Submitted by Bob Bhatnagar on
Apple as usual has made a business decision that could lead to exciting new features on the next generation iPhone and beyond. The company has acquired Swedish company Polar Rose, known for its mobile face recognition technology FaceLib among other similar products.
With full face detection and tracking of faces in video, the solutions Polar Rose delivers could change how you interact with your iPhone. Now that the iPhone 4 has a front-facing camera, passcode lock could end up going the way of the dinosaurs.
Imagine holding your iPhone up and the device automatically unlocking to reveal your home screen. The neat trick is that your iPhone won't do this for anyone else. If the software on the iPhone recognizes your face, this replaces your passcode. Some Apple patents have recently been revealed that could lead to iPhones recognizing the shape of your hand, which could also replace the four-digit passcode.
Other interesting uses for the technology include automatically tagging people in photos and recognizing FaceTime callers from contact information. As the photographs taken on the iPhone improve, various image analysis algorithms could also be used to automatically classify and organize photos by type or subject.
Apple's iPhoto currently recognizes faces in pictures for tagging purposes. It's possible Apple is looking to improve and expand this functionality. Polar Rose removed its free tagging services for Facebook and Flickr earlier this month, citing interest from larger companies in licensing their technology. Staying true to form, Apple has not confirmed the acquisition of Polar Rose.
Comments
Stephen Wilson,... replied on Permalink
Whole new privacy problem for Apple.
The trouble with automatically tagging photos is that it creates Personally Identifiable Information. Under privacy law, creating information counts as collecting it and so the tagged photo files instantly become subject to privacy regulations. Is Apple ready for that and the obligations that flow from it? With geolocation and time tagging of photos, whoever holds comprehensive image databases can then start mining them to work out how people are moving around the world.
Anonymous replied on Permalink
In the US, there are very few regulations regarding privacy. Certain industries are regulated (heathcare data, telecommunications, banking) and the government has a well developed set of regulations for itself. But private business and corporations are self regulated and have no restrictions. Most privacy policies posted online show that there are huge loopholes in what they can do with your data. Many companies protect your data very well because they want to earn your trust, but there is no law requiring them to do so. Europe has a much more comprehensive set of privacy laws.
Anonymous replied on Permalink
COULDNT U JUST HOLD A PICTURE OF THE PERSONS FACE TO UNLOCK IT THEN?
Anonymous replied on Permalink
very good point !
Whiskers24 replied on Permalink
instantly that was exactly my first thought when i read this article. Hype over a doomed feature.
Anonymous replied on Permalink
My laptop has facial recognition, which works great unless it's dark in the room, and it wouldn't log on for a picture of me. I'm not sure why it doesn't work, but it definitely doesn't.
Anonymous replied on Permalink
as soon as the iphone get this features, they will call it first in the business. And call it magical.
Anonymous replied on Permalink
what other phone do you know of that has this feature?
Anonymous replied on Permalink
non, and after this all phones are gonna get it, but i think he meand that after this all idouches are gonna go "lenovo stole this from my iphone!!" "it was an original iphone idea!!!" XD it has happen before :D
i have arready seem this on lenovo and other brands (laptops of course) and yeah, i just try it and it doesn't work with a picture hahaha
milap replied on Permalink
frnds its nt allowd wid photo cuz it scanes 3-d n u r face can b scaned 3 dimentionally nt a snap a photo is nly 2-d.
Anonymous replied on Permalink
Learn to freaking write moron!
How hard is it to actually write complete words and sentences?
Anonymous replied on Permalink
it probably have pixel difference check or some sort of distance check so can tell if it is 3d or a picture
chrisRAWRZ replied on Permalink
they most likely tested that theory already and it probably doesn't work.
T.J. replied on Permalink
No, this tech is Biometrics, and more than likely facial recognition will also include some form retinal device that will scan your eye. Not only will holding a picture of someone not work, but also being in a dark room won't stop the recognition. This really isn't a concern for anyone to be worried about in the long run, of course in the beginning problems will arise, but after everything is worked out all will benefit. Just 10 years ago everyone was complaining and worrying about all the advancements we've made now, and are using on a daily basis.
Anonymous replied on Permalink
I hope no phone or any other corporate made gadget ever gets this technology correct personally.
Sure your phone gets nicked and the buggers get away with using or selling it, if they can crack your simple passwords or just rip its innards out to thwart any user protections and sell it bare/cloned or whatever.
At least your mug shot isnt auto added to a biometric database, no doubt hooked into everything behind the scenes for a profit at your privacies expense.
I've nothing to fear but tricksy gimicks aimed at making me lose liberties to feel there is nothing to fear, whilst the rest of media tries hard to make me feel fear and something to fear, in not having something to fear for my phone, or its useage.
FFS its a phone. It should ring if people want you, or let you ring them if you want to. F all else.
Winston Smith retreated into the alcove and reached for his stylus to pen his normal thinking, his multi touch facial recognition screen sprang to life as he chose his ++ AllowedWordAPP and then the cops arrived shortly after he'd penned his first entry, of his intended 40 volume work on "How the Government and Corporate owners have screwed the world and all of us over and not to mention their friends are Bankers"
Spoon replied on Permalink
Could make growing a beard problematic then.
And what's so difficult about putting in a pass code anyway? "ooooo I've got to put in 4 numbers before I can use my phone it's soooo time consuming and difficult"
Bloody stupid idea.
Mastandaa replied on Permalink
Very nice post dude, its really wonderfull, really worth to share and spread.mastandaa
Anonymous replied on Permalink
what happens if u're trapped in a place with no lights, like, say the lift ?? how's face recognition suppose to work?
sarajhones replied on Permalink
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Daud khan replied on Permalink
Really it is very good, it is helpful..
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khurram replied on Permalink
waiting this Phone from august...rumors are around that iPhone 5 will have face recognition...lets see
Anonymous replied on Permalink
Again Apple is pretending to invent things.
The Face recognition, was first seen when Microsoft was developing Natal (now known as Kinetic. [Kinetic is a dumbed down version of Natal.]).
"iPhones recognizing the shape of your hand"
Its called fingerprinting, and we already have that. And before any of you say something stupid, I don't think your whole hand will fit on a phone.
Anonymous replied on Permalink
Again Apple is pretending to invent things.
Face recognition, was first seen when Microsoft was developing Natal (now known as Kinetic. [Kinetic is a dumbed down version of Natal.]).
"iPhones recognizing the shape of your hand"
Its called fingerprinting, and we already have that. And before any of you say something stupid, I don't think your whole hand will fit on a phone.
bibin wilson replied on Permalink
for more information about i5 check this site... www.comtechies.com ..
Anonymous replied on Permalink
My Galaxy S2 already has this feature. And this was 2 years ago!
lovely smile replied on Permalink
my S4 have this feature..and in love it
love boy replied on Permalink
i want this feature in my phone... love this... but i think not available in iphone...
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