Iris Scanning: The Newest Addition to Apple's Biometric Roadmap?

[mw360]

[links to yesterday's article from Samsung talking about iris technology and how everyone proclaimed it to be useless and unintuitive]

This thread is all scepticism, paranoia and eye jokes. What's your point?

 

[DrV]

Lovely, now the NSA can have my fingerprint as well my iris...

You know what... NSA has my fingerprints and probably irises even though I do not even live in the US. (Or actually just because of that.) It is that funny little desk with an hour-long line and a tired-looking official behind it pretending to care. US-VISIT.

Also, there is plenty of storage in the biometric US passport, as well. Fingerprint information is stored in biometric passports in many countries. It does not necessarily take very long before fingerprints find their way into the US passport, as well. Good news is that it may speed up border formalities a great deal. Downside is rather obvious. But of course - NSA is not going to use them, because that would not be legal.

----------

I'd think cost is really the factor that would prevent this technology from being used.

Fingerprint readers can run the gamut as far as cost goes depending on the complexity of the device and what your goal is, but generally speaking Iris technology is 5 - 10x as expensive as fingerprint and has been for a number of years.

In a phone you already have the camera and the optics. The only extra parts you need are the IR light source (a few cents) and some algorithms. So, while the dedicated iris scanners are expensive, implementing the same technology into a smartphone should not be.

 

[bretm]

You know what... NSA has my fingerprints and probably irises even though I do not even live in the US. (Or actually just because of that.) It is that funny little desk with an hour-long line and a tired-looking official behind it pretending to care. US-VISIT.

Also, there is plenty of storage in the biometric US passport, as well. Fingerprint information is stored in biometric passports in many countries. It does not necessarily take very long before fingerprints find their way into the US passport, as well. Good news is that it may speed up border formalities a great deal. Downside is rather obvious. But of course - NSA is not going to use them, because that would not be legal.

----------



In a phone you already have the camera and the optics. The only extra parts you need are the IR light source (a few cents) and some algorithms. So, while the dedicated iris scanners are expensive, implementing the same technology into a smartphone should not be.

Except the millions or possibly billions in R&D before implementation of course.

 

[2268473]

iRIS....anyone? No? Ok.

I was thinking more along the lines of "iEye"...

 

[Plutonius]

and you thought that texting and driving was bad

 

[scoobydoo99]

Pretty cool, if you zoom in on the pic of the eyeball, you can see the reflection of the person taking the picture of the eyeball.

That was the first thing I noticed, and I immediately thought it looked very amateurish. A pro would have shrouded the photographer and camera in black fabric or something.

----------

Any biometric MacRumors articles should begin with "This would be completely optional." Though I doubt the complainers even read them to begin with.

Like the camera and microphone on your device is "completely optional"??

You DO know that any technology on the phone can be accessed and activated without user detection by anyone (hackers, NSA, FBI, etc) with fairly mundane technology, even when the device is "off", right?

 

[longofest]

You know what... NSA has my fingerprints and probably irises even though I do not even live in the US. (Or actually just because of that.) It is that funny little desk with an hour-long line and a tired-looking official behind it pretending to care. US-VISIT.

Also, there is plenty of storage in the biometric US passport, as well. Fingerprint information is stored in biometric passports in many countries. It does not necessarily take very long before fingerprints find their way into the US passport, as well. Good news is that it may speed up border formalities a great deal. Downside is rather obvious. But of course - NSA is not going to use them, because that would not be legal.

US-VISIT maintains its own biometrics database... but NSA wouldn't necessarily care about that info, as they are signals intelligence. CIA and other 3 letter agencies would be more interested in that info.

 

[Huracan]

Not convinced it is that practical, and that it will happen anytime soon. Next rumor, please!

 

[mazz0]

I'm not sure how I feel about the incorporation of such technology, nonetheless, wouldn't something like this be better (or just as well) suited to one's laptop or desktop machine?

I feel it would be nice to see some of the security features of iOS such as Touch ID go over to the Mac line.

Yeah, I agree. I don't see how this would be more convenient than fingerprint for your phone, and it doesn't sound like it would be more secure, but it would be quite convenient for an iMac, Cinema Display or MacBook. As would a Bluetooth link to your iPhone so your TouchID unlocks your Mac. Which could be implemented in software. Right now. Yes please!

 

[almirramic]

Eyeball

G! I would have gone for a stock photo of an eyeball with slightly less blood vessels.

 

[acslater017]

Great, middle of summer when my allergies have rendered my eyes blood red I'll be stuck without a phone.

I'm no expert, but I think the redness of your sclera (white of your eye) will not affect an iris scanner. I think when the article talks about alcohol affecting accuracy, it's referring to dilation.

In any case, this would probably be implemented similarly to TouchID with a passcode or password being the ultimate failsafe.

I can just imagine the user interface for the iPhone 6's EyeD (TM) setup screen. Please look directly at the FaceTime camera. Now, take two shots, wait 10 minutes, and look again

 

[Michael Scrip]

I can just imagine the user interface for the iPhone 6's EyeD (TM) setup screen. Please look directly at the FaceTime camera. Now, take two shots, wait 10 minutes, and look again

Reminds me of this:

 

[Msail30bay]

Looks VERY promising………….. But oh, now I can lose an eye and/or a finger when visiting NYC.

 

[CausticPuppy]

This would really put Samsung in their place, I think. Their face unlock feature is pretty cool but this would blow it out of the water.

Let's just wait for Samsung to rush their shoddy implementation to market first.

 

[v0lume4]

I wouldn't ever use TouchID, nor would I ever use this.

I literally just hate passwords. Pet peeve, I guess.

 

[8CoreWhore]

Alex Jones' head just exploded.

 

[jclardy]

I hope not. TouchID works because I can initiate it while pulling my phone out of the pocket. I don't want to have to look at my phone and wait for it to unlock.

 

[bigpoppamac31]

Sorry I'll stick to a passcode thank you. What next a blood sample??

 

[szw-mapple fan]

Can't we have flat, less skeuomorphic eyeball for the article?

 

[kycophpd]

Well great... just great! The one time I take a photo of my eye and post it to a stock photo website and Macrumors posts it on the front page! NOW MY PHONE WILL NEVER BE SECURE!!!

 

[KdParker]

Great, middle of summer when my allergies have rendered my eyes blood red I'll be stuck without a phone.

Just use the finger scan then

 

[cppguy]

If my password leaks out, I'll change it. If my fingerprint gets stolen... well, plastic surgery. If my iris ID is compromised...

 

[cclloyd]

iRIS....anyone? No? Ok.

We get it. It's Siri backwards.

 

[AppleScruff1]

iris is just siri backwards.

coincidence? i think not.

Good catch! And Apple has every query made to Siri from every individual user stored on the cloud.

 

[XboxMySocks]

I feel like this will debut in the line of computers before it is in phones.