Easy peasy?
There seems to be a lot of argument about just how easy the TouchID defeat is to perform. At 30 hours, it’s not exactly “easy”, but it’s doable and by anyone with a reasonable set of maker skills.
But the real point is that it’s harder than just lifting the passcode.
Here’s a true story. I have a good friend whose iPhone passcode I know. How? Just by seeing him type it in. And, like most people, he never changes it. If I wanted to get into his phone and tweet “Poopin'” from it, I could any Tuesday night when we go drinking. It was very easy to get his passcode. It’s pretty easy to get anyone’s passcode, unless they use an extended one which hardly anyone does. It is decidedly harder to get their fingerprint and spoof TouchID with it. This alone is reason enough why TouchID is better than a passcode.
But it’s more than that. TouchID means I can turn off Simple Passcode and use something longer and more complicated. And, because using your fingerprint is easier than even typing in a simple passcode, I’ve also set my iPhone to require it immediately, so any time I turn off the screen, it’s locked.
It is not flawless, it can be defeated. But it’s better than what most people have been using to date.
Like the best camera being the one you have with you, the best security is the one you’ll actually use.
» iMessage for Android
It stores your AppleID and password on a server in China and can “silently download code onto devices in the background”, but other than that seems totally legit. Great score for Google Play.
(Via Ryan Bateman)
» Everyone wants larger phones
I’m sorry, that should say “Everyone wants iPhones.” Again, I regret the error.
Samsung has sold 38 million Galaxy Notes… since late 2011. Apple sold almost a quarter of that amount in a weekend. I don’t doubt that a larger iPhone would sell well. I doubt that large Android phones are killing iPhone sales.
» ‘TouchID defeated: what does it mean?’
Of all the posts I’ve read today on the CCC’s defeat of TouchID I think Robert Graham’s strikes the best tone. TouchID is not a security panacea but if it gets people to use something rather than nothing, it’s a success.
» ‘Why 2013 Is RIM’s BlackBerry Year’
Rob Enderle in December of 2012:
As we look ahead to 2013, it’s becoming increasingly clear that the new year provides an unprecedented opportunity for Research in Motion to make a huge comeback.
Today: BlackBerry receives $4.7 billion buyout offer from Canadian investment company.
Yeah, yeah, Rob Enderle, I know. But an editor at IDG should be ashamed.
» iCloud experiencing disruption
What?
Oh, I’m sorry. That should say “Gmail, other Google services.” I regret the error.
» ‘Is This The New Steve Jobs?’
Richard Dunlop-Walters on today’s Surface 2 event:
Panay was an effective spokesperson for Microsoft today. He really sold the product and its mentally ill designers, without compromising the kind-of-bumbling spirit of the Microsoft brand. When he said “I really want you to get your hands on this product today. I’m excited about it.” I really believed him. And when he said it wasn’t available for an entire month, the sadness in his eyes was sincere.
» UPGRADEGATE
Apple Using Jack-Booted Thugs To Force People To Upgrade to iOS 7.
I guess now we know why the adoption rate is so high.
(Via Michael Hoffman)
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» Space Gray vs. black
I was going to post a comparison picture but iMore’s Richard Devine beat me to it. The iPhone 5 was the first time I wished I had gotten the white iPhone instead of the black. The white iPhone 5S is still a thing of beauty, but Apple made the “black” option better by returning a bit of the iPhone 4’s banding. I think the black iPhone 5 was nice, but too monochromatic. Very obelisk-y.
I’ve only had my new iPhone 5S in my pocket with my keys for a bit today but so far not a single scratch. I’ll keep an eye out for that. While cooking dinner tonight, I had two denials trying to fingerprint unlock it with my hands wet. Which is probably what I would have gotten with the passcode anyway. Otherwise it’s worked perfectly. It’s so easy that I’ve set the phone to require a passcode immediately, something I’ve never done before.
I spent a bunch of time with the iPhone 5C models in the Apple Store today and was truly impressed by the finish. The pink is a shade more to salmon or rose than a straight pink. I wanted to like the white but it does seem drab by comparison to the others and overly reminiscent of the 3G and 3GS white. I guess you have to have a drab option, but I wish it was black instead. Maybe next year.