iPhone 5s Touch ID Technology Early Prototype Shown Off

In July, Apple bought mobile security firm AuthenTec, which has shown off an early prototype of the technology that is now refined and used in Apple's iPhone 5s Touch ID. The information and prototype was made public by the newly-acquired company's co-founder F. Scott Moody, who spoke to North Carolina State University engineering students yesterday night.

The folks over at Apple Insider joined the classroom discussion, getting their hands on the rather large and clunky biometrics prototype picture below. The FingerLoc is a large ribbon-connected two-part unit that features technology now found in Apple's Touch ID sensor, and once created was the foundation upon which the company sought to create smaller units with the same functionality.

Once the FingerLoc prototype was built, the company demonstrated the idea of a smaller implementation of the technology to potential investors by cutting a hole in the table large enough to exposure the fingerprint sensor component. The larger part of the prototype was then mounted below the table and connected to a PC.

The sensor was buggy in addition to being large, fubaring at least one important demonstration with IBM. Still, work continued and overtime the technology was refined as investors and interested parties jumped on board. Today the biometric technology is at the top of its game, able to look at details as small as fingerprint ridges and valleys, growing smarter every time it is used.

SOURCE: Apple Insider