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Android Cellphones Google Security Technology

The Google Pixel 4 Will Have Built-In Radar and Unlock With a Face Scan (theverge.com) 72

Posted by BeauHD from the smile-you're-on-camera dept.
In a YouTube video and blog post, Google revealed that its upcoming Pixel 4 smartphone will feature face unlock technology and a feature called "Motion Sense," which confirms that it will have a Project Soli chip that uses radar to detect hand gestures near the phone. The Verge reports: Adding face unlock puts the Pixel 4 on par with modern iPhones for unlocking, and it's (at least in theory) more convenient than an in-screen fingerprint sensor. Google also confirmed that the Pixel 4 will use the face unlock feature for payments: "face unlock works in almost any orientation -- even if you're holding it upside down -- and you can use it for secure payments and app authentication too." As with the iPhone, Google says that biometric data will be stored locally in a secure chip and never share with other Google services. The Pixel 4's face unlock feature will use a variety of sensors to identify your face, including depth, infrared, and RGB. That should mean that it will work in a variety of lighting situations and also work with a diverse set of faces. Google has told me that it has done "field research" to ensure both of those things.

As for the "Motion Sense" feature, there's not a ton that we can glean from Google's article. Earlier rumors have pointed to it being related to Project Soli, which uses radar to detect tiny hand or finger movements above the device. For example, Google has demoed rubbing your thumb and index finger together to simulate turning a dial on a smartwatch. Some code found in the next version of Android has suggested it could be used for media controls at the very least. Google's post cites a possible use case where the Soli chip could detect your hand reaching for the phone, which would automatically turn on "the face unlock sensors." If it all works, the phone would automatically unlock itself and be ready by the time you're looking at it.
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The Google Pixel 4 Will Have Built-In Radar and Unlock With a Face Scan More

The Google Pixel 4 Will Have Built-In Radar and Unlock With a Face Scan

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  • "detect your hand reaching for the phone, which would automatically turn on "the face unlock sensors.""
     
    The next version will automatically unlock the phone if it detects you THINKING about reaching for it. And the version after that will just keep the phone unlocked at all times.

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by gweihir ( 88907 )

      Pretty much so. We have reached peak incompetence just because some people are incapable to remember a short code.

      • People should just be like me and use "1234" as their code on their iPhone 4.

        • Re: (Score:3)

          by aevan ( 903814 )
          That's the kind of combination an idiot would put on their luggage.

          • I resemble that remark.

            • Re: (Score:2)

              by gweihir ( 88907 )

              Better than the PINs put on nuclear missiles for a long time. Apparently that code was 1111. (Parts of the military are clinically insane and hugely dangerous.)

              • Better than the PINs put on nuclear missiles for a long time. Apparently that code was 1111. (Parts of the military are clinically insane and hugely dangerous.)

                It would be even worse if the pins were binary.

                • Re: (Score:2)

                  by gweihir ( 88907 )

                  Since these were code-switches, the code was basically "don't touch, it is already armed"....

      • but...

        cops will LOVE this.

        google: you are beyond evil, now. way behond.

        I wonder why anyone even works at google anymore. don't they realize who they are working for?

        • Re: (Score:2)

          by gweihir ( 88907 )

          Indeed.

        • Re: (Score:2)

          by dwywit ( 1109409 )

          Nah - just teach it to lock up when it hears you say the phrase "Police lockdown"

          And only unlock when it 1: hears *you* say "I freely consent to unlock" AND accepts your pin code.

  • Pixel 4 is going to be a monster judging by the quantity of new sensor's built in!! (Y) (Y)
  • LEO: "Sir, would you unlock your phone?"
    "No."
    LEO waves phone in front of subject's face...

    {later}

    "Your honor, we asked him to unlock his phone and he did."

  • No. Face unlocking is not "more convenient" than a fingerprint when the fingerprint is strategically located on the back of a phone, or at the bottom/side of an iPad.

    It's ridiculous that when I want to unlock my iPad Pro in class I can't just scan a finger. No. I have to tap the screen, then tilt it so it can see my face or type in my code anyway. It used to just be tap once on the fingerprint scanner and boom, unlocked. Yeah, adding a 2 steps (tap THEN lift THEN wait for it to see/scan my face) that's

  • Google misleading ads (Score:1, Interesting)

    by u19925 ( 613350 )

    Google is advertising Pixel3A on giant LCD screens on highways near its HQ where they show Pixel3A side by side with iPhoneX and then say that their phone costs $399 vs iPhoneX.

    * iPhoneX is no longer on sale for 10 months
    * Pixel3A benchmarks puts it slower than iPhone7
    * Apple sales iPhone7 for $449 way before Pixel3A was released
    * iPhoneX has myriad of new features that none of Google phone has. They are still trying to catch up with it with its future Pixel4.

    All it shows is that Google thinks Android users

    • I like the comparison. A lot of people won't care for the extra features the iPhone has. Also, the Pixel3A has way more advanced computational photography for stills, like Night Sight which vastly improves low-light shots compared to the iPhone X.

    • Re: (Score:3)

      by AmiMoJo ( 196126 )

      Nope. They are comparing to "Phone X", not specifically the iPhone X.

      The Pixel 3A feels snappy in use. It has a lot of features that no iPhone has. Apple is still trying to catch up.

      We can nit-pick and play top trumps all day, but the real kicker is that for a phone costing half as much you get a *much* better camera and a headphone jack.

  • Radar (Score:3)

    by Megahard ( 1053072 ) on Monday July 29, 2019 @08:36PM (#59009454)

    Does it show an alert for an incoming ballistic missile?

  • the guy who shot me just has to point my phone to my face to unlock it? Yeah, I want that.

    See also, fingerprints.

    • Re: (Score:1)

      by Anonymous Coward

      What do you care, you're fucking dead?!

    • "don't shoot him in the face you blathering idiot! How are we going to be able to hijack his social media accounts if we CAN'T UNLOCK HIS FUCKING iPhone!!!"

      ~Future Mob Boss

  • I have a Moto Force X, and it has infrared sensors on the front. It can detect coarse movements like waving a hand in front, or moving your face in front of it.

    Combined with an OLED screen it's great for being able to view my lock screen (clock and notifications) without needing to press a button. I'd happily get a phone with the same feature again.

  • Comment removed based on user account deletion

  • i don't care much for the face unlock feature, will probably never use it if i ever get a phone that has this feature.

    but i'm really excited about the 'hand radar' thingy, i wouldn't be suprised that google translate would get an update so that it can translate hand gestures, that would be pretty cool!

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