our emotional state and thought processes

can be used against us in terms of surveillance tracking at airports, on planes, in cabs, at parks, political gatherings, campus demonstrations,

rallies, voting precincts, libraries, bookstores, supermarkets, downtown streets? First Apple wanted our fingerprints, then they wanted our heart rhythms, pulse rate, respiration data, and a whole inventory of our physical activities for a day. Isn't blood sugar and pressure on the horizon too?

I don't want to be Alex Jones here, but... think about it. And remember, the Patriot Act supersedes our Amendments and even has been upgraded in severity--no tech company can refuse government requests for any data it wants, or the tech CEO's can be jailed. You think Tim Cook is going to go to jail for us peons?

 

[obamtl]

Apple expects the consumer to remain calm and not look at the phone while it's being stolen. I hope I won't do it wrong.

The worry about this scenario of someone stealing your phone and pointing out at yoyr face is grossly exaggerated.

If they unlock it, they still can't disable Find My iPhone without your iCloud password, so you can still track and deactivate the phone. If they go as far as forcing you to give them your password, then FaceID vs TouchID was never going to be the issue.

This whole FaceID reluctance reminds me of the scepticism about touchscreen phones.

iPhone was not the first to do touch screens, but because the experience of touch screens had previously been terrible, many people we sceptical at first. Today, there are still some holdouts who prefer physical keyboards, but it soon became obvious that Apple took a much better approach to touchscreens than what was on the market.

The facial recognition out there today sucks! It uses 2D imaging of a normal camera. It is slow, it involves holding your phone at an awkward angle to your face.

With FaceID, the only real effort you're making is swiping up on the screen. While you do that, it scans your face very quickly, with you holding your phone in a way you'd have held it anyway.

 

[PlainviewX]

You sleep with your eyes open?

Often

 

[MacATDBB]

The publicity picture here illustrates a concern I have with Face ID - with touch ID you could quickly unlock your phone and glance down at it somewhat stealthily. This can be important in scenarios where you might not want to be obviously showing a $1000 phone to everyone in the vicinity. With Face ID it looks like you basically have to make a very obvious unlock process, bringing the phone pretty near the face. Given the choice of the two technologies, I'd go for touch ID.