face recognition

Amid questions to Google from Congress about privacy concerns related to Google Glass, a San Francisco startup is preparing an API to recognize faces with the controversial gadget.

The Google Glass Face Recognition API (application programming interface) from Lambda Labs will be available to developers within a week, TechCrunch tells us, quoting co-founder Stephen Balaban. … Read more

LookAway Player mimics the Smart Pause feature that will (as of this writing) soon be coming to the Galaxy S4, automatically pausing a video when you look away from your iPhone.

The app functions on YouTube only, so you will only be able to use LookAway Player's features on YouTube videos. In my testing it worked pretty much as advertised. Simply play a YouTube video, and when you turn your head to look away, facial-recognition software automatically pauses the video. When you turn back toward your iPhone, the video starts up again. It also worked when I looked down, … Read more

Beyond passwords, more computer users want more protection for their systems. KeyLemon for Mac provides an additional, functional layer of protection through facial recognition to unlock a computer.

Available as a free trial version, KeyLemon for Mac provides a basic level of functioning, but additional features may be unlocked with license upgrades. The program's native installer worked well and walked us through the setup and initial recognition procedure. The interface was fairly intuitive and spelled out the functions available. Some of the menus may be difficult to interpret for novice users, but those familiar with security software in general … Read more

Worried about all those security cameras tracking your every move? Try rocking one of these visors and enjoy anonymity once again.

At least that's what Isao Echizen from Japan's National Institute of Informatics is trying to achieve with the Privacy Visor (PDF).

Developed with Seiichi Gohshi of Kogakuin University, the visor has a near-infrared light source that messes up cameras but doesn't affect the wearer's vision, according to the institute. … Read more

LAS VEGAS--Facebook's online privacy woes are well-known. But here's an offline one: its massive database of profile photos can be used to identify you as you're walking down the street.

A Carnegie Mellon University researcher today described how he assembled a database of about 25,000 photographs taken from students' Facebook profiles. Then he set up a desk in one of the campus buildings and asked willing volunteers to peer into Webcams.

The results: facial recognition software put a name to the face of 31 percent of the students after, on average, less than three seconds of … Read more

UPDATE 8:00 AM, May 7th: You asked for it, we are giving it to you... due to popular demand, KeyLemon has agreed to extend the offer through the weekend. This offer will now end at 11:59PM PDT on Sunday, May 8th.

Often in movies, we see a lot of bad guys breaking into someone else's computer to steal confidential information by somehow decoding the password. As much as we would like to believe that it will never happen to us, it can.

We all know how important security is these days, so for 24 hours only, we … Read more

Nero Kwik Media is a light and free media manager with which you can organize, edit, and share your music, photos, videos, and data. Imagine iTunes and iPhoto rolled into one, then trimmed in half. While this download is technically "free," there is one caveat: you'll have to purchase some of its functionality in the form of "apps" listed in Nero's built-in store. Sure, most of these add-ons aren't too expensive, but it's a shame that a few of them (like Nero Kwik Play, a video decoder) don't come with the … Read more