Wishlist Wednesday: TouchID for my Mac & Location-Aware Security #wishwed
I’m loving TouchID and my iPhone.
This simple tech has revolutionized my use of complicated apps and allows me to use crazy passwords that are pretty unhackable and especially not duplicated (though I recommend password haystacking). Though I still don’t really understand why the Chase App doesn’t yet allow TouchID login (another topic). I have realized how badly I want to use TouchID to auth me into apps on my computer as well as not just my phone.
Using touchID to Manage Mac Logins
Lifehacker and others have already reported the iphone jailbreak app “TouchID Everywhere” which lets users leverage TouchID to login to websites and other apps on your phone that are not already enabled.
Even better though, would be using my touchID-enabled iPhone, iPad or AppleWatch to authenticate me into websites needing passwords, applications on my computer and even my default login screen.
The idea?
Using the same technology that the Mac uses for Handoff/Continuity, enable my iPhone (or TouchID device) to act as an authenticator on the login screen and then other apps within the Mac ecosystem as well. Perhaps authenticating me to the keychain and letting the keychain take care of the rest (or forcing touchID for sensitive apps).
Location-Aware Security
Some kind of “keep alive” where if I am actively using my phone then logins become quicker/easier or otherwise if my phone leaves the proximity of my computer, the computer locks out automagically leaving all my sensitive files hidden from prying eyes. This could be easily done through some kind of low-power bluetooth ping back-and-forth between the computer and the phone… again the same thing that Mac currently uses to drive handoff, SMS integration, etc.
Kirk Mcelhearn notes that a touchID on the corner of my keyboard or touchpad (or heck, some kind of bio-sensitive smartmouse that knows my particular touch by temperature, heartbeat, etc) could be awesome, and I agree.
Though, I still think that leveraging something to do with my iPhone as a proximity key for my computer (or my house?) seems rather awesome as well.
