Analysts: New iPhone will read your fingerprints

Photo by Justin Sullivan, Getty Images.

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SAN FRANCISCO -- Apple's latest iPhone will have fingerprint authentication, a major new technology that could give the Silicon Valley giant a valuable leg up in big markets such as enterprise computing and mobile payments, analysts and industry experts said ahead of the gadget's launch Tuesday.

Apple is expected to release a cheaper version of the iPhone in different colors for China and other developing markets, alongside a high-end version that will likely be called the iPhone 5S, according to The Wall Street Journal. USA TODAY spoke with several people familiar with Apple's plans, but are unauthorized to speak on behalf of the company.

An Apple spokeswoman declined comment.

The top-of-the-line smartphone may offer more storage, upgraded photo-taking capabilities, a better battery and a faster chip. But what gets Wall Street and tech industry insiders excited is the fingerprint technology and the possibilities opened up for Apple by secure, easy authentication of smartphone users' identities.

"Everyone is looking at what this new phone can do, and one of the key things is fingerprint authentication," says Wells Fargo analyst Maynard Um. "People are underestimating what this technology can do."

Um raised his price-range estimate on Apple shares to $525-$575 from $485-$525 on Thursday, partly due to the potential of fingerprint authentication.

Initially, the iPhone 5S will likely have the fingerprint technology near the home button at the bottom of the device, as this is the first place users touch when they open their phones. After their identity has been verified through their print, the full display will appear automatically, without users having to swipe and enter a four-digit PIN.

"The swipe and PIN was one of the things Steve Jobs hated. It was in the way of the user experience," says Sebastien Taveau, chief technology officer of Validity Sensors.

Validity Sensors is one of the few leading, independent fingerprint authentication companies around, counting Intel and Qualcomm among its investors. The other, AuthenTec, was acquired by Apple for $356 million in 2012. Since then, Apple has sold some of AuthenTec's other technology while keeping the fingerprint sensor know-how, Taveau noted.

Identifying users through their fingerprints is more secure than passwords and PINs, so this technology could help Apple expand in sectors such as mobile payments and enterprise computing, which demand the highest levels of security, Taveau, Um and others said.

"Within the next two years the vast majority of high-end smartphones will have biometrics and mainly fingerprint logins. It's going to be very useful for payments," says David Marcus, president of PayPal, the electronic-payment division of e-commerce giant eBay.

This year, PayPal helped launch the FIDO Alliance which stands for Fast Identity Online. The group is developing common, open standards for the use of fingerprints and other biometrics to identify users - with the aim of doing away with passwords and PINs. Other members include Google, BlackBerry, Lenovo and Validity Sensors.

Such technology may turn the smartphone into a truly secure way to pay, Wells Fargo's Um says.

Banks and other payment companies may be more likely to develop apps for the iPhone with this new, secure authentication, Taveau said.

"When I touch that icon and it reads my fingerprint, my payment app and account will appear. When my wife touches the same icon on the same device, her app and account will appear," he added.

In the enterprise computing world, fingerprint authentication may help the iPhone and other Apple gadgets become more accepted by company IT departments worried about security, Taveau and Um said.

"Enterprises want to know devices are in the right hands, and this pretty much guarantees it," Um says. "This addresses enterprise security issues for Apple and will open up that market to the company more."

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By Alistair Barr, USA Today

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To strike or not: What's at stake in Syria?

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NORTHEAST OHIO -- To strike or not to strike: It's the question facing a nation. 

For some, military action against Syria is a question of war. For others, it's a question of support, either standing with the Bashar Assad regime or striking against him.

Perhaps the most conflicted are those in the Northeast Ohio community with ties to Syria themselves.

"It gives it a different meaning when your mother, your 70-year-old mother, asks you on the phone, are you going to bomb us?" said Haitham Haddad, a physician who came to the United States more than twenty years ago when he was 24. 

Monday Haddad organized an anti-war protest along Crocker Road in Westlake. Across the street, another group of protesters gathered in support of a strike against Assad.

"I'm afraid if no one stops him, the number of causalities will be in the thousands daily," said Ihsan Mamoun, also Syrian by birth. He supports strike to help free the Syrian people.

Protesters also gathered in Akron Monday to protest violence from a civil war half a world away.

How do we respond to a chemical attack against the rules of war? A strike suggested by President Obama would be the first direct U.S. intervention in this two-year struggle. Some think it stop a dangerous dictator; others say it would drag America into another war.

Syria is the size of Washington state in heart of the Middle East. The country has a population of 22.5 million people mostly of ethic Arab decent and practicing Islam. The government's most important allies are Russia, Iran and China, with Moscow supplying weapons and blocking United Nations from action against Assad.

"When the Assad regime used chemical weapons, someone should put a stop to him," said Mamoun.

Punishing Assad and helping the rebel forces could create an opportunity for jihadists fighting with the rebels to take over. It's what the U.S. did during Afghanistan's early 1990s civil war, which helped the Taliban take over in 1996.

"Don't kill my mom and Dad. Don't fight alongside Al-Qaida," read one anti-war protester.

Can the U.S., still under sequestration, even afford a war? A limited strike could cost $1 billion a month, according to figures from Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Gen. Martin Dempsey.

And Assad has already promised retaliation.

"We're not, you know, the global police," said Adam Barrington, who organized the protest in Akron. "We're not there to spread democracy really."

Could diplomacy work? It's a prayer for peace. But others say Assad must pay for the thousands of innocents his armies have killed.

"I don't think that people understand the amount of suffering," said Mamoun.

There's another argument that the strikes aren't meant to topple Assad,  but simply to discourage any other leader from crossing the red line of chemical weapons.

The long term impact is one that's weighing on our Congressional leaders as they decide their votes.

Ohio Senators Sherrod Brown and Rob Portman seem to be leaning toward supporting the plan, but haven't committed.

Many representatives in Washington are also undecided.

Congressman David Joyce joined Rep. Jim Renacci Monday, coming out against Obama's plan.

"I don't believe the Administration has made the case that military action is in the best interest of the United States and the region," said Joyce. "I plan on attending a classified briefing this evening to hear the Administration's case, but my fear remains that any military action could commit the U.S. to another prolonged military engagement in a region of the world in which civil war and hatred for the U.S. is the norm. At this point, I just don't see how this action is in our best interest."

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President Obama to address nation on Syria

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President Obama is set to address the nation tonight in the latest attempt to convince Congress, the American people and the world that a U.S. military strike against Syria is justified.

You can watch President Obama's speech at 9 p.m. live on Channel 3 and online at WKYC.com.

INTERACTIVE GUIDE | Where members of Congress stand on Syria

A new CNN/ORC International poll shows a majority of Americans don't want Congress to give authorization.

If the U.S. does attack, Syrian President Al-Assad says to "expect everything" in retaliation.

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Jimmy's Take: A recap of the Browns 23-10 loss

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CLEVELAND -- The Cleveland Browns lost their season opener to the Miami Dolphins by 13. 

Fans continue to show up and show their support, packing FirstEnergy Stadium, just to be disappointed by another loss by the home team.

Related: Tannehill carries Dolphins past Browns 23-10 - http://on.wkyc.com/182YZgI

Quarterback Brandon Weeden had 3 interceptions in the first half that definitely factored into Sunday's 23-10 failure. But he wasn't the only one to blame.

Here's Jimmy's take on what went wrong.

(Click the above video)

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Poll: Uphill battle for Obama on Syria

Photo: Win McNamee, Getty Images.

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WASHINGTON - President Obama faces a daunting and uphill battle to win congressional authorization for a military strike on Syria, a USA TODAY Network survey of senators and representatives finds.

The comprehensive poll of Congress finds that only a small fraction of the 533 lawmakers - 22 senators and 22 House members - are willing to say they will support the use of force in response to the reported use of chemical weapons by the Syrian regime. Far more overall - 19 senators and 130 House members - say they will oppose a resolution that would authorize military strikes.

GRAPHIC: Where members of Congress stand on Syria

The largest group of lawmakers remains undecided, including a majority of the Senate and the House. That could create an opportunity for the president to persuade them in a string of six interviews with TV network anchors Monday and a televised address to the nation Tuesday. The Senate could vote as early as Wednesday.

Locally, the poll found a number of Northeast Ohio representatives still undecided including Rep. Marcy Kaptur (D-9), Rep. Marcia Fudge (D-11), Rep. Tim Ryan (D-13), and Rep. David Joyce (R-14). House Speaker John Boehner has said he supports the use of force. Congressman Jim Renacci (R-16) has said he is against military action. Both Ohio senators, Sen. Sherrod Brown (D) and Rob Portman (R) are listed as undecided.

"We cannot turn a blind eye to images like the ones we've seen out of Syria," Obama said in his weekly radio address Saturday. "Failing to respond to this outrageous attack would increase the risk that chemical weapons could be used again; that they would fall into the hands of terrorists who might use them against us, and it would send a horrible signal to other nations that there would be no consequences for their use of these weapons. All of which would pose a serious threat to our national security."

White House Chief of Staff Denis McDonough made the rounds of the morning talk shows Sunday, making the administration's case.

Congress isn't convinced. In the survey:

•Democrats haven't fallen in line behind the president, at least not yet. Congressional Democrats are as likely to oppose the measure as support it, although most say they are undecided. At the moment, 28 Democrats support action; 28 oppose it.

•Republicans who have made a decision overwhelmingly oppose Obama, by nearly 8-1. Sixteen Republicans support action; 121 oppose it.

•In a majority of states, not a single member of Congress has gone on record endorsing the president's request for authorization of a military strike. That includes a dozen states that Obama carried in both the 2008 and 2012 presidential elections: Colorado, Connecticut, Hawaii, Iowa, Massachusetts, Maine, New Mexico, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Washington and Wisconsin.

"I think it's an uphill slog from here," House Intelligence Chairman Mike Rogers, R-Mich., one of the handful of Republicans who supports the president, said on CBS' Face the Nation Sunday. He said the White House has "done an awful job" in explaining the reason for a strike and added, "It's a confusing mess."

On Fox News Sunday, Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., said he was horrified by images of the chemical weapons attacks in Syria but warned that the strikes could destabilize the country or even increase the odds that opposition forces obtain chemical weapons. "I don't think we're going to do anything to Assad," he said of the Syrian leader.

Rep. Elijah Cummings, D-Md., said he has heard overwhelming opposition from his constituents. "And keep in mind, my district voted 77% for the president," he said on CBS. "I think the president has work to do, but I think he can possibly get the votes. But he's got to come before the Congress and the nation."

On this issue, Obama hasn't been able to count on the classic partisan divide that has defined the capital's politics through his tenure. Some liberal Democrats have aligned with Republican libertarians to oppose a military strike. Some GOP hawks who typically oppose him (including Arizona Sen. John McCain, whom Obama beat for the White House in 2008) argue for action.

Even African Americans in Congress, who have been among Obama's most reliable supporters on other issues, are resistant. Of 42 black lawmakers, two are committed to voting "yes."

STORY: Syria vote poses dilemma for black lawmakers

"This is truly a momentous occasion in which the outcome is up for grabs," says Larry Jacobs, director of the Center for the Study of Politics and Governance at the University of Minnesota. He notes the "high-wire act" for Obama as he returned Friday from his European trip. "The urgency you saw with the president hustling back to the States, the national address he'll give - all that is a signal of the urgency and perhaps the growing sense of foreboding in the White House."

A separate Washington Post count of congressional support Sunday reported different specific numbers but also found a tough road ahead for the president. In the Senate, the Post found 23 in favor, 17 opposed, 10 leaning no and 50 undecided; in the House, 25 in favor, 111 against, 116 leaning no and 181 undecided.

In the USA TODAY Network survey, journalists from USA TODAY and nearly 40 other Gannett-owned newspapers and television stations across the country reported on the views expressed by every senator and all but four members of the House, who couldn't be reached.

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By Susan Page and John Kelly, USA TODAY

Gannett/USA Today

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Accused East Cleveland serial killer back in court

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EAST CLEVELAND -- Accused triple murderer Michael Madison is back in court at 9 a.m. today for another pre-trial hearing.

PHOTOS | East Cleveland triple murder

Madison, 35, is accused of killing three women -- Shetisha Sheeley, Angela H. Deskins and Shirellda Terry -- whose bodies were found wrapped in plastic within the same East Cleveland neighborhood.

Madison faces multiple charges, including aggravated murder, kidnapping and gross abuse of a corpse.

He has pleaded not guilty.

It still has not been determined if prosecutors will seek the death penalty.

Madison's case is expected to go trial on Feb. 28, 2014.

He remains jailed on $6 million bond.

EXPANDED COVERAGE | East Cleveland murders

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GUIDE | Traffic tips for Sunday's Browns, Indians games

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CLEVELAND -- Traffic could be tight getting into downtown Cleveland on Sunday -- both the Indians and Browns are playing at 1 p.m.

Extra traffic control officers will be working downtown to help with traffic and crowds.

Here are a few tips from police to help those heading downtown:

· Arrive downtown early

· Utilize public transportation such as buses and the rapid transit system

· If driving is necessary or desirable plan a travel route into and out of the city and have a secondary route in mind

· Familiarize yourself with downtown parking garages and surface lots - understand that the lots nearest the ballpark generally fill up first

· Abide by parking prohibitions (street parking is illegal on streets adjacent to Jacob's Field before, during and immediately after each game)

· Be aware of increased pedestrian traffic particularly around Progressive Field and First Energy Stadium

· Put Your Junk in Your Trunk (Don't leave items in plain view)

To help alleviate any potential commuting headaches, the Cleveland Police Department has released a guide on alternative routes to get you in and out of downtown a tad faster.

Alternative inbound route(s) for Indians game:

- Innerbelt (I-90) to E. 14th Street to Euclid to E. 13 Street northbound to Superior.

- I-90 ramps East or West to Prospect Avenue westbound; this street will be sign and no parking will be allowed in this area.

- Route 2 eastbound or W. 25th Street northbound to I-90 or I-71 to W. 25th Street to Superior Bridge to West Huron.

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Alternative outbound route(s) for Indians game:

- Superior to E. 13th Street southbound to Euclid to E. 14th to the Innerbelt (I-90).

- E. 18th Street southbound from all major streets running East and West to Carnegie westbound to the inner belt ramps at E. 14th.

- Prospect Avenue eastbound to I-90 ramps East or West; this street will be sign and no parking will be allowed in this area for this event.

- West Huron to Superior Bridge to W. 25th Street, Route 2 westbound or W. 25th Street southbound to I-90 or I-71.

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Alternative inbound route(s) for Browns game:

- Route 2, I-90 or I-71 via eastbound I-90 to E. 55th Street to N. Marginal westbound.

- Route 2, I-90 or I-71 via eastbound I-90 to E. 55th Street to S. Marginal westbound.

- W. 9th Street to Superior.

- I-90 ramps East or West to Superior westbound to E. 9th.

- I-90 East to W. 117th northbound to Clifton Avenue to Route 2.

- I-90 East or West to Euclid or Prospect, to Superior to E. 14th or E. 18th northbound.

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Alternative outbound route(s) for Browns game:

- N. Marginal to E. 55th Street to freeway ramps Route 2, I-90 or I-71 via westbound I-90.

- S. Marginal to E. 55th Street to freeway ramps Route 2, I-90 or I-71 via westbound I-90.

- W. 9 Street to Superior across bridge to W. 25th to Route 2 westbound or W. 25 Street southbound to I-90 or I71.

- E. 9th to Superior eastbound to I-90 ramps East or West.

- Route 2 westbound to Clifton to W. 117 southbound to I-90 East or West.

- E. 14th or E. 18th southbound to Superior, Euclid or Prospect to I-90 East or West.

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GUIDE | NFL's new stadium security policy

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CLEVELAND -- Sure, you've heard the NFL has new security policies in place regarding items that are no longer permitted inside stadiums.

But do you know everything that's restricted?

Below is a complete guide of the new security measures via the NFL.

Permitted bags:

- Bags that are clear plastic, vinyl or PVC and do not exceed 12" x 6" x 12".

- One-gallon clear plastic bags.

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Other permitted items:

- Binoculars.

- Cameras.

- Smartphones.

- Small clutch bags, approximately the size of a hand -- with or without a handle or strap -- can be taken into the stadium with one of the clear plastic bags.

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Prohibited items:

- Purses larger than a clutch bag.

- Coolers.

- Briefcases.

- Backpacks.

- Fanny packs.

- Cinch bags.

- Non-approved seat cushions, including those with pockets, zippers, compartments or covers.

- Luggage of any kind.

- Computer bags.

- Camera bags.

- Any bag larger than the permissible size.

NOTE: Exceptions will be made for medically necessary items after inspection at a stadium gate.

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This has been a hot-button issue since the NFL announced the new rules. We want to know your thoughts. Leave us your opinion by leaving a comment in the section below.

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Cleveland weather: Less clouds, cooler

Sunday:  Morning Clouds & a few sprinkles.  Clearing & Breezy in the afternoon.  High: 74.  Wind: NE 15-20 mph.

Sunday Night:  Clear & Cooler.  Low: 55.  Wind: East 10-15 mph.

Monday: Partly Cloudy & Warmer.  High: 81.  Wind: South 5-10 mph.

Monday Night:  Partly Cloudy & Warm.  Low: 70.  Wind: South 10-15 mph.

Tuesday:  Partly Cloudy, Hot & Humid.  High: 91.

Wednesday: Mostly cloudy with scattered rain and storms. Warm and muggy.  High: 86.

Thursday: Scattered morning Showers, otherwise, clearing  cooler.  High: 78.

Friday: Mostly Sunny & Cooler.  High 69.

Saturday:  Sunny & Mild.  High: 71.

Get more weather info and connect with us on Twitter and Facebook!

WKYC Weather Warriors on Facebook or @wkycweather on Twitter

Betsy Kling: @BetsyKling on Twitter or Betsy's Facebook Page

Hollie Strano: @holliesmiles on Twitter or Hollie's Facebook Page

Marcus Walter: @MarcusDWalter on Twitter or Marcus's Facebook Page

Bruce Kalinowski on Bruce's Facebook Page

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Free: WKYC Health and Wellness Expo today

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Wear your walking shoes today when you come to WKYC's free Health and Wellness Expo because the Cleveland Convention Center is huge, and there's a lot to see and do.

Make sure you stop by the health forum, where we'll be having discussions all day beginning at 10:30 a.m. talking about women's health issues, such as rekindling the libido.

At noon get your questions answered about foods, including supplements, fad diets and preservatives.

If you're concerned about how the Affordable Care Act will affect you, join us at 1:30 p.m. to get your questions answered.

At 3 p.m. it's all about healthy kids, and at 4:30 p.m. we'll be talking about mental health and addiction issues, including the heroin epidemic.

The cooking stage will be heating up all day with great chefs who will be sharing awesome recipes and ideas.

Get moving at the demo stage with yoga, kids fitness and a safety drill.

Don't miss the soccer field or hoops with the Cavs and visits the Indians and Browns booths, too, for games and giveaways.

"Like" the Facebook page for the expo by clicking here.

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