Live data from Hacker News

Apple Unveils The iPhone 5S

techcrunch.com

311–320 of 715 posts

Re: Apple Unveils The iPhone 5S

#311

Earlier quoted context omitted.

More snark. This isn't helpful. For those who want to believe it, I doubt there is any amount of information that could ever be released to convince them that the NSA isn't spying on people anymore.

Sarcastic or not, it's an important point. You are giving up a significant attribute of your identity to the protection of a US technology company. Whether that bothers you (or not) depends on how much you value your privacy.

If they don't already have your fingerprints on file, which depending on where you live happens as a kid in case you go missing, get a drivers license, etc.

If the NSA wants to target you specifically, you're fucked no matter what unless you move to a cave. No point in being needlessly worried. I'm more worried about this causing someone to cut off my finger while stealing my phone than I am the NSA coming after me.

Re: Apple Unveils The iPhone 5S

#313

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I acquired a passport in 2010, and left the country that year, and the year after, and was never asked for my fingerprints. You may be thinking of a program that applies only to non-citizens.

Yes, you're right. Don't they ask for your fingerprints when you make a passport though? They do in France.

I think more countries' immigration controls require it for guest entry than departments of state require it for gaining a passport.

Re: Apple Unveils The iPhone 5S

#314
post #171

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Probably when the NSA stops illegally spying on the citizens it is supposed to serve.

We take for gospel that the NSA is spying on everyone in the world via every hardware device that has been created in the USA because of a few powerpoint slides. Interesting.

You are still going with that "it's just a powerpoint, it means nothing" line? I thought we dispensed with that notion months ago.

Re: Apple Unveils The iPhone 5S

#316

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'm not quite sure I get this level of paranoia. We all leave thousands of fingerprints in public areas every day.

Not on high resolution cameras designed to record them attached to your identity.

Actually, my gym (24 Hr Fitness) uses fingerprint scanners to sign people in. I hadn't really given it much thought before, but indeed, it would be possible for their system to be compromised and for my fingerprint data to be released into the wild...

Re: Apple Unveils The iPhone 5S

#317
post #239

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'm not snarking at all. I'm observing that comments about the NSA are entirely apropos given the current climate we live in. Yes, you're right, at this point, it would take something extremely radical to convince us that the NSA isn't spying on us anymore. Therefore, we should expect comments about the NSA and spying to become a part of the common dialog regarding technology and personal information. Asking them to…

Are the comments that will never go away helpful?

Can we talk about the price of tea in the colonies without the discussion always being about King George and the Tea Act?

Re: Apple Unveils The iPhone 5S

#319
post #73

Now that we have to consider the iPhones to be backdoored by the NSA, I wonder whether I really want to give them my fingerprint together with the rest of my data. I'm also not so sure whether a fingerprint can't still be easily faked (like it was possible on that Mythbusters episode for example). Personally, I think I'd rather stay with my passcode. Did you btw know that you can turn off "simple passcode" and then u…

I am not concerned about my fingerprint data being part of some larger database.

However, if you're using a fingerprint to unlock, it's much harder to say "I've forgotten my password" - or stop them from using your finger while you're unconscious.

Deniability becomes much lower.

Re: Apple Unveils The iPhone 5S

#320
post #239

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'm not snarking at all. I'm observing that comments about the NSA are entirely apropos given the current climate we live in. Yes, you're right, at this point, it would take something extremely radical to convince us that the NSA isn't spying on us anymore. Therefore, we should expect comments about the NSA and spying to become a part of the common dialog regarding technology and personal information. Asking them to…

But you are accomplishing absolutely nothing here. Being annoying and ineffective doesn't help your cause. Do you know that Jesus loves you and he wants to save your soul? You might as we'll be discussing religion or politics here. This is not the place. I heard your warning the first ten times.

We're talking about it, aren't we? We haven't forgotten this issue, distracted like children by the latest shiny toy. Even in the face of the things that traditionally kill news stories, we're talking about it.

Change starts by making enough people aware of and angry about the issue that the politicians can't afford to support these programs any more. If we're just distracted the next time $TECH_TOY or $NATURAL_DISASTER comes along, then nothing at all will change.

I don't particularly care if people find my anger at the NSA's systemic intrusion of our privacy annoying. I care more about that particular issue than I do what a random person on the internet whom I've never met might think of me. I care more about keeping you talking about the issue than I do about you liking me.

Post reply on HN