Patently Apple

Apple Keeps Advancing Portable Device Security

 
Being the leading portable devices company in the world, Apple is constantly advancing new security features so that consumers and business executives could be assured that their sensitive data is locked down. Apple's iOS based devices currently come with a certain degree of security with features like "Find My iPhone" (or iPad etc), high end encryption and remote wipe. Apple is also working on advanced biometrics such as using heart sensors to detect an unauthorized user which is once again covered in today's security patent. Some of the other new security features that may one day work themselves into Apple's portable devices include the device taking a photo of the thief (smile now) or recording the thief's voice. Apple's iOS security is getting so smart, that it'll even know what kind of vehicle that the thief is using your device in – be it a plane, train or automobile and notify the proper authorities.

Apple May Adopt Fingerprint Scanning in Future Portables

We first introduced you to the Telephonic MacBook this morning and now we're presenting you with somewhat of an adjunct to that report. If you would have blinked yesterday, you could have easily passed over one of Apple's secretive little patent gems. Apparently Apple has purchased a patent from three Oregon based engineers that specifically relates to flat panel image sensor technology. The vast majority of Apple's new patent relates to technology in relationship to next generation x-ray applications. However, there's one application that Apple could be thinking of for this technology and that's Fingerprint Scanning. The patent points to this application in passing - but may in fact be one of the new technologies that Apple could be bringing to their multi-touch display portables sometime in the future. As a security feature, I think it's great. But it's still a technology that creeps me out and I don't think I'm alone on that one.

Apple Takes a Giant Leap in Biometrics with Heart Sensors

 
Apple's first high-end enterprise quality biometric security system patent surfaced back in March of 2009 and with today's patent, Apple takes a giant leap forward in biometric security. In today's patent we discover that future iterations of the iPhone could very well support sophisticated embedded heart sensors to monitor the user's heart and record such data for future identification purposes when making banking transactions or protecting highly sensitive documents or data. This will play a part of a future patent report due later this month. Today's patent further confirms that a future iPhone will indeed support a pico or pico-like projector.

Apple's iPhone OS 4 Will Provide Background Location Security

 
Within four of Apple's social networking patents that have come to light in 2010, the most prominent trend of all has been that of location awareness technology. There have been a number of articles written on the dangers of such a feature, one being "PleaseRobMe and the Dangers of Location-Based Social Networks." During Apple's iPhone OS 4 event held on Thursday, Scott Forstall took to the stage to discuss a number of features coming to the iPhone – with multitasking being the most interesting of all. Within this segment, Forstall focused on a new feature-set relating to "Background Location." This report focuses on this brief yet very important feature-set that is directly related to consumer security. As location awareness technology and social networking apps explode on the market over the coming years, you're going to want to know that the iPhone has safeguards in place for you and your family's protection.

Apple Gearing Up for the Coming NFC- iPhone Revolution

 
Later this morning Apple will be providing us with a "sneak peek of the next generation of iPhone OS software." While I have no idea whether Apple will reveal their intention to add NFC (Near Field Communications) technology or not to OS 4 today – I'm fairly certain that it's on Apple's future roadmap. How do I know that? I know that because Apple has delivered a barrage of NFC related patents in the last month that could warp anyone's brains trying to get their head around the enormity of Apple's efforts. There have been over a thousand illustrations to review and today you're going to see one of these massive filings in detail. Today's patent relates to an unbelievable Point of Purchase (POP) application that will eventually be adding very sophisticated new functionality to an iPhone: Functionality that will go far beyond just using it for a single POP application. Apple introduces us to an NFC-iPhone that will include a built-in scanner, biometric sensor, added camera functionality and a secondary fingerprint scanner for verifying a user's identity to retailers. This report even provides you with two videos illustrating how it will technically work with a future MacBook and/or Apple-TV as well.

You Might Need a Secret Decoder Ring to Log on to Future Macs

On February 25, 2010, the US Patent & Trademark Office published a patent application from Apple that reveals various concepts behind a newly advanced touch screen login system that uses a signet based concept that could take on many shapes – such as a specialized card or cool ring. In fact, it would act very much like a secret decoder ring was supposed to – though you won't find it in your cereal or Cracker Jack box – hopefully, that is. The signet based system could act as a form of security system and the actions could initiate when logging onto your home computer or a computer network so as to permit authorized individuals access to restricted areas of the computer or computer network, loading a user profile associated with a user's preferred arrangement of the computer desktop and so forth. The signet based system would or could apply to all present and future Apple touch screen based systems and the patent in fact makes it clear that that will include the iMac, MacBook, Mac Pro and also extend to public computer systems at schools, libraries, kiosks, gaming machines, restaurant reservation terminals and more. This could and should be a lot easier to use than keying in a sophisticated security password while making it incredibly more difficult for hackers to crack - being that the signet could include patterns and shapes unique to the individual user or institution.

Apple Reveals New iPhone Security Patents

On November 12, 2009 the US Patent & Trademark Office published two patent applications from Apple that reveal yet another chapter in iPhone security. Apple's patent generally relates to authentication and more specifically relates to a system and method of providing authentication based on a weighted average principal. Apple's iPhone security includes protection of digital content from theft or corruption and also addresses the preservation of system availability. In many communication systems, the weakest link in security is not the encrypted data but rather cryptographic key management and handling. Unauthorized users may gain access to sensitive data when key management is not performed securely. During Apple's WWDC 2009, Phil Schiller stated that businesses had asked for hardware encryption and that all iPhone 3G-S models would now incorporate Apple's new security features. These patents mark the fourth and fifth such iPhone related security patents since September and demonstrate Apple's commitment to the enterprise market. Apple's patent shrouds their technology under what is known in the industry as the "black box" approach.

Apple Files Two Major Security Patents to Combat Identity Theft, More

The US Patent & Trademark Office published eleven patent applications from Apple Inc. today. The notables within this group include one pertaining to MobileMe (which was posted earlier this morning) and two others relating to new security measures that Apple is working on to combat viruses, trojan horses and perhaps more importantly, identity theft. Identity theft is on the rise, affecting almost 10 million victims in 2008 which was a whopping 22% increase over 2007, according to recent statistics. According to Fortune, Mac owners are richer: 36% have household incomes greater than $100,000, compared with 21% of all U.S. consumers. In context, those who were twice as likely to be victims of identity theft were households with incomes higher than $70,000, according to a US DOJ 2005 report. So it stands to reason that Apple is focusing on how to combat this threat facing their customer base – and today we see two highly detailed patents on the topic of security.

Apple Wins Crucial iPhone Cryptography Patent

The US Patent and Trademark Office officially published a series of six newly granted patents for Apple Inc. today. The one patent that stood out by far, was one relating to the cryptography technology behind Apple's iPhone. Apple's new iPhone OS 3.0 now allows iPhone and iPod touch owners to order movies, music videos, television shows and more over cellular or Wi-Fi networks. Apple's cryptography technology ensures that user transactions are made securely. It was noted that two out of three of the engineers credited on this patent were from out of State which could mean that Apple acquired parts of this technology in order to quicken the iPhone's security features to market. Other patents revealed today included an industrial design win for Apple's Universal Dock and a patent relating to subtractive computer display technology.  

Advanced Face Detection & Recognition Security System Coming to iPhone

 On July 9, 2009, the US Patent & Trademark Office published a patent application from Apple that reveals various concepts behind a newly advanced facial detection and recognition system. Although the system described is primarily focused on use with portables such as the iPod and iPhone, it is evident that such a system will be implemented throughout Apple's hardware lineup - and eventually spill over to future applications such as television, a vehicle navigation system, a video gaming system, video glasses and so forth, according to the patent. The system will be used to identify those in communications with users via various methods of messaging including email, instant messaging, video messaging, and/or user voice call. Yet the most advantageous aspect of this system will be found in its advanced security technologies that will go far beyond simple password protection. The user will be able to program the facial detection and recognition system so that only authorized faces could control access to specific applications, be it a spreadsheet or word processor app - or to even authorize the purchase of content at Apple's iTunes Store. 

Apple Files an Enterprise Quality Biometric Security System Patent for iPhone

 
On March 26, 2009, the US Patent & Trademark Office published an Apple patent application relating to an advanced embedded biometric authentication security system that will be implemented on all of Apple's future hardware from the iPhone to the MacBook.  Devices will be able to authenticate the user by comparing the detected identification information with identification information stored in a library of the device. For example, the sensor may include a sensor for detecting features of a user's skin, or features underneath a user's skin. Other methods include fingerprint technology, face recognition, ear canal sensory, and in the case of the iPhone, voice recognition to identify just a few of the security features being considered. If you happen to be creeped out by fingerprint identification security methods, then Apple has come up with a unique alternative methodology called Temporal Pattern which is worth noting. Apple's security features will be able to protect the entire users system or just a few special apps or specific data that the user identifies as being important. Apple has also inventively devised a time-based security feature that would shut down the use of a particular app after a specific time that's assigned to it. All in all, the forthcoming biometric security system options presented are world class and bound to be of great assistance to Apple as they push further into the enterprise market.