Security for phones and mobile technology continues to improve and impress. For my Droid, I have a ap called Seek Droid: “Track your phone. Secure your data. Anywhere.” From my computer, I can turn off my phone, lock it, and pinpoint its location on Google Maps. When I first experimented with the ap I thought of LoJack, the vehicle tracking system that owners can install in their cars to aid the police in its recovery if stolen. It is claimed that LoJack has prevented many more car thefts, far beyond the number of systems they have installed. Since thieves have no way of knowing which cars do and do not have LoJack, they are less likely to try to steal one unless it’s a clunker. The same will eventually happen with cell phones.
Google has taken technology security to a whole new level. Wired reports:
Google also debuted an exciting (if not a bit scary) OS feature for enhanced security: Face Unlock. In theory, the new OS uses facial recognition technology to recognize whether a phone’s owner is actually holding the phone. So, if a thief tries to open your phone’s lock screen, the camera will recognize his or her face as that of an interloper, and shut out the would-be intruder. Google’s on-stage demo of this feature didn’t work as planned, so it’s yet to be seen how well Face Unlock will function once Ice Cream Sandwich and Galaxy Nexus phones are deployed.
Thoughts on the Passing Scene 