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Google Patents Frowns and Winks To Unlock Your Phone

Posted by timothy on from the your-tic-is-your-password dept.

Excelcia writes "Users could soon be asked to pull a series of faces to unlock their Android phones or tablets. Google has filed a patent suggesting users stick out their tongue or wrinkle their nose in place of a password. Requiring specific gestures could prevent the existing Face Unlock facility being fooled by photos. The software could monitor if there were changes in the angle of the person's face to ensure the device was not being shown a still image with a fake gesture animated on top."

10 of 89 comments (clear)

  1. This sucks.. by Hsien-Ko · · Score: 4, Funny

    ......for Botox users.

    1. Re: This sucks.. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

      The only problem is no phone will be safe from Jim Carey.

  2. fooled by video instead? by AndroSyn · · Score: 3, Interesting

    Why wouldn't you just be able to play a video back to it of the subject making the required facial expression?

    1. Re:fooled by video instead? by squiggleslash · · Score: 4, Funny

      Let's hope nobody completely ruins Google's idea here by creating some kind of device you wear all the time that records everything you're looking at, allowing you to record someone's expression without them thinking twice about it...

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  3. :( *sadface* by nitehawk214 · · Score: 4, Insightful

    This is me frowning at your use of stupid patents.

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  4. Seriously? by sl4shd0rk · · Score: 4, Funny

    I'm imagining a roomful of Google Glass testers who look like they have Tourrets.

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  5. Good. by tool462 · · Score: 3, Funny

    Finally a use for patents I can support. This will prevent anybody else from implementing this incredibly stupid idea.

    And on a side note, if Google did get this to work would they be able to have the phone automatically call 911 if you were having a stroke?

  6. suicide. by geekymachoman · · Score: 3, Informative

    I'm gonna really kill myself if in 5-10, whatever years this becomes reality. Out of embarrassment of watching others do that.

    Imagine it.

  7. OCD leaves me by __aaeihw9960 · · Score: 3, Interesting

    with a super awesome facial tic. I am constantly lining the bridge of my nose up with opposite corners of squares when I'm walking around (OR MY FAMILY WILL DIE). So it constantly looks like I'm winking.

    It's been mildly inconvenient so far in life, but apparently now it will be SUPER useful to unlock my phone constantly! Thank you science and technology for making me feel less like a social outcast!

  8. Re:I'm patenting the fart gesture by oodaloop · · Score: 4, Funny

    Would it work if it's just in the general direction?

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