Left behind....wouldn't have thought so Oz. Tech constantly...

Left behind....wouldn't have thought so Oz. Tech constantly evolves and expands....it's whether they can prove it works for 1 and 2, that it is comparable or better than the latest systems. If proven up successfully I believe it can be commercialised somewhere (whether mobile or static or both) as the concept of multi-modal one time pin in one system is still quite unique from what I can find.

The conclusions though on your radio show are prob correct in it being about Samsung Iris Moby release. Iris recognition been on a handful of smaller OEM phones for last couple of years but obviously a major like Samsung now pushing a "new" biometric makes bigger headlines naturally. Especially when it is different from Apples and others' fingerprint scanners.

I've posted prev many times that any OEM will want a point of differentiation in its next mkting move. Samsung are doing that essentially now. The other thing to remember is that from what I can find - this system is entirely Samsung internal built not brought in by an outside biometric Co.

So....have we been left behind? Well, this will be a long post as I'm going to throw in a few things cut and paste for people to read and decide for themselves.

A history of biometrics article, a Samsung article of potential shortcomings of its system, latest rumour that Apple looking to Iris next year or so (? not linking us with them - just pointing out there will be another iteration of Iris tech at some point - evolution) and couple of images to put into context that just because we are delayed (and yes, this post doesn't help or change that fact) does not mean things are not happening.

Sadly, our situation just means peoples choices in regards to their investment $, have been taken away and that is frustrating in itself. I believe late last yrs goings on effectively put the timeline back by 6 mths at least (more now as first pass had issues).

I sometimes think people forget how long & how complex the process of concept to prototype to commercialisation (esp. in tech) can be as that sadly is now lost behind the BS politics & lack of communication as is always being posted about.

I've said before I agree that it is not the best situation with the lack of comms etc. but again for me, until something formally says it's dead & buried (& that may well occur) I will just continue as is.

If we take a look at how some things have evolved, how they changed, how other similar products / ideas ended up within the same space (iOS & Android are just 2 that come to mind) and how one product or idea or concept then evolved into the next level tech or parallel tech...there is always the next thing and humanities take up on tech is appears almost insatiable these days....

Image of one set of evolution - a lot of things happening there huh?



DHS timeline for last few years:



Samsung article: http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/samsung-note-7-iris-scanner-explained-shortfalls-revealed-1574013

Samsung Note 7 iris scanner explained and shortfalls revealed
Iris scanner works quickly and reliably, but only in the right conditions.
Alistair Charlton By Alistair Charlton
August 3, 2016 09:49 BST 20
Samsung Note 7 iris scanner

The iris scanner of the Samsung Note 7 is easy top set up and use, but only in the right conditionsIBTimes UK

The biggest new feature of the Samsung Galaxy Note 7 is an iris scanner which lets you unlock the phone with your eyes, which are as unique as your fingerprint. The system is easy to set up and works incredibly quickly, but there are a number of restrictions Samsung wants to make sure users are aware of before switching it on.

For example, the iris scanner cannot be used with "unofficial" screen protectors, as it might not be able to see through them properly. This includes film protectors and those made of tempered glass.

A disclaimer, which appears full-screen before the scanner is used for the first time, also states the feature cannot be used by infants, as "doing so may damage their eyesight". It goes on: "Anyone who experiences dizziness, seizures, loss of awareness, blackouts, or other symptoms linked to an epileptic condition, or a family history of such symptoms or conditions, should see a doctor before using iris recognition."

Perhaps more obviously, Samsung warns that the iris scanner is not intended to be used as a medical device. "Biometric data collected and stored locally by the iris scanner is not intended for diagnosis, therapeutic, or preventative medical purposes," the disclaimer says. Worth noting here is how Samsung says iris scans are saved on the phone locally, not uploaded to Samsung's server.

Lengthy disclaimer appears when using the Note 7's iris scanner for the first timeIBTimes UK

The disclaimer provides some advice on how best to use the Note 7's iris scanner.

Samsung says the feature might struggle to work if its view of your eyes is blocked by "glasses, glare, low eyelids, recent eye surgery, or a medical condition." It also warns for a second time that screen protectors will cause problems, as will tilting the phone too much and if the lighting when you try to unlock the phone is very different to when you set up the iris scanner.

Finally, a separate warning reminds users: "Wearing glasses or contacts when unlocking your device or verifying your identity may cause the device to have difficulty recognising your irises."

All this makes the iris scanner sound like more effort than it's worth, but during our hands-on time with the Note 7 at its London launch event, the feature worked very quickly. The whole unlock process isn't as fast as pressing a fingerprint scanner, as you have to press the home or lock button, then swipe the screen before the iris scanner works its magic, but it's a cool feature nonetheless. Whether it is demonstrably safer than using a fingerprint (or a PIN or password) remains to be seen.

Apple rumour:

Rumor: New iPhones with secure iris scanners coming in 2018
By Katie Marsal
Monday, July 25, 2016, 09:14 am PT (12:14 pm ET)
The successor to Touch ID could be "Iris ID," as a new report claims that Apple is looking to bring secure eye scanning technology to the iPhone in the next two years.

Like a fingerprint, the eye's iris is unique to each person. Image via Wikipedia.

Citing unnamed "industry sources," DigiTimes reported on Monday that Apple is "likely" to introduce iris sensors in its iPhone lineup in the year 2018. Eye scanning technology for securely identifying a user is believed to be one of the next big trends in the mobile industry.

It should be noted that DigiTimes has an unreliable track record in pinpointing Apple's future product plans. But its sources do frequently identify market trends and upcoming new features, even if claims about timing are off base.

In fact, with regards to timing, earlier reports had suggested Apple could introduce new biometric recognition technology — including face and iris scanning — as soon as next year. It has been rumored that Apple plans to completely redesign the iPhone in 2017, featuring an all-glass chassis with components, including the forward facing FaceTime camera, hidden beneath an OLED display.

Apple owns a number of patents covering secure facial recognition technology, including a patent that relies on 3D rendering for increased levels of accuracy. The company also recently acquired facial recognition specialist Emotient and realtime 3D rendering firm Faceshift.

For now, secure logins on the iPhone and iPad are accomplished via fingerprint scanning technology in the home button, branded by Apple as Touch ID. The quick and secure nature of Touch ID has become a defining characteristic of Apple's mobile devices, with competitors failing to offer comparable performance.

There have been rumors that Apple, in its quest to rid the world of too many buttons, is looking to eventually eliminate the home button on the iPhone, allowing for an edge-to-edge interactive display. Of course, removing the home button would create new issues for Touch ID, potentially moving the fingerprint scanning technology to the display itself.
The introduction of iris scanning technology could be paired with Touch ID, or could potentially replace it entirely on a handset without a home button. Other obvious applications for iris scanning would also apply to security on Apple's other devices, including the iPad and Mac.

Monday's report alleged that Apple's chief rival in the mobile space, Samsung, is planning to include iris recognition technology in its flagship Galaxy S smartphone later this year.

Chinese smartphone makers LeEco, Xiaomi and 360 Qiku were also said to be working on their own proprietary biometrics technology. Suppliers such as Qualcomm, Truly Opto-Electronics, O-film Tech and Beijing IrisKing are also identified as players in the growing space.

History or biometrics (been around for a while and been a constant evolution - I cut it to start from the 70's): http://www.biometricupdate.com/201501/history-of-biometrics

History of Biometrics
biometrics-history
By Stephen Mayhew
January 14, 2015 -

Introduction
The term “biometrics” is derived from the Greek words “bio” (life) and “metrics” (to measure). Automated biometric systems have only become available over the last few decades, due to significant advances in the field of computer processing. Many of these new automated techniques, however, are based on ideas that were originally conceived hundreds, even thousands of years ago.

One of the oldest and most basic examples of a characteristic that is used for recognition by humans is the face. Since the beginning of civilization, humans have used faces to identify known (familiar) and unknown (unfamiliar) individuals. This simple task became increasingly more challenging as populations increased and as more convenient methods of travel introduced many new individuals into- once small communities. The concept of human-to-human recognition is also seen in behavioral-predominant biometrics such as speaker and gait recognition. Individuals use these characteristics, somewhat unconsciously, to recognize known individuals on a day-to-day basis.

1975 – FBI funds development of sensors and minutiae extracting technology

The FBI funded the development of scanners and minutiae extracting technology, which led to the development of a prototype reader. At this point, only the minutiae were stored because of the high cost of digital storage. These early readers used capacitive techniques to collect the fingerprint characteristics. Over the next decades, NIST focused on and led developments in automatic methods of digitizing inked fingerprints and the effects of image compression on image quality, classification, extraction of minutiae, and matching. The work at NIST led to the development of the M40 algorithm, the first operational matching algorithm used at the FBI. Used to narrow the human search, this algorithm produced a significantly smaller set of images that were then provided to trained and specialized human technicians for evaluation. Developments continued to improve the available fingerprint technology.

1976 – First prototype system for speaker recognition is developed

Texas Instruments developed a prototype speaker recognition system that was tested by the US Air Force and The MITRE Corporation.

1977 – Patent is awarded for acquisition of dynamic signature information

Veripen, Inc. was awarded a patent for a “Personal identification apparatus” that was able to acquire dynamic pressure information. This device allowed the digital capture of the dynamic characteristics of an individual’s signature characteristics. The development of this technology led to the testing of automatic handwriting verification (performed by The MITRE Corporation) for the Electronic Systems Division of the United States Air Force.

1980s – NIST Speech Group is established

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) developed the NIST Speech Group to study and promote the use of speech processing techniques. Since 1996, under funding from the National Security Agency, the NIST Speech Group has hosted yearly evaluations – the NIST Speaker Recognition Evaluation Workshop- to foster the continued advancement of the speaker recognition community.

1985 – Concept that no two irides are alike is proposed

Drs. Leonard Flom and Aran Safir, ophthalmologists, proposed the concept that no two irides are alike.

1985 – Patent for hand identification is awarded

The commercialization of hand geometry dates to the early 1970s with one of the first deployments at the University of Georgia in 1974. The US Army began testing hand geometry for use in banking in about 1984. These deployments predate the concept of using the geometry of a hand for identification as patented by David Sidlauskas.

1986 – Exchange of fingerprint minutiae data standard is published

The National Bureau of Standards (NBS) – now the National
Institutes of Standards and Technology (NIST) – published, in collaboration with ANSI, a standard for the exchange of fingerprint minutiae data (ANSI/ NBS-I CST 1-1986). This was the first version of the current fingerprint interchange standards used by law enforcement agencies around the world today.

1986 – Patent is awarded stating that the iris can be used for identification

Drs. Leonard Flom and Aran Safir were awarded a patent for their concept that the iris could be used for identification. Dr. Flom approached Dr. John Daugman to develop an algorithm to automate identification of the human iris.

1988 – First semi-automated facial recognition system is deployed

In 1988, the Lakewood Division of the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department began using composite drawings (or video images) of a suspect to conduct a database search of digitized mugshots.

1988 – Eigenface technique is developed for face recognition

Kirby and Sirovich applied principle component analysis, a standard linear algebra technique, to the face recognition problem. This was a milestone because it showed that less than one hundred values were required to approximate a suitably aligned and normalized face image.

1991 – Face detection is pioneered, making real time face recognition possible

Turk and Pentland discovered that while using the eigenfaces techniques, the residual error could be used to detect faces in images. The result of this discovery meant that reliable real time automated face recognition was possible. They found that this was somewhat constrained by environmental factors, but the discovery caused a large spark of interest in face recognition development.

1992 – Biometric Consortium is established within US Government

The National Security Agency initiated the formation of the Biometric Consortium and held its first meeting in October of 1992. The Consortium was chartered in 1995 by the Security Policy Board, which was abolished in 2001. Participation in the Consortium was originally limited to government agencies; members of private industry and academia were limited to attending in an observer capacity. The Consortium soon expanded its membership to include these communities and developed numerous working groups to initiate and/or expand efforts in testing, standards development, interoperability, and government cooperation. With the explosion of biometric activities in the early 2000s, the activities of these working groups were integrated into other organizations (such as INCITS, ISO, and the NSTC Subcommittee on Biometrics) in order to expand and accelerate their activities and impacts. The Consortium itself remains active as a key liaison and discussion forum between government, industry, and academic communities.

1993 – FacE REcognition Technology (FERET) program is initiated

The FacE REcogntion Technology (FERET) Evaluation was sponsored from 1993-1997 by the Defense Advanced Research Products Agency (DARPA) and the DoD Counterdrug Technology Development Program Office in an effort to encourage the development of face recognition algorithms and technology. This evaluation assessed the prototypes of face recognition systems and propelled face recognition from its infancy to a market of commercial products.

1994- First iris recognition algorithm is patented

Dr. John Daugman was awarded a patent for his iris recognition algorithms. Owned by Iridian Technologies, the successor to lriScan, Inc. – this patent is the cornerstone of most commercial iris recognition products to date.

1994 – Integrated Automated Fingerprint Identification System (IAFIS) competition is held

The next stage in fingerprint automation occurred at the end of the Integrated Automated Fingerprint Identification System (IAFIS) competition. The competition identified and investigated three major challenges: (1) digital fingerprint acquisition, (2) local ridge characteristic extraction, and (3) ridge characteristic pattern matching. The demonstrated model systems were evaluated based on specific performance requirements. Lockheed Martin was selected to build the FBI’s IAFIS.

1994 – Palm System is benchmarked

The first known Automated Fingerprint Identification Systems (AFIS) system built to support palm prints is believed to have been built by a Hungarian company known as RECOWARE Ltd. In late 1994, latent experts from the United States benchmarked this
palm system, RECOderm™, in Hungary and invited RECOWARE Ltd. to the 1995 International Association for Identification (I AI) conference in Costa Mesa, California. The palm and fingerprint identification technology embedded in the RECOderm TM System was bought by Lockheed Martin Information Systems in 1997.

1994 – INSPASS is implemented

The Immigration and Naturalization Service Passenger Accelerated Service System (INSPASS) was a biometrics implementation that allowed travelers to bypass immigration lines at selected airports throughout the US until it was discontinued in late 2004. Authorized travelers received a card encoded with their hand geometry information. Rather than being processed by an Immigration Inspector, INSPASS travelers presented their tokens (cards) with the encoded information and their hands to the biometric device. Upon verification of the identity claimed, the individual could proceed to the customs gate, thus bypassing long inspection lines and speeding entry into the US.

1995 – Iris prototype becomes available as a commercial product

The joint project between the Defense Nuclear Agency and lriscan resulted in the availability of the first commercial iris product.

1996 – Hand geometry is implemented at the Olympic Games

A major public use of hand geometry occurred at the 1996 Atlanta Olympic Games where hand geometry systems were implemented to control and protect physical access to the Olympic Village. This was a significant accomplishment because the systems handled the enrollment of over 65,000 people. Over 1 million transactions were processed in a period of 28 days.

1996 – NIST begins hosting annual speaker recognition evaluations

Under funding from the National Security Agency, the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Speech Group began hosting yearly evaluations in 1996. The NIST Speaker Recognition Evaluation Workshop aims to foster the continued advancement of the speaker recognition community.

1997 – First commercial, generic biometric interoperability standard is published

Sponsored by NSA, the Human Authentication API (HA-API) was published as the first commercial, generic biometric interoperability standard and focused on easing integration of and allowing for interchangeability and vendor independence. It was a breakthrough in biometric vendors working together to advance the industry through standardization and was the precursor to subsequent biometric standardization activities.

1998- FBI launches COOlS (DNA forensic database)

The FBI launched Combined DNA Index System (CODIS) to digitally store, search, and retrieve DNA markers for forensic law enforcement purposes. Sequencing is a laboratory process taking between 40 minutes and several hours.

1999 – Study on the compatibility of biometrics and machine readable travel documents is launched

The International Civil Aviation Organization’s (ICAO) Technical Advisory Group on Machine Readable Travel Documents (TAG/MRTD) initiated a study to determine the “compatibility of currently available biometric technologies with the issuance and inspection processes relevant to MRTDs; and quantifying these compatibilities to determine whether one or more technologies could/should be adopted as the international standard for application in MRTDs.”

1999 – FBI’s IAFIS major components become operational

IAFIS, the FBI’s large-scale ten-fingerprint (open-set) identification system, became operational. Prior to the development of the standards associated with this system, a fingerprint collected on one system could not be searched against fingerprints on another system. The development of this system addressed the issues associated with communication and information exchange between standalone systems as well as the introduction of a national network for electronic submittal of fingerprints to the FBI. IAFIS is used for criminal history background checks and identification of latent prints discovered at crime scenes. This system provides automated tenprint and latent search capabilities, electronic image storage of fingerprints and facial images, and electronic exchange of fingerprints and search responses.

2000 – First Face Recognition Vendor Test (FRVT 2000) is held

Multiple US Government agencies sponsored the Face Recognition Vendor Test (FRVT) in 2000. FRVT 2000 served as the first open, large-scale technology evaluation of multiple commercially available biometric systems. Additional FRVTs have been held in 2002 and 2006, and the FRVT model has been used to perform evaluations of fingerprint (2003) and iris recognition (2006). FRVT’s primary purpose is to evaluate performance on large-scale databases.

2000 – First research paper describing the use of vascular patterns for recognition is published

This paper describes the technology that was to become the first commercially available vascular pattern recognition system in 2000. The technology uses the subcutaneous blood vessel pattern in the back of the hands to achieve recognition.

2000 – West Virginia University biometrics degree program is established

West Virginia University (WVU) and the FBI, in consultation with professional associations such as the International Association for Identification, established a bachelor’s degree program in Biometric Systems in 2000. While many universities have long had biometrics-related courses, this is the first biometrics-based degree program. WVU encourages program participants to obtain a dual-degree in Computer Engineering and Biometric Systems as the biometric systems degree is not accredited.

2001 – Face recognition is used at the Super Bowl in Tampa, Florida

A face recognition system was installed at the Super Bowl in January 2001 in Tampa, Florida, in an attempt to identify “wanted” individuals entering the stadium. The demonstration found no “wanted” individuals but managed to misidentify as many as a dozen innocent sports fans. Subsequent media and Congressional inquiries served to introduce both biometrics and its associated privacy concerns into the consciousness of the general public.

2002 – ISO/IEC standards committee on biometrics is established

The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) established the ISO/IEC JTC1 Subcommittee 37 (JTC1 /SC37) to support the standardization of generic biometric technologies. The Subcommittee develops standards to promote interoperability and data interchange between applications and systems.

2002 – M 1 Technical Committee on Biometrics is formed

The M1 Technical Committee on Biometrics is the US Technical Advisory Group (TAG) to the JTC1 ISC37. This technical committee reports to the InterNational Committee on Information Technology Standards (INCITS), an accredited organization of the American National Standards Institute (ANSI), which facilitates the development of standards among accredited organizations.

2002 – Palm Print Staff Paper is submitted to Identification Services Committee

In April 2002, a Staff Paper on palm print technology and Integrated Automated Fingerprint Identification System (IAFIS) palm print capabilities was submitted to the Identification Services (IS) Subcommittee, Criminal Justice Information Services Division (CJIS) Advisory Policy Board (APB). The Joint Working Group called “for strong endorsement of the planning, costing, and development of an integrated latent print capability for palms at the CJIS Division of the FBI.” As a result of this endorsement and other changing business needs for law enforcement, the FBI announced the Next Generation IAFIS (NGI) initiative. A major component of the NGI initiative is development of the requirements for and deployment of an integrated National Palm Print Service.

2003 – Formal US Government coordination of biometric activities begins

The National Science & Technology Council, a US Government cabinet-level council, established a Subcommittee on Biometrics to coordinate biometrics R&D, policy, outreach, and international collaboration.

2003 – ICAO adopts blueprint to integrate biometrics into machine readable travel documents

On May, 28 2003, The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) adopted a global, harmonized blueprint for the integration of biometric identification information into passports and other Machine Readable Travel Documents (MRTDs) … Facial recognition was selected as the globally interoperable biometric for machineassisted
identity confirmation with MRTDs.

2003 – European Biometrics Forum is established

The European Biometrics Forum is an independent European organisation supported by the European Commission whose overall vision is to establish the European Union as the World Leader in Biometrics Excellence by addressing barriers to adoption and fragmentation in the marketplace. The forum also acts as the driving force for coordination, support and strengthening of the national bodies.

2004 – US-VISIT program becomes operational

The United States Visitor and Immigrant Status Indication Technology (US-VISIT) program is the cornerstone of the DHS visa issuance and entry I exit strategy. The US-VISIT program is a continuum of security measures that begins overseas at the Department of State’s visa issuing posts, and continues through arrival to and departure from the US. Using biometrics, such as digital inkless fingerprints and digital photographs, the identity of visitors requiring a visa is now matched at each step to ensure that the person crossing the US border is the same person who received the visa. For visa-waiver travelers, the capture of biometrics first occurs at the port of entry to the US. By checking the biometrics of a traveler against its databases, US-VISIT verifies whether the traveler has previously been determined inadmissible, is a known security risk (including having outstanding wants and warrants), or has previously overstayed the terms of a visa. These entry I exit procedures address the US critical need for tighter security and its ongoing commitment to facilitate travel for the millions of legitimate visitors welcomed each year to conduct business, learn, see family, or tour the country.

2004 – DOD implements ABIS

The Automated Biometric Identification System (ABIS) is a Department of Defense (DoD) system implemented to improve the US Government’s ability to track and identify national security threats. The associated collection systems include the ability to collect, from enemy combatants, captured insurgents, and other persons of interest, ten rolled fingerprints, up to five mug shots from varying angles, voice samples (utterances), iris images, and an oral swab to collect DNA.

2004 – Presidential directive calls for mandatory government-wide personal identification card for all federal employees and contractors

In 2004, President Bush issued Homeland Security Presidential Directive 12 (HSPD-12) for a mandatory, government-wide personal identification card that all federal government departments and agencies will issue to their employees and contractors requiring access to Federal facilities and systems. Subsequently, Federal Information Processing Standard (FIPS) 201, Personal Identity Verification (PIV) for Federal Employees and Contractors, specifies the technical and operational requirements for the PIV system and card. NIST Special Publication 800-76 (Biometric Data Specification for Personal Identity Verification) is a companion document to FIPS 201 describing how the standard will be acquiring, formatting and storing fingerprint images and templates for collecting and formatting facial images; and specifications for biometric devices used to collect and read fingerprint images. The publication specifies that two fingerprints be stored on the card as minutia templates.

2004 – First statewide automated palm print databases are deployed in the US

In 2004, Connecticut, Rhode Island and California established statewide palm print databases that allow law enforcement agencies in each state to submit unidentified latent palm prints to be searched against each other’s database of known offenders.

2004 – Face Recognition Grand Challenge begins

The Face Recognition Grand Challenge (FRGC) is a US Government-sponsored challenge problem posed to develop algorithms to improve specific identified areas of interest in face recognition. Participating researchers analyze the provided data, try to solve the problem, and then reconvene to discuss various approaches and their results – an undertaking that is driving technology improvement. Participation in this challenge demonstrates an expansive breadth of knowledge and interest in this biometric modality.

2005 – US patent for iris recognition concept expires

The broad US patent covering the basic concept of iris recognition expired in 2005, providing marketing opportunities for other companies that have developed their own algorithms for iris recognition. However, the patent on the lrisCodes® implementation of iris recognition developed by Dr. Daugman will not expire until 2011.

2005 – Iris on the Move is announced at Biometrics Consortium Conference

At the 2005 Biometrics Consortium conference, Sarnoff Corporation (now SRI International) demonstrated Iris on the Move, a culmination of research and prototype systems sponsored by the Intelligence Technology Innovation Center (ITIC), and previously by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA). The system enables the collection of iris images from individuals walking through a portal.

2008 – U.S. Government begin coordinating biometric database use

Finger image and facial quality measurement algorithms and related toolset development was finalized. An iris quality measurement algorithm was also developed.
The FBI and Department of Defense also started working on next generation databases designed to include iris, face and palm data, in addition to fingerprint records.
The Department of Homeland Security denied an individual entry into the U.S. after cross-matched biometric data identified the individual as a known or suspected terrorist

2010 – U.S. national security apparatus utilizes biometrics for terrorist identification

A fingerprint from evidence collected at the believed 9/11 planning location was positively matched to a GITMO detainee. Other fingerprints were identified from items seized at other locations associated with 9/11.

2011 – Biometric identification used to identify body of Osama bin Laden

Along with DNA, the CIA used facial recognition technology to identify the remains of Osama bin Laden with 95 percent certainty.

2013 – Apple includes fingerprint scanners into consumer-targed smartphones

Touch ID is a fingerprint recognition feature, designed and released by Apple Inc., that was made available on the iPhone 5S, the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus, the iPad Air 2, and the iPad Mini 3. Touch ID is heavily integrated into iOS devices, allowing users to unlock their device, as well as make purchases in the various Apple digital media stores (iTunes Store, the App Store, iBookstore), and to authenticate Apple Pay online or in apps. On announcing the feature, Apple made it clear that the fingerprint information is stored locally in a secure location on the Apple A7 (in iPhone 5S and iPad mini 3 (APL0698), A8 (in iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus), or A8X (in iPad Air 2) chip, rather than being stored remotely on Apple servers or in iCloud, making it very difficult for external access.