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Apple Unveils The iPhone 5S

techcrunch.com

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Re: Apple Unveils The iPhone 5S

#381

Post by bobbles »

VeejayRampay wrote: post #365

"According to Apple, the processor is more than twice as fast as the A6, with a 40x CPU performance bump. Graphics are said to be 56x faster." What does that even mean? I'm getting tired of claims like these. They're obviously non-sensical and groundless and they should be publicly shamed for it. But that'll never happen I guess.

2x as fast as the A6 for CPU and GPU.

the 40x CPU and 56x GPU numbers are referencing the 5S against the original iPhone (as a 'look how far we've come' retrospective)

Re: Apple Unveils The iPhone 5S

#382

Post by gknoy »

mcintyre1994 wrote: post #259
afterburner wrote: post #218

Earlier quoted context omitted.

What if the NSA told them they had to have access to the data, or else jail and whatnot.

Am I understanding this correctly? What if the NSA went to Apple and said you have to get us access to everyone's fingerprints or you'll go to jail and other stuff, so Apple put a fingerprint scanner on the iPhone? It seems like a stretch to me.

More of: - Apple releases the new finger print reader 5S - NSA: "Heyyy ... we'd like those." - Apple: ".... Crap." (or: "Sure!")

Re: Apple Unveils The iPhone 5S

#383

Post by superuser2 »

alxbrun wrote: post #3

When I see Apple putting forward as a key feature the number of bits in their processor in a general public announcement... I'm really feeling the "new" product is not really new. In the past Apple was always laughing at the PC ads boasting processor speed and memory capacity.

Apple's advantage on craftsmanship is already well-established and doesn't really need to be sold (to people who haven't already decided they hate Apple, that is). 64-bit is not the primary differentiator of the iPhone the way a few hundred MHz is the only real difference between laptops in a Best Buy.

I don't see them talking about this any more than they've talked about every iterative processor improvement in the past. Being the first 64-bit smartphone is a slightly bigger deal than selling 2.6GHz instead of 2.4.

Re: Apple Unveils The iPhone 5S

#384

Post by samstave »

downandout wrote: post #360
pilif wrote: 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…

So use a passcode - the fingerprint feature is optional. That said, I doubt they are doing anything nefarious with it - if it eventually leaked that fingerprints were being sent to the NSA, the cost to Apple would be incalculable. I would bet, or at least hope, that Apple has designed the hardware involved to be subpoena proof - meaning that the design would make it impossible to remotely collect fingerprints even if…

So here is where "meta data" and direct access to app info gets really interesting.

Firstly - the NSA has no need to be able to access the fingerprint. The fact that the fingerprint is your passcode barometrically ties you to the device, without a doubt, and makes the meta data all that much more accurate.

What we know is that the NSA has complete upstream dominance, direct and indirect access to company data and extremely powerful correlation tools.

With the features of the 5S' "always on motion sensors, tied to health apps - they basically can construct not only WHO, WHERE, HOW, WHEN, you do something, they'd be able to go as far to be able to develop a "health number" into that dossier.

The fact of the matter is that while the Apple product is a nice shiny thing - and sure - as a phone and a tech, I'd love to use it -- but the data it produces about its users is 100% transparent to the NSA, based on everything we have seen so far. And more egregious; the fact that the NSA unabashedly abuses this access and does construct elaborate pictures of your behaviour then SHARES this with other agencies.

The passcode and fingerprint only serve to prevent the data the NSA IS collecting from being wrongly attributed to another human body.

Re: Apple Unveils The iPhone 5S

#385

Post by EdwardCoffin »

stanleydrew wrote: post #213
cheald wrote: post #171

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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

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.

MORE snark? I think a case could be made that the comment you responded to was snarky, but just barely. The comment several levels up that was the first labeled as snarky is one I just can't see being such.

Re: Apple Unveils The iPhone 5S

#386

Post by VladRussian2 »

downandout wrote: post #360
pilif wrote: 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…

So use a passcode - the fingerprint feature is optional. That said, I doubt they are doing anything nefarious with it - if it eventually leaked that fingerprints were being sent to the NSA, the cost to Apple would be incalculable. I would bet, or at least hope, that Apple has designed the hardware involved to be subpoena proof - meaning that the design would make it impossible to remotely collect fingerprints even if…

>the cost to Apple would be incalculable.

the same statement about "not providing direct access" will get them off easily like it already did for them and Google/FB/etc in case of the rest of personal information.

I'd say it would be negligent on the part of NSA to not use such a convenient source of fingerprints of "foreign" persons :)

>at least hope, that Apple has designed the hardware involved to be subpoena proof

why would a corporation intentionally do it? Conspiracy of obstruction of [future] justice comes to mind.

Re: Apple Unveils The iPhone 5S

#387

Post by [deleted] »

baddox wrote: post #305
res0nat0r wrote: post #197

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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.

It might be slightly more comforting if anyone, including the NSA, was denying it.

[deleted]

Re: Apple Unveils The iPhone 5S

#388

Post by brador »

smtddr wrote: post #374
downandout wrote: post #360

Earlier quoted context omitted.

So use a passcode - the fingerprint feature is optional. That said, I doubt they are doing anything nefarious with it - if it eventually leaked that fingerprints were being sent to the NSA, the cost to Apple would be incalculable. I would bet, or at least hope, that Apple has designed the hardware involved to be subpoena proof - meaning that the design would make it impossible to remotely collect fingerprints even if…

"subpoena proof" ... hmm Do you believe disabling the reader in a software-setting is enough to be sure it's not working? I don't. With all these NSA concerns going about, having a hardware fingerprint-reader on your smartphone that you can't avoid touching is something to think about.

You could place a sticker over the reader/home button to block covert reading.

Re: Apple Unveils The iPhone 5S

#389

Post by [deleted] »

plg wrote: post #370
downandout wrote: post #360

Earlier quoted context omitted.

So use a passcode - the fingerprint feature is optional. That said, I doubt they are doing anything nefarious with it - if it eventually leaked that fingerprints were being sent to the NSA, the cost to Apple would be incalculable. I would bet, or at least hope, that Apple has designed the hardware involved to be subpoena proof - meaning that the design would make it impossible to remotely collect fingerprints even if…

it HAS already leaked that emails, browsing, who knows what else, is being sucked up by NSA ... so apparently it doesn't matter. Apple is still selling plenty of iPhones, people are still using Gmail, etc etc. Apparently Americans don't much care.

[deleted]

Re: Apple Unveils The iPhone 5S

#390

Post by ripter »

smtddr wrote: post #374
downandout wrote: post #360

Earlier quoted context omitted.

So use a passcode - the fingerprint feature is optional. That said, I doubt they are doing anything nefarious with it - if it eventually leaked that fingerprints were being sent to the NSA, the cost to Apple would be incalculable. I would bet, or at least hope, that Apple has designed the hardware involved to be subpoena proof - meaning that the design would make it impossible to remotely collect fingerprints even if…

"subpoena proof" ... hmm Do you believe disabling the reader in a software-setting is enough to be sure it's not working? I don't. With all these NSA concerns going about, having a hardware fingerprint-reader on your smartphone that you can't avoid touching is something to think about.

"If you've ever handled a penny, the government's got your DNA. Why do you think they keep 'em in circulation?" - Simpsons
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