Brief: New device to make theft of mobile phones harder!

Finnish scientists have invented a device designed to make it harder to steal mobile phones and laptops by enabling them to detect changes in their owner's walking style and then freeze them to prevent unauthorized use.

The VTT Technical Research Center of Finland said the device, which it has patented but has yet to sell, could prevent millions of portable appliances from being stolen every year. "A device is equipped with sensors that measure certain characteristics of the user's gait. When the device is used for the first time, these measurements are saved in its memory," VTT said in a statement.

The gadget would monitor the user's walking style and check it against the saved information. If the values differ, the user would have to enter a password.

"Compared with passwords and traditional bio-identification, the new method is simple: Confirmation of identity takes place as a background process without any need for user's intervention," the researchers said.

Source

So, when you are running away, stumbling for a couple of blocks to escape from an attack you have to enter a password to dial 911 ??????

Yeeesh. Hope not.

Yup hesperus just hit the nail on the head. A man's gait can be so different in so many situations- we don't even have enough english verbs to describe a person's gait(may be we do), forget putting it all in the memory. More than using the phone for useful purposes the owner will be punching the password over and over again, till he gets irritated and gets rid of the damn thing.

There are many variable situations where this technology won't be practical. Just one example is if you hand your phone over to a family member for use. They certainly walk differently than the owner. I wonder if this is based on motion and I also wonder when it begins profiling the owner. If it's based on motion, does it lock up when you are riding in a car, train or airplane?

I still like the dudes working on DNA coding devices. I think that technology has a much better chance than something like walking patterns. Of course this is another branch of biometrics but I believe this one will certainly be a reality within the next 10 - 15 years.

What happens when you take few steps backwards!

what is wrong with fingerprint scanners ? They can make those things so small now... pop one of those on the back of the phone. That would be a lot more secure than 'your gait', although not secure enough... (they can still be cracked, although not so easily)

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That would be a lot more secure than 'your gait', although not secure enough...

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Yep, the oldskool gummy bear attack would work on this. For those who aren't in the know, you can use a gummy bear (modified to cover an entire print) to lift someone's fingerprint. Obviously all you need to do is transpose it to an acceptable medium (details withheld for safety reasons) and presto, you've got the keys to the castle.

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Originally posted here by hesperus
So, when you are running away, stumbling for a couple of blocks to escape from an attack you have to enter a password to dial 911 ??????

Yeeesh. Hope not.

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911 or any alarm number usually overrules things like locking the numberpad and etc. You can always dial 911, even if you're the thief. I guess the thing is a bit more advanced then just "if you run it locks". Hell, I walk differently every frickin minute.

Also a similar thing is used in some hightech buildings to detect motions of laptops and their owners, so when the latop moves when the owner (or a friend) isn't arround an alarm goes off. Or you get information on some pda, based on the location of yourself in the building.

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gait

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Sorry to interupt, but what the fruities does gait. mean.?.

Back to the subject at hand..

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I still like the dudes working on DNA coding devices. I think that technology has a much better chance than something like walking patterns.

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With this DNA thing, couldn't that be percieved as Big Brother tactics, i mean it would be all good and all because of the reduction of crime etc, but i mean there are gonna be a lot of suspicious people refusing to use that kind of technology in fear that there DNA is just going to be handed to some Joe Blow and then in comes the invasion of privacy and big brother tactics...
Like i could just be reading this all the wrong way so please correct me if i'm thinking in the opposite direction so to speak...



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Thanks for the translation hjack..
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gait
n.
A particular way or manner of moving on foot: a person who ran with a clumsy, hobbling gait.
Any of the ways, such as a canter, trot, or walk, by which a horse can move by lifting the feet in different order or rhythm.
Rate or manner of proceeding: The project went forward at a steady gait

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Imagine coming home from the bar, drunk as shiznit and stumbling, and getting all pissed off because your phone keeps asking you for your password.......


/me pitches it like a baseball


Ryan