Fingerprint scanning may be set to go big on phones in 2014, but there might be a few kinks to iron out before then.

Apple's iPhone 5S introduced Touch ID, letting owners unlock their phone and make app purchases using their fingers. However, isome users are reporting that the accuracy of the fingerprint scanner dwindles over time.

Touch ID requires you to scan your finger or thumb at various angles so it can store a nice and comprehensive scan to memory.

But tech blogger Dr Drang, "a consulting engineer well known amongst nerds on the Internet", wrote in a post about how he has experienced the accuracy of the fingerprint scanner "decay with time".

This has now led to a number of other people coming out of the woodwork to say the same. BGR updated to say that a number of people had responded to the story "indicating that they are experiencing Touch ID accuracy degradation as described".

John Gruber of Daring Fireball also backed this up, stating "Drang is not alone — I've had a handful of readers ask me about this recently".

Touchy subject

We found that several forum users have also had issues. "Works perfectly for a week after registering a new finger, deteriorates slightly in week 2 and by week 3 it takes 3-4 tries before it logs in. So I re-register the finger(s) and the cycle restarts," said user Minimo over on the imore forum.

Meanwhile user nr2d wrote in a separate thread: "It seems that I have to reprogram my Touch ID prints about every 2 - 3 days. It'll work for about 1 - 2 days then I have to re-program 1 or both finger prints. Anyone else having problems?"

However, plenty of other forum users responded to say that they've had no problems at all, so right now the problem doesn't appear to be massively widespread - or indeed a problem at all, as plenty of users are citing naivety in the way people are interacting with the biometrics, with factors like sweat, dry weather and misplaced digits all having an effect.

Still, it will be interesting to see if this issue is reported more and more as time goes on - the iPhone 5S has only been available for just over two months, after all. Right now it could just be a case of people getting used to the new technology - or just having dirty fingers.

Have you been experiencing problems with Touch ID accuracy? Let us know.

• What else does the iPhone 5S offer?

Via BGR

Source : techradar[dot]com

Christmas is coming. The marketing campaigns are well underway. And you know what the buzz word is this year! 4G. It's here. At last. Sort of. Mostly. A bit. Depending on where you live. Etc etc.

The service that transfers data faster than the speed of light took longer to arrive than a parcel from Slovakia. But dig in, fill your boots, whack that data cap. It's time to play.

If you can be bothered, that is. Don't get me wrong. I'm all for evolution. Where'd we be without it? Actually, I know a few missing links so could answer that easily enough. But sometimes, the marketing machine just sucks you in so much, you kinda lose perspective. And that's definitely happening with 4G.

• What is 4G and LTE?

First of all, why did it take so damn long? The US has had it for years. The land of StarTacs got LTE before us. Now, that's embarrassing. We've been brandishing our HSDPA+ handsets around screaming: "Yes, but it's 3.5G - it's just as good".

And you know what, it probably is. I say this as someone who has had 4G for a year now. I just don't get the fuss.

EE gave it to us first. I had to sell my grandmother, the dog and a portion of my soul to be able to afford a 3GB per month deal. But for months, I was able to show off the service.

Although the cool factor was watered down a little in having to explain to people why the phone said LTE rather than '4G' (it's Long Term Evolution, people). Thanks for that, iPhone. Thanks for stealing my moment as I then launch an explanation and my cool juice seeps down the nearest grid.

• Best 4G network: EE vs O2 vs Vodafone vs Three

I was transfixed. Streaming movies on the bus. Wow. Watching the world cup final in the IKEA carpark! Amazing. Only, it never actually turned out that way.

While I found EE's coverage to be quite good, the constant 3G/4G switch as you move around never makes it as seamless as Kevin Bacon makes out. That bus he is sitting on must just be driving round a telephone mast in a big circle.

And now the others are catching up - O2 and Vodafone have bagged their places at the party pre-Christmas. As of this week, Three has tentatively knocked at the door but isn't coming in for a full glass of mulled wine just yet. He's the driver at this do.

And aside from the latter, rates aren't great. This is not aggressive pricing - it's just unpleasant. For you, for me, the consumers. Thanks guys.

• Best 4G phones 2013: 10 to choose from

Yeah, I get that the networks need to make money back from their hideously overpriced spectrum costs. Yes, they can't beast us for roaming anymore, so they have to find another way of holding us up by the danglies and shaking cash from our pockets. But for a service that isn't all there yet? Really? Is that the best way?

For those who want to replace their home broadband, don't get me wrong. 4G is great. But for those who want to use it on the move, it's not there yet. The only way to get a service that is 100% reliable is to stand still, which kinda negates the point. If you're using it to stream loads, you're gonna be paying loads. And moving little.

Long Term Evolution? The clue's in the name. As for the short term, all I can say is a seasonal 'Bah. Humbug.'

In fact, it's come to the point where 3G-only deals are quite good. And for those checking Facebook, streaming a bit of Spotify and are on Wi-Fi most of the time, they're probably much better off with an older connection for the money they'll pay.

Although, I'll be waiting a long time for Kevin Bacon to tell me that.

Source : techradar[dot]com

Siri could be moving into our homes full time, as Apple has plans for an always-listening smart dock.

The dock, patented by Apple, is referred to as a device that is always listening to its surroundings so it can activate "a voice recognition mode of a portable electronic device."

One of the headline features of the Moto X is that the phone is always listening, meaning you don't have to wake it up.

It sounds like Apple's idea will work in a similar way, albeit through the smart dock and not the iPhone or iPad itself.

Siri: activate

According to the patent, the user will be able to assign a specific phrase or noise (such as a clap) to get the dock's attention when it's in listening mode.

It'll then notify the device and activate Siri so you can have it do your bidding. The dock can also handily filter out ambient noise while still picking up your voice.

This could be another patent filing that never sees the light of day, but it's yet more evidence that Apple has its sights sets on our living rooms. Hurry up with that iTV though, yeah?

• The iPad Air is super slim, but is it super good?

Source : techradar[dot]com

iPhone gamepads are becoming a very big deal indeed since iOS 7 brought in a gaming API, and gaming giants Razer could be the next manufacturer to jump onto the bandwagon.

With the likes of GTA: San Andreas for iOS set to support game controller add-ons, the pad peripherals are going to proliferate in the coming months, and a leaked Razer 'Kazuyo' add-on has appeared on the @evleaks Twitter feed.

Having come away from some time with the MOGA Ace Power for iPhone feeling a little non-plussed, we're keen to see some other options - although the lack of joysticks on the Kazuyo is not exactly thrilling us either.

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Source : techradar[dot]com

Opinion is split in the TechRadar office when it comes to gold phones, some of us reckon they look stunning, while others are less than impressed at the shameless attempt by manufacturers to bling up their mobiles.

Fact of the matter is gold phones are in, with the likes of the iPhone 5S and Samsung Galaxy S4 getting in on the act, while HTC has launched not one, but two gold variants of its excellent HTC One flagship.

While the solid 18ct gold HTC One cost £2,750 (around $4,400, AU$4,700) and was limited to a run of just five, this gold coloured (not actual gold) variant can be yours at the standard cost of the handset.

• In pictures: 18ct Gold HTC One

The folks over at Phones4U have sent one over to us, and here's what it looks like.

The gold finish on the front and rear of the handset is broken up by a black band which runs round the edge of the HTC One, engulfing the volume rocker and power/lock key in its darkness.

The etched Beats Audio logo on the rear of the handset is a nice touch and we greatly enjoyed running our fingers across it.

Gold phones run the risk of looking tacky, but we reckon HTC has done a good job on this One and it certainly lands on the side of tasteful rather than tasteless.

On screen its the same Sense covered Android experience you get on the stock HTC One, although a special gold theme would have been a nice option to have.

Unfortunately for those of you in the US and Australia, there's still no plans to release this version outside of Europe.

Source : techradar[dot]com