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Samsung's version of Face Unlock requires you to blink before it grants access to the phone

By Daniel Petrov

Updated: Mar 29, 2012, 7:40 AM

Samsung Android

Samsung's version of Face Unlock requires you to blink before it grants access to the phone

Just when we started wondering whether the company can pull off the eye-tracking tech supposedly in store for the rumored Samsung i9300 M Olympics phone, and it clarified how they do it.

Today Samsung Tomorrow, the company's official blog, issued a post aiming to introduce us to the kitchen of software updates. Buried inside the Galaxy S quasi-ICS update section was hidden this little gem: "Included in the firmware upgrade is the ‘Face Unlock’ feature found in the ICS upgrade. In response to security issues raised regarding Face Unlock, Samsung incorporated blinking for added security."

This is in response to the allegations that the Face Unlock feature of Android 4.0 ICS can be easily tricked by just holding a picture in front of the phone, instead of the actual person.

Samsung has resolved the issue in a pretty neat manner, requiring you to blink, so the phone makes sure a living, breathing person sits in front of it. Regardless of the way they did it with the front-facing camera, now the rumor about the Samsung M tracking your eyes and keeping the screen on if it recognizes you are staring at it, receives much more street cred.

source: Samsung via SlashGear

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Daniel, a devoted tech writer at PhoneArena from 2010 to 2025, has been engrossed in mobile technology since the Windows Mobile era. His expertise spans mobile hardware, software, and carrier networks, and he's keenly interested in the future of digital health, car connectivity, and 5G. Beyond his professional pursuits, Daniel finds balance in travel, reading, and exploring new tech innovations, while contemplating the ethical and privacy implications of our digital future.