New Android App Uses Biometric Fusion to Lock Applications

SANTA CLARA, CA--(Marketwired - January 20, 2015) - Passwords have proven to be too hard to remember, too difficult to use and too easy to break. Biometric solutions have promised an improved approach to locking devices but implementations of fingerprint sensors have proven cumbersome and too likely to lock out the right user.

Today Sensory announces the release of a new Android application to the Google Play Store that will solve these issues for locking applications. AppLock allows mobile device users to quickly and easily secure their Android applications through Sensory's TrulySecure™ technology, which combines proprietary voice and vision authentication to create a powerful biometric lock for mobile phones, tablets and PCs. Basically anything with a microphone or camera and a processor can use TrulySecure as a biometric lock.

AppLock allows Android users to lock any application so access is restricted to the proper user; the Android OS today does not allow locking of individual applications in its settings. The TrulySecure biometric approach adds further value by enabling a seamless and non-intrusive user experience. This authentication can use the camera to see the user's face, or the microphone to hear their password or both simultaneous for maximum security needs. A lighter security setting can be extremely fast, unobtrusive and virtually unnoticeable by having the camera glance at the user. A higher security setting can require both face and voice to make it nearly impossible to hack a person's phone. If the device is lost or stolen, impostors will be denied access to the devices most important applications containing personal information or built in logins to accounts/websites.

Configuring and using AppLock is extremely fast and easy. In just a few seconds, the user can enroll his/her face and voice by simply looking at the phone while speaking the passphrase at the prompts. Authentication is even faster -- the app pops open a window looking for the user's face and/or listening for the user's passphrase, with almost instantaneous confirmation of identity.

Ease-of-use was paramount in the design effort by Sensory. "Consumers generally find it cumbersome to use PINs or passwords to lock their phones, and as a result these devices often go unlocked," said Todd Mozer, CEO of Sensory. "Sensory's biometric authentication provides a high level of security, while still being convenient enough that people will actually use it."

Compatibility was another key design parameter. AppLock works on virtually all Android devices -- the only requirements are a microphone and front-facing camera. No special hardware is required.

Sensory's TrulySecure technology SDK provides the basis for AppLock. It unites the company's world-class speaker verification technology with its proprietary, state-of-the-art face recognition engine, achieving much greater accuracies over a wide range of environmental conditions.

Peter Counter, Managing Editor of FindBiometrics and Mobile ID World, said, "Passwords are quickly being replaced by biometric security and consumers are looking for a fast and secure solution that's also intuitive and convenient to use. AppLock is an excellent implementation by Sensory that will easily satisfy this growing demand."

AppLock can be found on the Google Play Store. The TrulySecure SDK and technology is available to application and hardware developers from Sensory. The SDK supports development on Android, iOS, Windows, Mac and Linux platforms.

About Sensory, Inc.

Sensory Inc. creates a safer and superior UX through vision and voice technologies. Sensory's technology is widely deployed in consumer electronics applications including mobile phones, automotive, wearables, toys, IoT and various home electronics. With its TrulyHandsfree™ voice control, Sensory has set the standard for mobile handset platforms' ultra-low power "always listening" touchless control. Sensory's TrulySecure is changing the authentication landscape with highly accurate voice and facial biometric fusion. To date, Sensory's technologies have shipped in over half a billion units of leading consumer products. Visit Sensory at www.sensory.com^[1].

Apploc, TrulyHandsfree and Truly Secure are trademarks of Sensory Inc.