The iPhone 5S' Touch ID sensor, which takes a photo of a user's fingerprint and then stores the information for identification purposes later on, may have a new rival.
Industry experts predict that other manufacturers will soon follow in Apple's footsteps by creating their own fingerprint scanners. And now, researchers at the Illinois Institute of Technology have developed their own variation of the sensor called SilentSense.
See also: Report: Apple's Fingerprint Scanner Requires a Numeric Passcode, Too
Cheng Bo and his colleagues at the institute invented the system, which learns to pick up a person's specific cellphone habits, including fingertip size, the amount of pressure a user puts on the phone and even the way a user walks with the phone in-hand.
According to a description on Cornell University Library's website, Bo and colleagues Lan Zhang and Xiang-Yang Li say that their work is "a framework to authenticate users silently and transparently by exploiting dynamics mined from the user touch behavior biometrics and the micro-movement of the device caused by user's screen-touch actions."
In other words, SilentSense provides mines personalized data that keeps everyone out — except the phone-owner. Based on an initial test, the system identified owners with 99% accuracy when used on a phone running Android.
Do you think entering a code number to unlock your phone will soon be a relic of the past? Sound off in the comments, below.
[via New Scientist]
Image: Wikimedia Commons BONUS: 10 Cases That Cost More Than the iPhone 5C Cases That Cost More Than the iPhone 5C 1. Case-Mate Madison Case-Mate offers a plethora of affordable iPhone covers. However, the "Madison," with its quilted leather and crystal bits, comes in at $100. Cost: $100 Image: Case-Mate 2. Sector 5 Case The Sector 5 is CNC machined from 6061 aluminum billet, built with aerospace-grade polymer, boasts a super plush ultra-suede back plate and gets a proprietary Flux finish. Cost: $139.95 Image: ElementCase 3. Mulberry Slate Blue Grainy Print Leather Case Mulberry promises its leather pouch "will relax and soften beautifully with age." We hope so, as at $140 you're going to want to keep it around for a few years. Cost: $140 Image: Mulberry 4. Gucci Logo Embossed Case In case your buddies miss the "G" logos embossed on this case, there's that little green and red tag to flaunt. Cost: $160.54 Image: Farfetch 5. Paul Smith Vintage Signature Stripe At $170, each stripe on Paul Smith's "Signature" case will cost you around $1.80. Cost: $170 Image: Paul Smith 6. Jimmy Crystal iPhone Case You can't have a luxury case roundup without a bit of brash Swarovski bling. Cost: $175 Image: Bloomingdale's 7. Ronin Bocote This case's price tag can be attributed to its exotic South American hardwood and hand-finished manufacturing process. Cost: $179.95 Image: ElementCase 8. Dolce & Gabbana Fruit and Floral Patent Leather Sleeve It's Dolce and Gabbana, daaahling. Cost: $195 Image: Net-a-Porter 9. Continental Couture Stingray Skin Leather Cases Wondering why these cases cost so much? Have you ever tried to catch a stingray? Cost: $279.79 Image: Continental Couture 10. Burberry Heart Print Case Finally, at $495, this Burberry case is almost as expensive as the contract-free 5C. Cost: $495 Image: Burberry
Case-Mate offers a plethora of affordable iPhone covers. However, the "Madison," with its quilted leather and crystal bits, comes in at $100.
Cost: $100
Image: Case-Mate
The Sector 5 is CNC machined from 6061 aluminum billet, built with aerospace-grade polymer, boasts a super plush ultra-suede back plate and gets a proprietary Flux finish.
Cost: $139.95
Image: ElementCase
Mulberry promises its leather pouch "will relax and soften beautifully with age." We hope so, as at $140 you're going to want to keep it around for a few years.
Cost: $140
Image: Mulberry
In case your buddies miss the "G" logos embossed on this case, there's that little green and red tag to flaunt.
Cost: $160.54
Image: Farfetch
At $170, each stripe on Paul Smith's "Signature" case will cost you around $1.80.
Cost: $170
Image: Paul Smith
You can't have a luxury case roundup without a bit of brash Swarovski bling.
Cost: $175
Image: Bloomingdale's
This case's price tag can be attributed to its exotic South American hardwood and hand-finished manufacturing process.
Cost: $179.95
Image: ElementCase
It's Dolce and Gabbana, daaahling.
Cost: $195
Image: Net-a-Porter
Wondering why these cases cost so much? Have you ever tried to catch a stingray?
Cost: $279.79
Image: Continental Couture
Finally, at $495, this Burberry case is almost as expensive as the contract-free 5C.
Cost: $495
Image: Burberry