Face ID

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BeardID - Facial Recognition Software Learning to Identify Bears And Cows

Charlotte Henry ·

Facial recognition software is a key part of how we use our iPhones with Face ID. CNet reported that similar technology is now learning to recognize bears and cows.

After spending over a decade tracking and studying grizzly bears in British Columbia, Canada, bear biologist Melanie Clapham has teamed up with two Silicon Valley-based tech workers to create a facial recognition software called BearID. Designed to monitor grizzly bears and track them via small differences like scars and nicks, the project has been used to recognise 132 of the animals thus far. By adapting existing artificial intelligence programs (namely, funny apps that put moustaches on dogs) the team was able to collect 4,674 images of grizzly bears. According to the team’s research, published in Ecology and Evolution, the system is now 84% accurate — though it requires the bears to be in the system prior to identification.

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Facebook Considers Adding Face ID to Messenger Chats

Andrew Orr ·

Facebook’s latest experiment involves adding Face ID / Touch ID protection to Messenger chats.

When enabled, users will need to authenticate their identity using Face ID, Touch ID, or their passcode before they can view their inbox, even if their phone is already unlocked. […] The company is currently testing the new security feature among a small percentage of Messenger’s iOS users, though it could eventually be available more widely, including on Android.

I’d love to seen an option to lock any app with Face ID / Touch ID.

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You Can Now Lock Google Drive on iOS With Face ID, Touch ID

Andrew Orr ·

Today Google updated Google Drive on iOS with a feature called Privacy Screen. It lets you lock the app with Face ID and Touch ID. Digital Trends notes:

The feature is activated each time you close the Drive app and reopen it and also locks files if you switch between Google Drive and another app, according to a Google spokesperson. You’ll have the option to turn this feature on and adjust its timing in Drive settings.

I personally would like Apple to let us lock every app with Face ID / Touch ID. Apps can clearly do this by themselves, but having it “baked” into the operating system is ideal.

App Store: Google Drive – Free

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Two Zombie Rumors are Back: iPhone SE 2 and Display Touch ID

Andrew Orr ·

I’ve coined the phrase “zombie rumor” because these rumors keep getting resurrected. First it was the Apple TV set, and now it’s the iPhone SE 2 and Touch ID that is embedded into the screen. Mark Gurman tells us about both.

Apple is considering including this in-screen touch sensor in the 2020 iPhone model if testing is successful, the people said. Suppliers have proven their ability to integrate the technology into iPhones, but the company has not managed to mass-produce it yet, one person familiar with the development work said.

I think going back to Touch ID is a step backward. Face ID is more secure, so Apple would be intentionally creating less-secure devices, unless they can somehow get Touch ID up to par with Face ID.

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Researchers Spoof Face ID Using Tape and Glasses

Andrew Orr ·

During the Black Hat 2019 conference, researchers demonstrated a way to spoof Face ID using nothing more than glasses and tape.

To launch the attack, researchers with Tencent tapped into a feature behind biometrics called “liveness” detection, which is part of the biometric authentication process that sifts through “real” versus “fake” features on people. It works by detecting background noise, response distortion or focus blur. One such biometrics tool that utilizes liveness detection is FaceID, which is designed and utilized by Apple for the iPhone and iPad Pro.