
Google acquires Israeli security startup SlickLogin - ilhackernews
http://www.geektime.com/2014/02/16/google-acquires-slicklogin/
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abcd_f
So this requires an always-on "hot mic" app. Does anyone see any issues with
that?

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objclxt
Some Android phones (the Moto X, off the top of my head) already have an
always-on microphone - for better or for worse.

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dublinben
Only if you enable and set up that feature. My Moto X doesn't.

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chockablock
This TechCrunch article from last year goes into more details on the
implementation, including a Q&A with the founders:

[http://techcrunch.com/2013/09/09/slicklogin-wants-to-kill-
th...](http://techcrunch.com/2013/09/09/slicklogin-wants-to-kill-the-password-
by-singing-a-silent-song-to-your-smartphone/)

And here's a ShowHN thread (unfortunately light on interaction with the
submitter):

[https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=6359450](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=6359450)

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p4bl0
Their website is not usable with my 1024 pixels wide browser window.

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dublinben
If you disable their CSS, it works much better.

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yanivf
Their tech would be a great addition to Google's Smart-Auth mechanism.

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higherpurpose
If this is already possible, then having NSA register your keystrokes on the
PC keyboard through your phone like we saw that research a few months is
probably not too far fetched.

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fourspace
Congrats. The irony is that the last thing I think of when I'm using Google's
long-convoluted account management system is "slick login".

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timothya
Then it should really make sense why they are purchasing a company that does
login better.

Side question: What is long and convoluted about Google's account management?
It's one account with a single login which works across all Google products.
Seems pretty straightforward to me. It only gets a bit more complicated if you
try to disable parts of your account, but that's not the normal use case.

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regal
When you're trying to use Google Apps for business, for one, and you go to
email.MyURL.com and get redirected to a standard Google login screen where you
now have to click a button to not sign in as your personal account, then come
back and sign in as a business account, plus also add the "@MyURL.com" at the
end (didn't used to have to do this), and you're doing that with multiple
different accounts, it gets pretty tricky pretty in a hurry.

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samstave
Yep!

I have my own domain email on google, plus a personal @gmail, and have my work
email hosted...

It can get laborious.

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noname123
Awesome! Saw the team pitch at AngelHack, one of the more technical teams I
have seen amongst all of the "Me Too" consumer social startups.
Congratulations!

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alecsmart1
I'm assuming this won't work on desktop computer if one does not have a mic.

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mrtksn
Actually, it's the other way around. On the demo video the presenter says "the
audio signal is transmitted from the computer to the phone".

here at 2:15 :
[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X5I6qV2b5iw](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X5I6qV2b5iw)

I am more curious about if the phone has to be always listening and what
happens if there is noise in the environment.

Also what if the attacker manages to bring a recording device close enough? Is
the distance important because of the amplitude or because of the delay due to
the speed of sound?

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councilscheme
what good would recording be if the audio has a timestamp in it?

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mrtksn
what if the attacker transmits the audio in real time?

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edanm
They're good friends of mine, and are an absolutely awesome team!

Congratulations!

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infocollector
Does anyone know how much was the acquisition for?

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nandemo
Is there something like HN for the Israeli scene?

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lisper
So... if my speakers are off (which mine are most of the time) it doesn't
work?

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Fasebook
I already don't care. Amazing!

