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Lingering fingerprint fingering fingered in iOS 7 for NEW iPHONE

Biometric clue stashed in latest Cupertino beta

A London-based programmer has found a reference to fingerprint-recognition technology in a beta build of Apple's new iOS 7 for iThings.

Hamza Sood grabbed a load from text from a folder called BiometricKitUI within the Accessibility Bundles in the Library directory of the new operating system. The software is in the hands of app developers who are expected to test the gear before it is officially released to punters.

Sood claimed the string of characters was evidence that fanbois could be identified from their fingerprints using a sensor built into the home buttons on future-generation iPhones.

He posted the following image online (mirrored here):

The code wrangler told 9to5Mac that the string above would be read to any user who had chosen to use Voiceover, a accessibility function that describes how the system works.

He also suggested the fingerprint matching tech could simply unlock the phone, rather than plug into an online payment authorisation system, which was previously mooted by Apple observers.

Although Cupertino has yet to announce the next-gen iPhone, fans suspect a new model will come out later this year with a beefed up ARM-compatible A7 processor and possibly a better camera. Concrete details of a cheapo plastic iPhone were also leaked in a report into conditions in Apple's outsourced Chinese production line. ®

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