Unlock your Mac using Touch ID on your iOS device

Unlock your Mac using Touch ID on your iOS device

Touch ID on an iOS device is a convenient method for unlocking apps and the device itself, and now you can use it to unlock your Mac.

KeyTouch waiting to unlock a Mac.Jason Cipriani/CNET

With the launch of iOS 8, Apple introduced a new feature called Handoff. The feature connects your nearby iOS and OS X devices to each other, making it possible to seamlessly switch between devices while not having to worry about losing your place or work.

One feature missing from Handoff is the ability to share Touch ID from an iOS device to a Mac. A pair of developers are trying to bring Touch ID capabilities to OS X with a new app called KeyTouch.

In its current form, KeyTouch will use Touch ID on a nearby iPad or iPhone lock and unlock your Mac, along with enter your password when prompted. There's two parts to the making this work, an iOS app($0.99) and a free Mac app.

Various screens of KeyTouch on iOS.Screenshot by Jason Cipriani/CNET

After installing both apps, you go through a quick setup process and a few minutes later you'll have Touch ID linked to your Mac. Admittedly, the process to use the service is a bit cumbersome right now. In lieu of typing in your password, you unlock your iOS device, launch the app, tap the screen, then place your finger on the home button.

The developers, however, are aware of the issue and are working on spending up the process. Additionally, the team is also working on an API for website developers to implement. This would allow KeyTouch users to potentially log into sites and services on a Mac using Touch ID from iOS.

Read More

Where, when and how to get Windows 10

Where, when and how to get Windows 10

For the die-hard Windows user, Microsoft will be releasing a preview version of Windows 10.

Microsoft

Editors' Note, January 21, 2014: Information from the second Windows 10 event has been added.

Microsoft recently held a small event where the company revisited improvements coming to Windows 10 later this year. In addition to the features that were already known, the company revealed some new ones. The most notable additions are in the form of Cortana on a PC, and a new browser, codenamed Spartan.

The update will be free (for the first year of availability) to existing Windows 7, Windows 8 and Windows 8.1 users when it launches later this year. But for those looking to live on the bleeding edge and get a feel for the new features, you can sign up to become a member of the Insider program and put the Windows 10 Technical Preview through its paces.

Read More

Google discloses three severe vulnerabilities in Apple OS X

Google discloses three severe vulnerabilities in Apple OS X

Researchers with Google's Project Zero security team say they've found three flaws with high severity that have yet to be patched.

• +

Apple's OS X could be successfully attacked, according to Google security researchers.Jason Cipriani/CNET

Google's Project Zero security team revealed the existence this week of three vulnerabilities with high severity that have yet to be fixed in Apple's OS X operating system.

Although each of the flaws requires an attacker to have access to a targeted Mac, they could all contribute to a successful attempt to elevate privilege levels and take over a machine.

The first flaw, "OS X networkd "effective_audit_token" XPC type confusion sandbox escape," involves circumvention of commands in the network system and may be mitigated in OS X Yosemite, but there is no clear explanation of whether this is the case. Thesecond vulnerability documents "OS X IOKit kernel code execution due to NULL pointer dereference in IntelAccelerator." The third one, "OS X IOKit kernel memory corruption due to bad bzero in IOBluetoothDevice." includes an exploit related to OS X's kernel structure.

Each vulnerability, as with any disclosed by the Project Zero team, includes a proof-of-concept exploit.

The vulnerabilities were reported to Apple back in October but the flaws have not been fixed. After 90 days, details of vulnerabilities found by Project Zero are automatically released to the public -- which is what happened this week.

Project Zero, which Google officially launched in mid-2014, tasks researchers with uncovering any software flaws that have the potential of leading to targeted attacks on people's computers.

On Apple's product security page, the company states: "For the protection of our customers, Apple does not disclose, discuss or confirm security issues until a full investigation has occurred and any necessary patches or releases are available."

This isn't the first time Google's Project Zero has published vulnerabilities that are yet to be fixed. In the past several weeks, the tech giant's security team has published information about three separate, unpatched security flaws in Microsoft's Windows operating system

Read More