the new Apple iPhone 5S .. finger print technology and how hacked ?

Will people stand in queues to buy a product [not in ration shops !!] There are basic requirements, essentials, things of utility value and more….. and there is one thing that people keep buying when they already have some and the newer is one is not required or does not add any further utility value ~ but it is fancy buying as people tend to continuously upgrade……… it is the ubiquitous ‘mobile phone’.

Interestingly, the basic model is called ‘essential’ ~ the improved versions are called ‘smart’…….. there are phones and i-phones…… the user interface is built around the device's multi-touch screen, including a virtual keyboard; it has Wi-Fi and cellular connectivity (2G, 3G, 4G, and LTE); can shoot video; take photos, play music, send and receive email, browse the web, send texts, and receive visual voicemail – provides functionality of  video games, reference works, GPS navigation, social networking, etc. -  the App Store offered more than 775,000 apps by Apple and third parties. …. That is iPhone for you, designed and marketed by Apple Inc. It runs Apple's iOS mobile operating system, known as the "iPhone OS". The first generation iPhone was released on June 29, 2007; the most recent one that is raging a storm is  iPhone 5C and iPhone 5S. There are six generations of iPhone models, each accompanied by one of the six major releases of iOS.

The resounding sales of the iPhone have been credited with reshaping the smartphone industry and helping make Apple one of the world's most valuable publicly traded companies.  A chip with 64-bit architecture; a fingerprint identity sensor; a better, faster camera ~ and  an operating system built specifically for 64 bit.  iPhone 5s is precision crafted down to the micron is what they advertise it to be ….. it claims to have beautiful aluminium housing – encasing the sleekness of metal and glass; Sapphire crystal in the Home button and more sapphire crystal protecting the iSight camera.  The iPhone 5s looks and feels unbelievably thin and light -  available in three elegant expressions: gold, silver and space grey. 

In modern day World of marketing hypes, iphone is a real hit. Apple Inc logged 9 million in sales for iPhone 5S and iPhone 5C models in their first three days on the market, the most successful iPhone launch ever. Apple shares rose more than 5 percent to $493.47 in early trading on Monday following the news. Demand for the iPhone 5s has exceeded initial supplies, and many online orders are scheduled to be shipped in the coming weeks, the company said in a statement. When Apple unveiled the iPhone 5 a year ago, it sold more than 5 million in the first three days after its launch. On the day of its launch, long lines formed outside stores in Tokyo, New York, San Francisco and other cities for Apple's new top-of-the-line iPhone 5S and the less-expensive iPhone 5C.

In searching some popular websites, it is found that new Apple iPhone 5S Price in India is Rs 52000 and less in some.  As expected, the iPhone 5S has made its way to India’s grey markets over the weekend. In Delhi, it is stated that  prices started from Rs 90,000 but have now settled down to Rs 75,000 for the 16GB variant. The few units of the gold iPhone 5S that came were seen selling for as high as Rs 115,000 and are now next to impossible to find. In Mumbai, we are hearing reports of the iPhone 5S selling for Rs 100,000. Though not high in demand right now, a few units of the iPhone 5C have also made their way to markets here. But with no real demand, these are selling for about Rs 45,000. Apple has not yet revealed the date or price for India launch.

You find people checking impatiently for messages and missed calls even when there are none…. That has become a habit.. !! ~ those smart phone users would rue the fact of entering passcode each time they see it afresh……… it is primarily a safety feature that ensures that no one else has access to your phone.  iPhone 5S claimed the novelty of futuristic Touch ID — a new fingerprint identity sensor. They claimed that ‘put your finger on the Home button, and just like that your iPhone unlocks’ ~ touted to be convenient and highly secure way to access your phone. Your fingerprint can also approve purchases from iTunes Store and the App Store, so you don’t have to enter your password ~ and some responded with having cat paws, toes and even private parts…. The apple  technology uses a scanner built into the home button of the phone to take a high-resolution image from small sections of the fingerprint from the sub-epidermal layers of the skin. Apple says "Touch ID then intelligently analyses this information with a remarkable degree of detail and precision." Users can choose to use up to five fingerprints - which can be changed - to unlock the phone and optionally pay for iTunes…

And……….. what is claimed to be a novel safety feature went for a toss within almost 48 hours……. With  someone exhibiting their way to beat the system and finding a way around.  A member of the German hacker organization Chaos Computer Club posted a video to YouTube Sunday showing one of the new iPhones being hacked with a lifted fingerprint. Despite Apple’s  tall claims about the advanced security of the Touch ID, the CCC says Apple’s sensor is just a high-resolution  version of existing technology and can be cracked with a sharp photo of the fingerprint and a laser printer.  A spokesman for the organization is quoted as stating that  speedy hack illustrates the inherent risks of using fingerprints as a security measure and urges Apple customers to return to numeric passcodes to protect their phones.

There were some fears that criminals would go the extent of cutting a finger ever……. Far-fetched it may sound though…. But the one exhibited was much simpler……..  “First you need some kind of colored powder or superglue to lift the fingerprint. Then you have to scan the fingerprint, invert it and print it with a resolution of 1200dpi or more onto a transparent sheet. … If somebody is willing to go through all of this to break into your phone, chances are you have bigger issues than fingerprint security.” It is stated that Security experts Nick DePetrillo and Robert Graham have been pooling a crowd sourced bounty for the first person to bypass the iPhone fingerprint reader and that way CCC has perhaps won an estimated $6,400, plus almost 23 bitcoins and at least nine bottles of alcohol.

With regards – S. Sampathkumar.

25^th Sept.2013

Supreme Court says 'Aadhar' is not compulsory

Govt. policies do change, especially when there is change in Government….. but something supported and promoted so much by this Govt. is going for a toss – and alongwith it crores of investment !! …….  You may or may not have Aadhar… but sure would know of it… the 12-digit supposedly unique number which the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) was to  issue for all residents. The number will be stored in a centralized database and linked to the basic demographics and bio metric information – photograph, ten fingerprints and iris – of each individual. The Aadhaar data collection programme is the largest biometric data collection programme in the world without any data protection law or data protection authority to provide any privacy safeguards.

A couple of days ago, UIDAI chairman Nandan Nilekani expressed hope that the target of issuing 60 crore Aadhaar numbers would be met by 2014, saying that so far 40 crore people have already received them.  In most parts of Tamilnadu the Aadhar programme is on in right earnest – there are delays, snarls, system error – still the work is on……… also personally experienced that though details such as Voter ID; passport; PAN etc., were all provided – not all captured and when captured, only for the head of the family and not for all !!!!

Briefly, the National Identification Authority of India Bill, 2010 introduced in Rajya Sabha on 3 December, 2010 was referred to a Parliamentary Committee and Aadhar was born reportedly with a view to ensure that the benefits of centrally sponsored schemes reaches to right person and not misused.  The Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI), is an agency of the Government of India responsible for implementing the  Aadhar scheme. The agency which is part of Planning commission,  is headed by a chairman, who holds a cabinet rank. Nandan Nilekani, former co-chairman of Infosys Technologies, was appointed as the first Chairman of the authority and there have been much news than its making or issuance…..

Govt is hell-bent on making its Direct Cash transfer scheme a grand hit.   To make it a success, Govt linked it to LPG scheme and subsidy and stated that LPG would be sold at market price and the subsidy would be credited to the bank accounts thus making the linkage between bank accounts and Aadhaar number.  So, from the days of cycle delivery, it moved that for a refill, one would need - a Bank Account, Aadhar Unique No.; have link between the two – then pay the high price, later expect the subsidy to be transferred to their bank account. 

The deadline was drawing to a close…….. and now comes the news that the Supreme Court has ordered the government not to withhold any social benefits from those who are yet to get the Aadhar card and not to issue the unique identification card to illegal immigrants.  The interim order of the Apex Court bench states that  "No benefit of service shall be denied on account of non-possession of Aadhar, and no illegal immigrants would be issued Aadhar."  The SC bench, comprising Justices BS Chauhan and SA Bobde, has thwarted the governmental attempt by directing that Govts should not link subsidies and social welfare benefits to the possession of Aadhar cards.

Surprisingly, it is noted that the Solicitor General on behalf of the Govt tendered before the Court that Aadhar was purely voluntary and denied all the charges raised in the PIL filed by retired Karnataka High Court judge KS Puttaswamy.  The petition claimed that different governments have linked social benefits to Aadhar which resulted in many people being denied these benefits. It cited several examples such as Maharashtra paying salaries to teachers only into Aadhar card-linked bank accounts and such cards being made mandatory in Jharkhand for registration of marriages. Represented by senior lawyer Anil Divan, the petition also claimed that Aadhar cards are being issued indiscriminately to all, including illegal immigrants, posing a huge security risk to the country. The whole process was rushed through vide an executive order for political ends, the petition alleged. The PIL also claimed that the UID was in violation of Article 21, right to life guaranteed by the Indian Constitution, as it was against a person's right to privacy.

Only recently, papers were awash with speculation about Nandan Nilekani, Chairman of the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI),  would fight the next Lok Sabha elections on a Congress ticket. His contesting the elections and affiliation to a party is no news ~ he is an articulate person but it appears clear that there was no legal backing to the scheme and it has not gone well within the party circles as well.   

Interestingly, there was an article in Firstpost calling the Aadhar scheme, a Trojan horse gifted by a dysfunctional government which will ultimately compromise our security without even a figleaf of statutory protection for our privacy. It has been sold as a means to reach government benefits to the poor, but it could well end up as one more tool in the hands of the powerful to exclude some and extract speed money from the rest. Other than the legality, the article points out that there is no such assurance to Indian citizens that their fingerprints will not fall in the wrong hands. The  idea of keeping an entire population’s biometric and personal details – every man, woman and child living in the territory of India, even if not a citizen – in huge databases is scary. Some 1,210 million people will stand exposed when UIDAI is completed. No country has ever done this for unstated purposes, though the US does so for social security, and has strong laws protecting people against misuse. The Aadhar data falling in private hands makes it too vulnerable for impersonation and all other associated evils.  It points out that contrary to the purpose of weeding out duplicate / fake identities, it could breed more corruption; the author is wary of the safety breach that one’s assets and financial status could be known to unscrupulous elements……… and hence the scheme itself is not trustworthy……….

As you read more, you tend to get carried away in to scarier details ~ and one does not know for sure –whether to feel happy with the present Apex Court directive …. !!

With regards – S. Sampathkumar

24^th Sept. 2013.

Indian metadata snooped - PRISM - and India remains unresponsive

You encounter them so often ~ in life as also in Office, there are people who tend to ask too many personal details and speak of the personal life of others ………….

snoop (V) : to  pry into the private affairs of others, especially by prowling about.

prying (V) : to inquire too inquisitively into a person's private affairs.

Not so surprisingly there are Nations who snoop ….. the surprising element that some Nations do not react when reports reveal that they have been snooped !!! ~ but what will a Nation do with personal data like FB is not understood by a commoner like me.  Elsewhere, the US denying the Venezuelan president the right to fly over Puerto-Rico  was termed as an insulting juvenile escapade and  example of the incredible clumsiness of the US government towards Latin America.

If you are wondering what all this is about……. remember the disclosures  and my earlier post on PRISM - a clandestine national security electronic surveillance program operated by the United States National Security Agency (NSA) since 2007; and the leaks by a NSA contractor who claimed the extent of mass data collection was far greater than the public knew, and included "dangerous" and "criminal" activities in law.  The whistle blower who is hardly 30 has been on the run since..... hours after  his real identity was revealed, a  petition was posted on the White House website, asking for "a full, free, and absolute pardon for any crimes  he had  committed or may have committed related to blowing the whistle on secret NSA surveillance programs. That was all about - Edward Joseph Snowden -  a US former technical contractor for the National Security Agency (NSA) and Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) employee who leaked details of top-secret US and British government mass surveillance programs to the press. Snowden's leaks are said to rank among the most significant breaches in the history of the NSA.

Recently, Rajya Sabha members expressed concern over the U.S. government’s Internet snooping programme and asked the Centre to take immediate steps to safeguard the country’s strategic interests and privacy of its citizens. BJP MP Tarun Vijay said the Indian government, its leaders and citizens were all vulnerable to such kind of “cyber incursions,” which were posing a serious threat to India’s sovereignty and security. The BJP MP said Indian officials, particularly those working for strategic organisations, were using private emails like Gmail for their official communication. “It is a known fact that these emails can easily be monitored by the U.S. agencies … It is therefore important that all official email communication should be from a secured, government-owned gateway to save our information from leaking out.”

Now there is growing concern as it is stated that among the BRICS group of emerging nations, which featured quite high on the list of countries targeted by the secret surveillance programs of the U.S. National Security Agency (NSA) for collecting telephone data and internet records, India was the number one target of snooping by the American agency. In the overall list of countries spied on by NSA programs, India stands at fifth place, with billions of pieces of information plucked from its telephone and internet networks just in 30 days.  Earlier the Minister for External Affairs Salman Khurshid even defended the U.S. surveillance program by saying that “it is not… actually snooping,” ~ now it is not simple snooping but bundles of metadata taken…..  The Hindu quoting technology experts states that a detailed account of an individual’s private and professional life can be constructed from metadata, which is actually the record of phone number of every caller and recipient; the unique serial number of the phones involved; the time and duration of each phone call; and potentially the location of each caller and recipient at the time of the call. The same applies to e-mails and other Internet activities of an individual. The high volume of metadata taken from India — 6.2 billion in just one month — means that the U.S. agency collected information on millions of calls, messages and emails every day within India, or between India and a foreign country. The information collected is part of a bigger surveillance system.

The metadata is machine-readable, and therefore searchable, and thus  it makes intensive surveillance possible as the record of a person’s email logs, phone records and clickstream — all the websites visited ever………… even with the millions of mobile phones in use in India, this amount of data is too huge.  While U.S. carriers have maintained a studied silence on the issue, India has not made any furious reaction.  This possibility not only significantly compromises India’s network security but also national security, since domestic call records could relate to top secret calls between politicians, bureaucrats and armed forces officials who lead India’s strategic defence planning.

The Govt for sure would state that this has not compromised the privacy of Indian citizens in any way ~ but can Nation afford to remain so lax is the crucial Q  ~ loads of Facebook data may not mean much of Govt. policies and activity while the same cannot be true of e-mail and telephone communication ~ and whatever be how can any Nation be it a Super power access information in such a manner and what this undignified response so far reveals ~ lack of gumption or the strength to respond ????? ~ and a servile attitude.  Sad indeed.

Snowden has since left the United States  received a temporary asylum and now resides at an undisclosed location;  he has been variously called a hero,a whistleblower; a dissident; a traitor and a patriot….  Whatever he be and howsoever be treated ~ there is much for India at stake

With regards – S. Sampathkumar.

23rd Sept. 2013

the Mumbai dabbawallahs ~ exemplifying the spirit of commitment and organised work

At first look, they seemed a bit odd ~ not the official dress that one would expect in a  business meeting ~ and far different than the normal South Indian way…  In our Company, we have had business meetings, have listened to various speakers, have seen nice powerpoints and … but this one at  Rajpark on 29th Aug 13 was different.  In focus were 3 men with white kurtas with a typical ‘white cap’…. It was told that they have ‘six sigma quality certificate’ though they reportedly did not even apply for the same. This post is nothing about their Quality Certificate, global business fan club, appreciation from Prince Charles, Virgin Group Richard Branson and more……… but some aspects which genuinely impressed me and most of my other colleagues present there.

Taste buds contain the receptors for taste. Located around the small structures on the upper surface of the tongue, this is what detects the five elements of taste perception.  It is stated that on an average, the human tongue has 2,000–8,000 taste buds. Many of us just devour the food that is kept on the plate, some taste it, some enjoy and appreciate the maker….~ there are connoisseurs who are experts in the matters of taste and it is very difficult to please them unless real quality food is delivered.

Chennai [specifically Triplicane] is bachelor’s paradise… and those staying away from families eat in Mess / small hotels. There is this ‘Ratna Café’ in Triplicane, very famous for its sambar idly.  There are chains of restaurants like Saravana Bhavan, Hot chips, Vasantha Bhavan, Woodlands…. and more  having become famous for the tasty food that they give to their customers ~ and customers would not mind travelling distance to have the food in their preferred place, even when many hotels would be available in the vicinity. 

You also find many two-wheelers zipping around making that ‘delivery’ [not of pizzas] of the choicest food ordered ~ why would somebody order a dosa or idly from a restaurant far away – when you have hotels, mess and more in dozens… !!

In mathematics and computer science, an algorithm is a step-by-step procedure for calculations. Algorithms are used for calculation, data processing, and automated reasoning. Dan Brown’s Digital Fortress was all about the code-breaking supercomputer and its breaking codes using algorithms……

Getting back to the men in white referred in the early part of this post – the ones who have a Six Sigma quality certificate and a global business fan club that includes Prince Charles and flamboyant owner of Virgin Group Richard Branson. The men seen at the start the Mumbai's famous dabbawalas. Dabba would mean a box ~ wala is a suffix denoting a doer or holder.  In school days, we used to carry our lunch in tiffin-boxes [aluminium and later stainless steel make boxes- far ordinary than the modern day Tupperware !]

In the crowded metropolis of  Mumbai inhabited by people of various cultures, people prefer having the meals made at home [with love and affection by their mothers and spouses] rather than eating outside at hotels….. getting back home for lunch is no option at all – going by the distance that people travel and the transport facilities available.. the trains are crowded and people do start rather early in the day for work… and thus arose the need for somebody carrying lunch boxes from home – the ‘dabbawalas’

This is something on ‘dabbawalas’ 0r tiffin-box carriers !! ~ would you need somebody for bringing your lunch box – may not be in Chennai – but in Mumbai it is a big, neat, well organized business. It would look pretty simple – somebody who runs the errand of picking your lunch box from home, delivers to you at your office, then picks the empty box delivering it back home. It for sure needs specilisation, commitment, highly organized skills to run this service.   They are more than a century old ~ and go about their business in style irrespective of Sun or shine braving the vagaries of weather, congested traffic, milling population and more.

One need to understand the magnitude of dealing with millions of customers and keeping them all happy.  A force of 5000 odd men – working non-stop on all days except Sunday and delivering 200,000 boxes every day… amazing.  On the basis of a Harvard Business Review it is stated that the wrong-delivery is less than 1 in six million.  Close to impossible task, indeed.

Their rise to celebrity was after the visit of Prince Charles and his invitation to royal wedding in Apr 2005; Virgin Chairman Bronson visiting them, BBC producing a documentary and then loads of appreciation in the native press.

It was astonishing to hear and understand a bit of the complex procedure where the dabba gets picked at home in a locality, travels in bicycle [or on head] to a local railway stations, gets consolidated, heads for the nearest railway station to the destination, again grouped to be carried in bicyles or as head-loads to the workplace, delivered to individuals ~ and then the reverse process happens ~ all with electronic precision and almost nil error…  

~~towards the middle itself, one was so awe-struck that it did not looked a wonder when the spokesperson explained at length on how Prince Charles evinced interest in meeting them [or rather seeing their pattern of work] and how the Dabbawalas took the call on timing and location of the meet.  Prince Charles was so impressed that Dabbawalas were officially invited for the Royal wedding and the nice gesture was indeed a deserving one for their commitment.

Each dabbawala, [most of whom are only 8^th standard] is a share holder – is not an employee and thus exhibits utmost sincerity. The spokesperson claimed with satisfaction that in more than century of service, their organization never ceased work – but for a solitary occasion, when they went on strike expressing their solidarity with Anna Hazare’s movement against corruption.  A day in dabbawalahs’ successful life is not complete with local train and cycle – the important cogs in their wheel of success.

The ones we had occasion to meet were the Founder president of the Mumbai Dabbawala Association- Mr.Raghunath D. Medge; General secretary Gangaram Talekar and Arvind Talekar who was the spokesperson….

Tracing  their history and path to continued success, Mr Talekar said that it was once  threads which provided the code to success. Not any complex algorithm or path-breaking code developed by a Programming architect. He categorically denied the mistaken conception that they were in handling ‘waste food management too’. After the hour-length talk, there was a barrage of Questions.  The responses were simple, straight and practical – the ones that came with ‘no home-work’ or with no extra lacing.  The answers and lecture clearly displayed their commitment, their simple and honest way of life, ethical ways of dealing with their customers, the pride with which they carry on, the devotion to duty, the strong belief in their ideals and fear of God.

the code now used…

Most of us left the hotel admiring their commitment ~ the next time you happen to see them in Mumbai, sure you would look them with more respect and affection….. thanks to my Office for providing this opportunity.

With regards – S. Sampathkumar.

31^st Aug 2013.