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Urgency in Apple's Talks with AuthenTec Hints at Rapid Adoption of Fingerprint Scanning Technology

For everyone asking: These are the terms of the deal:

"Apple Inc. (NasdaqGS:AAPL) agreed to acquire AuthenTec, Inc. (NasdaqGM:AUTH) from a group of investors for approximately $360 million on July 26, 2012. The investors group consists of Advantage Capital Florida Partners I, L.P. of Advantage Capital Partners, AWM Investment Company Inc., Sofinnova Capital IV, Sofinnova Venture Partners VI, L.P., Sofinnova Ventures, Inc, and Sofinnova Partners. Under the terms of the agreement, Apple will pay $8 per share for all the outstanding shares of AuthenTec. Apple will assume the outstanding options of AuthenTec for $38 million. Upon completion, AuthenTec will operate as a wholly owned subsidiary of Apple. If the transaction is terminated, AuthenTec is required to pay a termination fee of $10.95 million and Apple will pay a termination fee of $20 million."
 
macnerd93 said:
I really cant see it being that useful. If someone wants your data that badly they'll be able to get it one way or another. I'd say at least 95% of the time a smart phone gets stolen not for its data, but for the device itself.

My experience with finger scanners hasn't been that good either. My dad has his own welding/engineering business and when he visits different sites which have these types of scanners on laptops and sometimes on doors cracked rough and dry hands really don't work or register properly with these scanners, its a constant problem and affects most people with this sort of job.
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If this stops us from having to enter our iTunes ID every time we update or purchase something in the app store, it will be worth it 100x over.

Also, these are not the same types of scanners, it's different technology.
 
mdelvecchio said:
huh? siri works fine on my phone -- i use several times a week it to set appointments and reminders, and send short texts as i walk.

is yours broken?
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Some people like to overstate the problems with some Apple stuff in order to incite angry responses from fans - it's just flame bait. Siri is imperfect but it's hardly a disaster. I use it several times a week and it rarely goes wrong. Some people don't like it... I guess that's just humans for you!
 
It would seem extraordinarily unlikely they'd get this tech into a phone that is currently already rolling off production lines!?!

This kind of thing gets planned waaaaay in advance, so, next year's phone maybe...

Unless of course the scanner has been in the upcoming design from the start and Apple are hurriedly buying up the firm to make sure they have 100% ownership on the system.

Probably not a bad idea. Most likely cheaper than the millions they'd spend trying to sue every other company who implements the same technology in their devices! :p
 
GekkePrutser said:
Except the home buttons that leaked so far have been of the normal kind.. Or would they not be visually distinctive?

Not sure if I'd really use this for payment stuff though.. For unlocking my phone, sure (anyone can see my unlock code over my shoulder with minimum effort, so this would be just about as safe). But the iPhone's glass is a fingerprint magnet so it'd be pretty easy for any thief to lift a print off it and use it to trick the sensor somehow... There's been many examples of that over the years, from laser prints on overhead sheets to jelly bean fingers.
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Since this is sub-surface fingerprint reading, your fingerprints on the screen are not actually the prints that are detected by this technology.
 
Wait, why is everybody saying it should be integrated into the home button and not the touch screen? How would that even work?
 
macnerd93 said:
Did you read the rest of my post, finger printer scanners really don't work in all industries due to people wearing down their finger print, builders suffer from this problem mostly. My dad along with his colleagues struggle logging in on laptops what are fitted with finger scanners, due to them having really rough and cracked hands from Welding and moving equipment around etc it is on power stations and stuff mostly.
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This sensor reads through that, beneath the skin. From Authentec's description:

This allows AuthenTec sensors to read through worn, damaged, calloused or oily skin to ensure that they provide very accurate fingerprint imaging for everyone, every time.
 
Iconoclysm said:
If this stops us from having to enter our iTunes ID every time we update or purchase something in the app store, it will be worth it 100x over.

Also, these are not the same types of scanners, it's different technology.
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Yes - linking our finger print to in app purchase, iTunes and unlocking the phone would be killer. Like I said. I loved my finger print scanner on my Atrix - and I can only imagine how much better the technology will be with two additional years of R&D along with Apple's nearly flawless QA.
 
2005CTS said:
Folks - this isn't new...AuthenTec made the finger print scanner on the 1st generation Motorola Atrix. I had an Atrix and this was one of my favorite features. It was part of the power button and worked really well. I can only imagine that with two additional years of R&D on this feature it could very easily be integrated into Apple's home button.

And I see no issue with this making the launch in 27 days. In fact - I will be disappointed if it isn't part of the next iPhone. The purchase of the company is late breaking news...but evidently Apple has been working on this technology for quite some time - most likely for the next iPhone.

Two features I loved about my Atrix from two years ago were the 4" screen and finger print scanner. Looks like both are now coming to the iPhone!!! Only took Apple two years to incorporate what Motorola had with their first Atrix.
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Can you elaborate on what it did/ looked like ok your motorola atrix please? I remember setting about it vaguely. Pictures would be great also! Thanks.

Edit: I found a YouTube video.
 
brianus said:
Wait, why is everybody saying it should be integrated into the home button and not the touch screen? How would that even work?
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Again - folks....look back to the original Atrix. The home/power button was a finger print scanner. It worked great...and that was two years ago.

On my iPhone - I use my finger - specifically my thumb on the home button all the time. If I could push it once with my thumb to wake the phone up and then swipe my thump across the home button to unlock it - it would be worlds better than entering a password.
 
Unless Apple had already been working with this company, liked the tech so much they wanted to buy the company for competitive reasons then I don't see it on next months phone.
 
THE JUICEMAN said:
Can you elaborate on what it did/ looked like ok your motorola atrix please? I remember setting about it vaguely. Pictures would be great also! Thanks.

Edit: I found a YouTube video.
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Keep in mind - the Atrix was two year old tech...an eternity in the mobile device industry. I fully expect that Apple could have this tech seamlessly integrated in the home button.
 
2005CTS said:
Again - folks....look back to the original Atrix. The home/power button was a finger print scanner. It worked great...and that was two years ago.

On my iPhone - I use my finger - specifically my thumb on the home button all the time. If I could push it once with my thumb to wake the phone up and then swipe my thump across the home button to unlock it - it would be worlds better than entering a password.
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I don't believe it's a "swipe" style sensor, you will most likely only have to press the home button one time.

The one pictured is swipe style, that's for sure.
 
Not that Apple can't afford it, but a $1/share jump screams desperation to me. Unusual for Apple to bow to the demands of a supplier. Me thinks another player was involved. :rolleyes:
 
Iconoclysm said:
I don't believe it's a "swipe" style sensor, you will most likely only have to press the home button one time.

The one pictured is swipe style, that's for sure.
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The Atrix required a single press to wake up the phone followed by a swipe. That method would work for the iPhone perfectly.
 
Iconoclysm said:
Or the stock price has gone up since it's been a year.

In fact, the stock is at 8.06 right now.
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Not sure where you get a year. According to the report, it looks like Apple offered $7 on May 1st, and came back in July with the $8 offer. That is a huge jump in the span of two months.

Also, look at the charts. They went from $5 to $8 in two days, which happened to coincide with the announcement. Obviously the shareholders found Apple's bid to their liking.
 
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