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Motorola Uses NFC To Enable Touch-to-Unlock For Smartphones
colinneagle writes "A lot of people don't password-protect their smartphones, and even those who do employ a simple four-digit passcode to at least keep it a little convenient. Their phones aren't really protected, as the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) recommends a 12-character random password. Those who check smartphones 50 times a day would probably get tired of that. So Motorola developed the Skip, an NFC-based unlocking tool smartphone users can clip to their clothes. Tapping an NFC-enabled phone to the Skip unlocks it. The Skip also comes in sticker form, so users can install one in their cars or at their desks." That's why the muggers want your jacket, too.
ban the things with host files
Of course there will be no government-mandated backdoors in this.
Trolling is a art,
Excellent, now where can I get this implanted into my fingertip?
That's a good idea. I think I'll do the same thing with an NFC tag and Tasker. You could also just use any old expired card with an NFC chip in it in your pocket. When I finally get my Pebble watch, I'm planning on having the lock disabled when they're connected to each other.
Assuming unlimited password tries, 4 characters is enough. I use pattern lock on my phone and it times out indefinitely after 5 failed attempts, requiring a Google Account Username/Password verified online. 12 digits would only be required for real security if there were no timeout.
Tapping an NFC-enabled phone to the Skip unlocks it. The Skip also comes in sticker form, so users can install one in their cars or at their desks.
Or stick it to the back of the phone. :-)
It must have been something you assimilated. . . .
Something you have, something you are, something you know.
Seems like this involves 2 "something you have"s. Added alongside facial recognition, and it'd be fairly secure. But by itself....
Actually that means that thieves have to steal two objects (that NFC thing added to your phone) instead of one (your phone alone). ...
Harder for thieves maybe, but the harder it becomes for them, the more violent towards you they can become. I don't think it's a very wise idea
> smartphone users can clip to their clothes.
Seems inconvenient. Can they build it so I can clip it to my smartphone?
(-1: Post disagrees with my already-settled worldview) is not a valid mod option.
The 4 digit pin isnt to keep some hacker from accessing your phone. its to keep a casual acquaintance/friend/coworker/family member from easily getting access to your phone which has private content on it. Even them most vanilla person in the world has personal info. The wilder ones have self-porn. I dont use a password but I also never leave my phone unattended. Also dont have nudity on my phone...
nothing new here folks ....
NFC Secure ... https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.t3hh4xx0r.nfcsecure&hl=en
If there are intelligent street thugs then they know that your phone could be tracked to the next user, no matter what they do and steal it for resale of most of the guts as replacement parts. You can't stop these a-holes no matter how "secure" the equipment is. It still has value when locked. Just not as a quickie sale as a burner phone.
Hope it survives a cycle through the washing machine!
Why not embed NFC into say a piece of jewelery, say... a RING! Oh wait... someone already has done that:
http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/mclear/nfc-ring
The 12 character random password is typical of the stupid govt and NSA thinking. Anyone with a dozen or so passwords like this that change every 30 ro 60 days, some of which are only used a few times a month, will be writing them down.
How about some of the facial recognition for cell phones. Finger prints is not good because they would steal your fingers too.
a pin/password is useless for your own phone. Do you think a stolen phone will be returned if the pin can't be broken?
Now, if everybody else uses a pin, that would reduce the number of stolen phones, including the chance your phone is stolen, independently from weather your phone was locked or not.
I know I'm not the only one wondering what the title meant.
Obligitory...
Wouldn't a fingerprint sensor at the edge of the phone work better? unless of course, you're wearing gloves..
New tech startup called Snowshoe has an interesting take on this. Basically it's a fingerprint that already works on all existing touchscreens. Doesn't require any battery power. I saw their 5-minute pitch from the latest TechStars, seemed interesting!
Why would you ever need so many. Only allow fives tries a minute, after the twentieth try go into deep lock-down mode and only allow some admin password to unlock. There three digit password is good enough now.
Troll is not a replacement for I disagree.
Why not implement a simple solution like two passwords?
1) A super-complex password required when the phone is turned on, or after a "long" timeout.
2) And a simple pattern/pin unlock to prevent idiots from messing with your phone.
Or, go with the Blackberry solution: allow "weak" passwords, but only allow 10 attempts before the phone wipes itself.
Those who check smartphones 50 times a day would probably get tired of that.
Further aiding and abetting their addiction is probably not a good idea.
Patent litigation: A doctrine of Mutually Assured Destruction... in which everyone seems willing to push the button
Memory isn't the issue of inconvenience, you just need to remember one or two words for the alphanumerical correspondence on the dial pad. Tapping that in as frequently as 50 times a day will train your muscle memory quickly: my code is 9 digits and I can enter it with my eyes closed.
The part most folks are missing that while you could do this on certain custom roms, almost every phone maker has the NFC sensor turned off unless the device is unlocked. While I use tasker and NFC quite a lot, I can't make it do this without installing a custom rom that enables the NFC. Now the flip side is that if the device is processing NFC when locked, that means someone can bump into you and have your phone activate website URLs or trigger things like google wallet depending on your settings.
implant/inject some rfid tags in you. your right hand = unlock phone. left hand = enable guest account (to pass to someone)...near the b-hole=reboot to recovery and wipe phone. :)
Maybe the Moto X's NFC is only listening for the NFC tag to unlock, like how it is always listening for the phrase "OK Google Now" but ignores everything else.
That's why the phone is great, just a swipe with your finger on the fingerprint sensor. I've no idea why they get rid of this idea.