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In case you missed it today, one of the biggest announcements regarding the new Apple iPhone 5S was the revelation of the Touch ID Fingerprint sensor. While this had been oft-rumored for quite some time, the idea seemed like a nerd's fantasy more than something we would actually see in a shipping consumer product. True-to-form, Apple has proved they have some of the best talent on the planet when it comes to technological innovation. They have done it again by bringing to market something which was formerly just a Sci-Fi dream.
First, the new ring which surrounds the home button is where we find the new Touch ID Fingerprint sensor. The ring is actually the "detection ring" which turns on the sensor underneath. The sensor is made of a sapphire lens which is stronger than glass. This sapphire sensor is 170 microns thin and can sense 500 ppi as it scans the sub-epidermal layers on your finger.
The Touch ID is designed to basically "store" your password so that you only have to use your fingerprint to activate the security locked functions on your new iPhone 5S. This even applies to iTunes. For security purposes this stored password is never available to other software and it will never be uploaded to Apple;s servers or to Apple's iCloud.
This is a powerful way to make sure your new iPhone is much more secure than a simple passcode unlock. It will be interesting to see just how well this functionality works, and how secure it is, but the premise seems amazing!
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