Keep it simple. That’s Apple’s guiding design philosophy in everything they do, the iPhone included. In its latest bid to keep the iPhone simple, Apple has filed a patent application for a technology that would stealthily hide biometric security sensors in gadgets like the iPhone. Rather than forcing security-conscious iPhone users to authenticate themselves through time consuming biometric checks, Apple is apparently looking to build biometric security features into common iPhone tasks – like unlocking the iPhone’s homescreen.
The patent describes methods by which an iPhone or Mac computer could authenticate the user’s identity through biometric checks such as fingerprints, finger vein pattern, retinal scans, voice recognition, DNA analysis or even the shape of a person’s ear as it presses up against the iPhone’s display. Biometric data would be gathered through sensors hidden behind the iPhone display, hidden under a laptop trackpad or built into a webcam, allowing behind-the-scenes biometric analysis.
If the patent becomes reality, we may see a future iPhone equipped with some sort of hidden biometrics. Imagine your iPhone automatically scanning your finger vein pattern as you swipe your iPhone’s display. The idea is simple and subtle, but has the potential to quietly revolutionize the way we protect our gadgets and the sensitive personal information within.
[Via: AppleInsider]