NFC to Enable 'Home on iPhone' Remote Computing?

[Nuvi]

This was discussed in the last article on NFC... basically, all of the other radios in the iPhone are long range, and could allow for someone to capture the wi-fi/bt data as it's being streamed. Because NFC has a range of ~4cm, no one would be able to wirelessly hack the signal, unless they were standing on top of you.

I think people are referring to "Home on iPhone" feature and not NFC in general. In this feature NFC really makes no sense. If your home is stored in the cloud then why would you need iPhone in that equation? Just login on to yor MobileMe account and its done. If home is on iPhone then you would rather be using USB cable then BT for transfers (in NFC initiated pic transfers BT is used). Yet again, why NFC? NFC is good for payments, business card transfers, Pic sharing (zero config -> BT transfer) etc. but I don't see it having any purpose here. Even more so NFC has maximum theoretical transfer rate of 848 kbit/s so its dead slow for data transfers (good for tiny stuff).

 

[ciTiger]

Would be nice if existing trackpads got it but I find it very hard to believe...

 

[KnightWRX]

I have, but the idea is the ease of this in a mass market, with normal consumers. I did a paper in college on something to this extent. The gist of it was how ironic it was that we went from main-frame & terminal computer to the "pc" era, and now we find ourselves returning to a main-frame & terminal type of computing (remote access & cloud computing). It was more just history of computational power of computer (Comp. Arch. class).

That's the thing, we never left the mainframe/terminal era. It became Unix servers with X in the 80s/early 90s. XDMCP appeared to ease login by providing remote GUI login services (think, double click icon and get XDM window on your computer). Sun's CEO proudly proclaimed in 1998 "The Network is the computer" while introducing the world to the NC (Network Computer), basically an X thin client terminal. It morphed into Citrix/Terminal Services along the way being deployed en masse and many competing offers (Tarantella, NoMachine) were offered in the early 2000s.

The cloud ? It's been around for ages. Marketers love to redefine existing stuff to make it seem new. Let's polish up that old 1956 Cadillac and sell it as a 2012 model.

If you wrote a paper in college, you should know all of this. The thin client/terminal/cloud paradigm as always been with us. Consumers ? We've been using the stuff forever. VNC, is one of the earliest forms of consumer technology using this. Windows since Vista has been using Terminal Services for local logins and "Remote Desktop/Remote Support". Us few but proud Linux users have used X11 with network transparency since the beginning.

Heck, Apple is late to this game. Sure their entry might provide some extra ease of setup (auto syncing documents from your mobile device/Internet) but those features of Network available files (through NFS automounted home directories/Active Directory and windows roaming profiles) has been available again for decades.

All I'm saying, you're literally living with your head in the clouds if you think any of this is new.

 

[M2M]

So Wifi is too slow for iPhone/iPod/iPad syncing so its ommitted, but NFC is fast enough for my home directory?
Sure!

 

[drewyboy]

*Lots of stuff said...*

If you wrote a paper in college, you should know all of this. The thin client/terminal/cloud paradigm as always been with us. Consumers ? We've been using the stuff forever. VNC, is one of the earliest forms of consumer technology using this. Windows since Vista has been using Terminal Services for local logins and "Remote Desktop/Remote Support". Us few but proud Linux users have used X11 with network transparency since the beginning.

You're right, it has been with us in some shape of form. I guess what I'm trying to say is Apple will come through with the ease of things that Apple does. I mean, for screen sharing, when my parents have a problem we hop on iChat, and my dad pushes the "Share Screen" button and the magic happens. I can see for those who aren't tech-savy (VNC & the such) I would tell my dad, set your iphone down next to the computer, type in username and password, and you're done. To us, it's not to difficult to do it right now, but to ppl like my parents, it becomes ridiculously easy.

So I guess that's what my point is. The idea just makes it easy for "normal" consumers. And lets face it, if you're on these forums, you're not a "normal" consumer. Is it really anything new for Apple to take tech everyone else has been using a while and put's it in and makes it seem like they personally made it and now else has it?

 

[Nuvi]

So Wifi is too slow for iPhone/iPod/iPad syncing so its ommitted, but NFC is fast enough for my home directory?
Sure!

YES! The blazing speed of 848 kbit/s makes your head spin!

 

[KnightWRX]

You're right, it has been with us in some shape of form. I guess what I'm trying to say is Apple will come through with the ease of things that Apple does. I mean, for screen sharing, when my parents have a problem we hop on iChat, and my dad pushes the "Share Screen" button and the magic happens. I can see for those who aren't tech-savy (VNC & the such) I would tell my dad, set your iphone down next to the computer, type in username and password, and you're done. To us, it's not to difficult to do it right now, but to ppl like my parents, it becomes ridiculously easy.

So I guess that's what my point is. The idea just makes it easy for "normal" consumers. And lets face it, if you're on these forums, you're not a "normal" consumer. Is it really anything new for Apple to take tech everyone else has been using a while and put's it in and makes it seem like they personally made it and now else has it?

And my point is this doesn't require "setting down the iPhone next to the computer". A feature like this shouldn't be tied to NFC or a device. Everything is already there to make good use of it with basically anything. Heck, you could implement this with USB flash storage or you can easily had a BT chip to a Flash storage and implement wireless flash storage that does this. Or just use MobileMe and the Web.

NFC in this case is not required, unless you want to force people to upgrade to NFC enabled devices. The problem is this is Apple's modus operandi. Let's make people upgrade needlessly to a new device when all we're offering are new software features.

 

[drewyboy]

NFC in this case is not required, unless you want to force people to upgrade to NFC enabled devices. The problem is this is Apple's modus operandi. Let's make people upgrade needlessly to a new device when all we're offering are new software features.

I agree. Let's just hope the NFC can offer more than this and iWallet. As it stands now it sounds cool to pay w/ the phone, and I know other countries have been doing this since the stone age, but when don't you have your wallet w/ you? I mean, the wallet does more than just store your credit card. And if Apple is wanting it to seriously be a wallet, storing all my very personal info on the phone.... let me grab my tin foil hat... I just don't know about that.

 

[BJMRamage]

not a technology wizard or anything but someone who likes to read this stuff....my thoughts:

With the NFC iPhone/iPad/iWhatever, I see this as something to make this all easier by just setting phone down and having the Accept screen there. no need to login basically...means cutting off a few seconds each time but one that makes it easier (Apple's all about easy stuff).

I can see this for businesses where people travel and could set their iPhone/iPad on the desk and instantly start working in the new location. The iPad will be Apple's new laptop down the line capable of everything you need on the go and a syncing option on any other Mac for high-end work.

I can see this being VERY big in the business sense where businesses are already trying out corporate/enterprise stuff with iPhones/iPads. Also of note would be for Dr's in hospitals to easily use any computer/Mac anywhere quickly and keep files confidential.

Another use is in Restaurant business model where a waiter/tress can take an order on iphone/iDevice and set it close to main computer and it sends it to the screen in the kitchen for the cooks. This will keep track of orders and make payment easy with NFC on iDevice carried by Wait staff.

Maybe Apple will go with their Apple Cafes they are bringing back (according to rumors) where there will be terminals outside Apple stores and people can use them at a Mall for work or anything. The great thing about this is it puts their store further into the mall aisles and makes (some people annoyed) but others interested in what people are doing and how they can do it....meaning more Apple Sales.

This has GREAT potential...

 

[tigres]

Sorry for my ignorance here, but is this essentially like thunderbolt? I.E. cool but useless with todays tech...

I don't really understand it's usefulness, please enlighten me why I would not want my apps on the computer (which I 99.9% own or work at) to be using the space on a hard drive.

 

[Astro7x]

I'd love to see where they are going with this... though I'd much rather have free screen sharing software that will wake my Mac at home on request.

I've been using iChat and Chax right now to auto accept screen share requests, which works great, just it sucks needing to keep my computer on AND iChat logged in at all times.

 

[GQB]

Just speaking from my own use case, but this strikes me as being in the category of 'clever but pretty useless.'

I'm trying to envision the type of user for whom this would be useful.
It seems to be NFR-enabled iDevice users who
- are frequently (or even occasionally) in need of a Mac owned by someone else who is allowing them to use their Mac. Not exactly an every-day scenario.
- work at a Mac shop and want to use your home apps (but in that case, you're already logged on with your work ID, right?
- own several macs at different locations and don't want to bother sync-ing software on a permanent basis.

Others?
I just don't see this as being a feature that's going to drive more than a few hundred sales.

I think NFR is best suited for replacing the silly 'bump' apps (again, clever, but useless as long as everyone doesn't have the equiv app), and for authentication and purchasing.

BTW, even assuming one would want to log onto a strange machine and temporarily download apps, does that mean that the OS would be creating an on-the-fly and disposable login ID on that machine?

 

[GQB]

not a technology wizard or anything but someone who likes to read this stuff....my thoughts:

With the NFC iPhone/iPad/iWhatever, I see this as something to make this all easier by just setting phone down and having the Accept screen there. no need to login basically...means cutting off a few seconds each time but one that makes it easier (Apple's all about easy stuff).

I can see this for businesses where people travel and could set their iPhone/iPad on the desk and instantly start working in the new location. The iPad will be Apple's new laptop down the line capable of everything you need on the go and a syncing option on any other Mac for high-end work.

I can see this being VERY big in the business sense where businesses are already trying out corporate/enterprise stuff with iPhones/iPads. Also of note would be for Dr's in hospitals to easily use any computer/Mac anywhere quickly and keep files confidential.

Another use is in Restaurant business model where a waiter/tress can take an order on iphone/iDevice and set it close to main computer and it sends it to the screen in the kitchen for the cooks. This will keep track of orders and make payment easy with NFC on iDevice carried by Wait staff.

Maybe Apple will go with their Apple Cafes they are bringing back (according to rumors) where there will be terminals outside Apple stores and people can use them at a Mall for work or anything. The great thing about this is it puts their store further into the mall aisles and makes (some people annoyed) but others interested in what people are doing and how they can do it....meaning more Apple Sales.

This has GREAT potential...

Unfortunately, all of your examples assume that the guest machine is a Mac (particularly since the description talks about temporarily downloading your apps, which would have to mean Mac.)
Sadly, the vast majority of public and work machines are PCs, and even Jobs admitted years ago that that battle is over. The new battle is for the mobile device itself (which I think Apple is winning.)
I just don't see this as the kind of feature that has potential beyond 'cool' for a handful of users.

 

[Ampidire]

I never read this as NFC being use as the transfer medium, just as the authentication device, lay your phone to your computer and it automatically logs you in, or something to that effect.

I can't imagine wanting to use my machine from a tremendously slow external USB drive anyway...

 

[jtara]

Makes no sense

This makes no sense whatsoever. Or it's been poorly explained. What does NFC have to do with maintaining a global profile and installing temporary support on a computer to support the profile?

Surely, you could communicate via Bluetooth, WiFi, or cellular signals, and still hand an identifier to the computer.

The only way I see NFC having any involvement in this is as a form of authentication. It proves that the device (iPhone, iPad, etc.) is physically present and authenticates it's identity.

Once that is done, it would almost certainly be more convenient and efficient to switch to some other form of communication. Not too convenient to have to operate your iPad no more than 4cm from the computer!

And there certainly are other means of authenticating.

Another example of the press (or I guess some blogger) making mountains out of molehills.

 

[MacFly123]

The 2012 MBP refresh will be a big one...

Yup!

This has the potential to be REALLY cool Continuous client FTW!!! I think the new MobileMe, Lion, and iOS 5 are going to really start to deliver continuous client features!

Now of course security is of the utmost importance!

 

[M2M]

Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; U; CPU iPhone OS 4_3 like Mac OS X; de-de) AppleWebKit/533.17.9 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/5.0.2 Mobile/8F190 Safari/6533.18.5)

Sorry for my ignorance here, but is this essentially like thunderbolt? I.E. cool but useless with todays tech...

I don't really understand it's usefulness, please enlighten me why I would not want my apps on the computer (which I 99.9% own or work at) to be using the space on a hard drive.

Speaking of thunderbolt. Just give me a 128GB iPhone 5 with thunderbolt syncing in 30secs and i am in.
NFC not needed for me!

 

[KnightWRX]

not a technology wizard or anything but someone who likes to read this stuff....my thoughts:

With the NFC iPhone/iPad/iWhatever, I see this as something to make this all easier by just setting phone down and having the Accept screen there. no need to login basically...means cutting off a few seconds each time but one that makes it easier (Apple's all about easy stuff).

That's horrible from a security perspective. It means losing the device results in the person finding it gaining instant access to your "Home on iPhone" account.

2 factor security devices like the proposed idea rely on well... 2 factors. Something you have and something you know. The NFC device in this case would be something you have, akin to a RSA token. You'd then enter a password, which is something you know.

Basically, this NFC enabled "Home on iPhone" would just be one of many authentication methods for gaining access. The service could also use standard username/password access.

 

[2 Replies]

Problem is, the home directory often holds custom settings for installed programs and applications which are not located in the home directory.
So said settings won't work (and may cause errors if said app is installed elsewhere) on other machines.

 

[Thex1138]

Yup!

This has the potential to be REALLY cool Continuous client FTW!!! I think the new MobileMe, Lion, and iOS 5 are going to really start to deliver continuous client features!

Now of course security is of the utmost importance!

MBP Air... buttons may disappear all together!

Not to mention iPhone buttons will also disappear...

 

[MattInOz]

Unfortunately, all of your examples assume that the guest machine is a Mac (particularly since the description talks about temporarily downloading your apps, which would have to mean Mac.)
Sadly, the vast majority of public and work machines are PCs, and even Jobs admitted years ago that that battle is over. The new battle is for the mobile device itself (which I think Apple is winning.)
I just don't see this as the kind of feature that has potential beyond 'cool' for a handful of users.

But what if the feature didn't require a Mac?
What if the point from Apple perspective was to allow apps to build-in a minimal OS X vMachine to run within. Apple could then concentrate on Mobile Machine and Developer Tools bring the best environment to those machines. In mobile situations at least the iDevice or Laptop would then be the OS dongle instead of the plastic logo. Apple will concentrate on standalone machines. But provide options for getting a Maclike Experience in Hosted environments (on the buses).

Security question.
If they did something like this and you used just a user name and password to initiate the transaction. Then wouldn't host machine need to know enough about that authentication process that it would be able recreate the log in chain. Which would be ok in a trusted host situation but what about other situations.

Isn't the host machine effectively a man in the middle?

Would having another device do the authentication using two previously aligned code generators remove enough info about the key generation that it wouldn't be able to reduce the ability to attack?
NFC system are basically that aren't they, two aligned key generators, similar to GSM SIM to encrypt voice and data and sent it over the air, without ever exchanging the key over the air?