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Proposed face unlock system would let you access your device with a wink
BYU professor D.J. Lee has patented a two-factor facial recognition authentication system that scans a subject's face and a unique facial action for identity verification.
FBI forces suspect to unlock iPhone X with Face ID
In what may be a world first, the FBI has forced a suspect to unlock his iPhone X using Apple's Face ID feature. Agents in Columbus, Ohio entered the home of 28-year-old Grant Michalski, who was suspected of child abuse, according to court documents spotted by Forbes. With a search warrant in hand, they forced him to put his face on front of the device to unlock it. They were then able to freely search for his photos, chats and any other potential evidence.
OnePlus 6 face unlock can be fooled by a simple printout
For smartphones without home buttons, face unlocking has become a necessary and ostensibly more secure method for preventing unauthorized access. The iPhone X and Samsung Galaxy S9 have adopted the technology, but it turns out there's a way to cheat the system -- for the OnePlus 6, anyway. Twitter user @rikvduijn discovered that it's possible to exploit the face unlock feature with a printed color copy of the phone owner's face.
Samsung Galaxy S9 may pack more reliable face recognition
Samsung has hinted that the Galaxy S9 might include more advanced face recognition, but we're now getting clues as to what's involved. SamCentral's sleuthing in the settings APK for the Galaxy Note 8's Oreo beta has discovered a hidden Intelligent Scan feature that uses both camera-based face detection and the iris scanner in tandem for "better accuracy and security" and improved results in "low or very bright" lighting. Given that the iris scanning on the S8 and Note 8 can be finnicky, this could deliver a much more consistent experience when you're unlocking your phone or accessing secure info.
OnePlus 5 beta adds the 5T's Face Unlock feature
OnePlus really didn't waste any time fulfilling its promise of bringing the 5T's Face Unlock feature to the original 5. The smartphone maker has rolled out an OxygenOS beta that lets OnePlus 5 owners sign in with a quick glimpse at their phone, just like those with newer handsets. This isn't a stable release, so you probably don't want to install this if you can't afford to deal with glitches, but it beats waiting weeks into 2018 to give the feature a try.
OnePlus 5 will get the 5T's Face Unlock feature
The OnePlus 5T's other party trick (besides the tall screen) is Face Unlock: a quick glimpse at your phone is all it takes to sign in. But is it really worth buying just so you don't have to use a fingerprint reader? No -- and OnePlus knows it. Company chief Carl Pei has tweeted that Face Unlock will be available on the OnePlus 5. He hasn't given a time frame or said whether or not there will be any functional differences, but it's good news for anyone worried that the phone maker would purposefully hold back to drive 5T sales.
Apple’s Face ID replaces Touch ID on the iPhone X
Apple has just revealed Face ID, a new facial recognition feature that will make its debut on the iPhone X. The technology is powered by what the company calls a True Depth camera system, which is made up of a bunch of sensors that detect your face, even in the dark, and let you unlock your iPhone by simply looking at it. Altogether, Face ID uses ambient light, infrared and proximity sensors, as well as a flood illuminator, speaker, microphone and, of course, the front camera to make the "magic" happen. Meanwhile, a newly minted, dual-core A11 Bionic neural engine will process that information.
An iOS 11 feature can quickly disable Touch ID
Law enforcement authorities have been at odds with the legal system and mobile companies when it comes to gaining access to citizens' phones. One of the more notable instances was the FBI's attempt to get Apple to unlock the San Bernardino suspect's iPhone, but there have been other similar incidents as well. And situations can get extra tricky when it comes to fingerprint unlocking, especially for those entering the US of late. However, with iOS 11, Apple is giving users an option to easily disable Touch ID, which could be very useful for those in sticky legal situations where they might be compelled to unlock their phone with their fingerprint.
Google patents new facial recognition technology to let users unlock phones with a wink and a smile
Google first implemented face-unlock in ICS, and since then, it's been hard at work improving the feature and acquiring new IP related to it. Last fall, the search giant patented a way for multiple users to use face-unlock on a single device. This week it obtained a new patent for a method that requires users to make a series of facial expressions to gain access to a system. Essentially, the patent claims a method where a device captures two images of a user, then compares the differences in the images to identify a facial gesture and authenticate the user. In other words, its a face-unlock method where a device looks at two pictures of your mug to tell if you're raising an eyebrow, frowning or sticking your tongue out as instructed by a prompt from the device. And, it double checks to ensure that it is, in fact, the same face in both images. Oh, and the patent leaves room for a series of expressions to be used -- so at some point in the future, you may have to give your Google-fied phone a wink and a smile before it grants you access. Guess that's easier than remembering a PIN, right?
Apple files patent application for fingerprint sensor that can be transparent or opaque
While Apple has flirted with biometric-based patents before, we've yet to see them implemented in real-world technology. That hasn't stopped it from filing yet another one though, as the latest application reveals a fingerprint sensor apparently embedded into the iPhone itself. The patent describes a hardware "window" that can become selectively "transparent or opaque." When transparent, it would reveal a component comprised of an "image capture device, a strobe flash, a biometric sensor, a light sensor, a proximity sensor, or a solar panel, or a combination thereof" as a method of unlocking the phone. According to the filing, the biometric sensor in question might indeed be a fingerprint reader. The document goes on to describe an alternative method using face or eye recognition technology that can be used not just for security purposes, but for possible e-commerce solutions like completing an online transaction. Of course, take any of these patent applications with a generous pinch of salt -- we haven't seen an Apple stylus yet, for example -- but perhaps this is the reason Apple bought fingerprint sensor maker AuthenTec back in July.
Google wins face-to-unlock for multiple users patent, makes us hungry for Android support
Google has won a face-to-unlock patent that seems to let multiple users share one "computing device." Point your face at the built-in camera, and you'll be allowed access to your personal profile -- and when it's time to move, someone else can do the same to take your place. While there's no connection to a real-world product and relates more to biometric ID than consumer technology, it does tickle hopes that we could see the feature included alongside official multi-user support in a future iteration of Android.
Samsung tweaking Face Unlock to require blinking, smiling still optional
Still paranoid about a friend sneaking past your four-dot-oh facial security and revealing all your little secrets? Worry no more, as Sammy's got a solution for you. The new feature is stuffed inside the tasty ICS being delivered now to global Galaxy S IIs, adding the need to blink in order to bypass the Face Unlock screen. Aside from the eyelash-flashing bit included in the upgrade, Samsung's Product Planning Team says they've also added Photo Editor, Beta Font, Snapshot and a novel S Go Launcher Pro. You can check out the full interview with Samsung's whiz-squad at the source below.
Samsung Galaxy S ICS-like 'value pack' upgrade officially released in Korea
The so-called Value Pack upgrade that was leaked for original Samsung Galaxy S devices after the company announced they would not be upgraded to Ice Cream Sandwich (it was later given a passing mention in the Galaxy S II ICS upgrade notes) has been officially released, at least in Korea. The official Samsung Tomorrow page has a link to Gingerbread and Froyo upgrades for the Galaxy S, as well as the Galaxy K and Galaxy U phones. Just like the leaked version, it adds some Ice Cream Sandwich features to these non-Android 4.0 phones, including Face Unlock, the ability to take pictures while shooting video and launcher improvements, without the fully reworked underpinnings of the new OS. Owners of compatible devices can hit the source link for all the details and the files, as long as they have Kies 2.0 at the ready and a bit of open storage space (backing up existing data is also, naturally, encouraged). Of course whether this will officially come to any of our US-carrier optimized Galaxy S models is still unknown.
Android-style FaceUnlock ported to iOS (video)
Just because it's CES doesn't mean that other amazing innovations aren't going on elsewhere. We've spotted this video of an app being built (from scratch) for iOS that duplicates the FaceUnlock technology we know and love on Android 4.0. Simply stick your face in view of the camera and it'll start identifying your fizzog -- with live detection and rejection all demoed in the clip we've got after the break. From the video, it's promised to make a trip to the App Store soon, hopefully without earning the ire of the retail guardians of Cupertino.
Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich review
The next version of each smartphone's operating system is always the best. We impatiently wait for the latest and greatest firmware to come around, expecting it to liberate us from the shackles of last year's code and features that haven't shown up yet. This happens incessantly with Google's Android OS, and version 4.0 -- unveiled at this year's I/O conference in May -- is no different. Known as Ice Cream Sandwich (referred to henceforth as ICS), the last word in the title indicates the merging of Gingerbread, the most recent phone platform, and Honeycomb, the version optimized for use on tablets. We knew this much, but were otherwise left with conjecture as to how the company planned to accomplish such a feat -- and what else the new iteration had in store. Which devices will get Ice Cream Sandwich? Hands-on screenshot gallery Galaxy Nexus and ICS roundup But now the time of reckoning is upon us, and the Samsung Galaxy Nexus -- Android 4.0's mother ship -- is slowly spreading across the globe, its users being treated to this year's smartphone dessert. ICS is one of the largest and most important upgrades we've witnessed from Android since its humble beginnings, making a huge change in user experience as well as a massive number of bullet points on the list of features. Now that we've had the opportunity to take it for a spin, where does it stand in the ranks of mobile operating systems? Follow us beneath as we dig into the layers of this sweet sandwich.
Galaxy Nexus, Ice Cream Sandwich roundup: specs, details and insight, oh my!
Couldn't stay awake for Samsung and Google's Ice Cream Sandwich event? Fear not, because we were there, documenting and analyzing every second of it on the internet. You can either re-live the magic at our Homeric liveblog, or check out the links below to get educated and up to speed. Galaxy Nexus Samsung's Galaxy Nexus gets official: Android 4.0, 4.65-inch HD Super AMOLED display (video) Samsung's Galaxy Nexus launches in November on NTT Docomo, Verizon, and more Samsung Galaxy Nexus vs. Droid RAZR by Motorola: the tale of the tape Samsung Galaxy Nexus with Ice Cream Sandwich hands-on (video) Google confirms Nexus S will get Ice Cream Sandwich -- for real this time (Gingerbread devices, too) Samsung Galaxy Nexus vs. Galaxy S II, Nexus One and Nexus S (macro hands-on) Samsung Galaxy Nexus camera and 1080p video samples Samsung: the LTE version of the Galaxy Nexus will be 'a little' thicker Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich now official, includes revamped design, enhancements galore Roboto font and the new design philosophy of Android 4.0, Ice Cream Sandwich Android Ice Cream Sandwich adds Face Unlock feature Ice Cream Sandwich revamps Android camera and gallery features Google announces NFC-based Android Beam for sharing between phones (video) Google Ice Cream Sandwich (Android 4.0): a hands-on screenshot gallery HTC: We're reviewing Ice Cream Sandwich and determining our plans Ice Cream Sandwich face unlock demo (video) Android Beam takes us to the future of close-proximity data exchange (video) Google's 'very close' to launching a digital download store with 'a little twist'
Andy Rubin: Ice Cream Sandwich's Face Unlock is developed by PittPatt
Liking that Face Unlock on Ice Cream Sandwich we saw this morning? You can thank PittPatt for that. Here at AsiaD's opening session, Android head honcho Andy Rubin just confirmed that said Pittsburgh-based company -- acquired by Google earlier this year -- was responsible for this nifty security feature. While the demo didn't go as planned for Matias Duarte at the launch event, Andy was able to show us how Face Unlock's meant to work on the stage just now. In fact, Andy said his team even had to "slow down the process" as PittPatt's software was too fast to make folks believe that any security at all was involved -- for what it's worth, Walt Mossberg's beard couldn't get past the unlock screen on Andy's Galaxy Nexus. Head on over to our hands-on video to see us getting up close and personal with Face Unlock.
Ice Cream Sandwich face unlock demo (video)
When Matias Duarte tried to unlock his Nexus Galaxy on-stage at today's Samsung event things didn't go so well. Some combination of his makeup and the lighting conspired to keep him from getting into his device, but after spending a little time with one ourselves we can confirm that it does indeed work -- and quickly. To program the feature, go into the settings and it'll train itself to recognize your mug. As it locks in a ring of circles frames your face and, hey presto, it's ready. After that you set up a backup form of identification and you're good to go.Once it's ready we found it takes only a second or two to recognize and unlock the phone, meaning this should be even faster than swiping or punching in an unlock code. But, you still will need to do that from time to time, either when the lighting conditions are less than optimal or, apparently, when you weren't born with it and were relying a little too much on the Maybelline.
Android Ice Cream Sandwich adds Face Unlock feature
There's no shortage of new features in Ice Cream Sandwich, but one sure to attract a lot of attention is Face Unlock. That, as you can probably surmise, lets you unlock your phone through facial recognition instead of a password -- hardly a new idea, but a first for Google. Unfortunately, the demo didn't go quite as planned during the keynote -- locking out Google's Matias Duarte -- but we'll be sure to give it a go ourselves and report back.
Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich now official, includes revamped design, enhancements galore
Google has taken the stage in Hong Kong to make the next version of Android OS, nicknamed Ice Cream Sandwich, a thing of reality. Better known as Android 4.0, the update offers a massive redesign to the user interface and adds a plethora of new features. Some of the highlights include an NFC-enabled feature called Android Beam, offline search in Gmail, new lock screen features and a fancy unlocking method called "Face Unlock," which uses facial recognition to ensure strangers can't use your phone without permission. Ice Cream Sandwich also includes enhancements in almost every native app within Android itself. The SDK is already available for Android 4.0, and the update itself will make its first public appearance on the Samsung Galaxy Nexus, also unveiled tonight. After the break, we'll cover all of the nitty gritty details, along with some excellent screenshots below. So come along, why won't you? %Gallery-136926% %Gallery-136932%
