Lenovo A586 touts voice unlock through Baidu, A*STAR verification tech
Attempts to get away from unlocking our smartphones through codes and finger swipes have mostly centered on camera tricks like Android's Face Unlock. If you happen to pick up a Lenovo IdeaPhone A586 when it reaches China on December 12th, you'll have the option to use some dulcet tones instead. The Android smartphone builds in a new speaker verification system from Baidu and A*STAR's Institute for Infocomm Research that looks for a specific voice signature: speak a distinct passphrase and the phone unlocks without gestures or a longing stare. Few will be especially smitten with the 4.5-inch, 854 x 480 display, 1.2GHz dual-core processor, 5-megapixel camera or 4GB of storage, but they'll be glad to get access to their A586 in a more hands-off (and hopefully spoof-resistant) way. We'd only be worried about choosing a passphrase that won't trigger odd looks from passers-by.
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BAIDU-I2R RESEARCH CENTRE (BIRC) BRINGS FIRST SPEAKER VERIFICATION TECHNOLOGY INTO SMARTPHONES WITH BUILT-IN VOICEPRINT FEATURE
Baidu-I2R Research Centre (BIRC) Brings First Speaker Verification Technology Into Smartphones With Built-In Voiceprint Feature
BIRC's state-of-the-art technology unlocks Lenovo-Baidu smartphones with user's voice
1. Singapore, 30 November 2012 - Using your voice as a unique identification to unlock your smartphone is no longer a fantasy or just another scene from a futuristic movie. The technology will be embedded in Lenovo's smartphone - Lenovo A586, which will be available from 30th November 2012 in China through major telecommunications providers and online shops. This innovative Speaker Verification technology was pioneered by A*STAR's Institute for Infocomm Research (I2R) and enhanced by the Baidu-I2R Research Centre (BIRC).
2. The adoption of the Speaker Verification technology in the Lenovo A586 smartphone demonstrates A*STAR's success in translating results from research collaborations with corporations in Singapore to industry applications. It also marks a major milestone for BIRC, a joint laboratory between A*STAR's I2R and Baidu, Inc. (Nasdaq: BIDU), the leading Chinese language Internet search provider. BIRC, Baidu's first overseas joint R&D facility, officially opened in Singapore in July this year.
3. The Lenovo A586 smartphone is the first in the industry that incorporates this Speaker Verification technology into its operating system. With this distinctive feature, an authorized user can unlock the smartphone simply by speaking a passphrase, without the need to use PINs, passwords or finger swipe patterns.
4. Dr. Li Haizhou, Co-Director of BIRC said, "We are delighted that our months of hard work and efforts are bearing fruits with the launch of the Lenovo A586 that incorporates our Speaker Verification technology. This is a strong endorsement of user-inspired research and cutting-edge speech and language technology in I2R and BIRC. We look forward to more innovative products from the Baidu and I2R partnership."
5. "Lenovo A586's adoption of the Speaker Verification technology that is developed through our joint effort with Baidu demonstrates I2R's commitment to translate their expertise in speech and language technologies into products that benefits consumers and the industry. It is indeed encouraging that an A*STAR-developed technology is being deployed in China, the largest and world's fastest growing smartphone market," said Dr. Tan Geok Leng, Executive Director of I²R.
