How your phone's gyroscope can reveal your PIN and capture your conversations – News Technology – Technology



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You probably know that your phone knows a lot about you. But there is a small sensor between the subtleties of connectors and chips that make up the device capable of measuring something you've never thought of: angular velocity.

In other words, how do you hold the phone? ; if vertical, horizontal or sloping

This measurement is then converted into an electrical signal that the device processes immediately.

And not only explains how quickly or slowly you move it between your hands, but also In addition, you can discover your PIN or the conversations you keep

We tell you how.

A "silent" sensor

"Most smartphones, tablets and other portable devices are equipped with a multitude of sensors – gyroscopes, accelerometers – that allow us to interact with the real world" told BBC Maryam Mehrnezhad, of the Faculty of Computer Science, University of Newcastle, UK. 19659008] Many specialists call them "silent sensors". In total, they identified more than 25.

The sensor that detects the angular velocity is the gyroscope, which has become – with the accelerometer, which rotates the screen – in the & 1965 [[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[oneofthekeypartsofthe ] smartphones that are manufactured today, and that are also essential in other devices, such as smart watches.

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The gyroscope lets you know how you are holding the phone. For example, all iPhone from the model 5 include, as well as a large part of the Android made three years ago: Google Nexus (from 4 to 6), Samsung Galaxy (from S3 and Note 4), Sony Xperia (from T and Z), are a few of them.

With the gyroscope, you can watch 360 videos, play Pokémon Go or use virtual reality apps. It also helps your phone to "understand" the gestures and movements you make on the screen or the buttons you activate.

The problem is that applications can use the data provided by the gyroscope without even asking permission or providing you

One of them is Tinder, the dating app the most used in the world

  BBC World: Tinder

Tinder, with more than 50 million members, collects data

The platform collects data from both the accelerometer and the gyroscope but does not explain exactly why she uses them.

"We collect the information you use to access our services, including hardware and software-like IP-address-your type of wireless connection or sensors like the accelerometer, the gyroscope and the compbad " you read on his website.

Deciphering Conversations and Codes

Researchers use the gyroscope as a microphone, but without really accessing the microphone of the device, according to researchers at Stanford University in the United States.

Thus, they can capture private conversations without arousing suspicion, according to specialists. And it is that these systems are capable of collecting acoustic signals that, properly processed, would reproduce the sound of at least 50%.

"As iOS and Android do not need special permissions to access the gyroscope, our results show that applications that can not access the microphone can, however, listen to what is being said "reads the document.

Another risk is that they know what your PIN is when, guess by the way they move you and hold the cell phone, what is the number

  BBC World: pick up the phone

] The movements we make on the screen can also be used to guess the PIN code.

When we press the numbers, and another side. A move that can not be seen at first glance, but which, according to Mehrnezhad and other Newcastle University experts, allows you to find the code in 70% of the cases.

A JavaScript code is enough to decipher the PIN code. This code can be entered into the victim's mobile via a malicious program or link.

To avoid problems, you can decide which applications give you access to the gyroscope and other "silent sensors" of your phone in the "Settings" menu.

Here is the complete list:

Types of Silent Cell Phone Sensors

1. Accelerometer

2. Ambient humidity

3. Ambient light

4. Atmospheric pressure

5. External temperature

6. Barometer

7. Bluetooth

8. Camera

9. Temperature of the device

10. Fingerprints

11. GPS

12. Gravity

13. Gyroscope

14. Hall sensor

15. Magnetometer

16. Microphone

17. Movement

18. NFC

19. Orientation

20. Proximity

21. Rotation

22. Sensor Hub (Google Chip)

23. TouchID

24. Touch Screen

25. WiFi

Source: Maryam Mehrnezhad / Newcastle University

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