If you thought fingerprint and face recognition unlock features were a little too “Mission Imposible” for you, BlackBerry’s new unlock functionality might be a fun compromise – especially if you’re a musical type. RIM’s engineers are working to allow you to tap a secret ditty on your smartphone to unlock it. A little like a morse code jingle that only you would know.
It seems a little unreliable given that any phone thief within ten feet could memorize your secret tapping rhythm with considerable ease. But don’t worry, RIM’s thought of that. Rather than sensing rhythm alone, the phone’s accelerometer will also detect the magnitude and location of each tap, which will make it a lot harder for nosy passersby to mimic your password. I recommend not choosing a syncopated jazz riff though, unless you want to spend endless hours tapping away, trying to recreate the exact combination of force, region, and rhythm.
(via Engadget)