Apple has reportedly acquired facial recognition startup RealFace in a deal pegged at “several million dollars.” The startup has apparently developed facial recognition software which offers a biometric login. The Realface website was offline Sunday and the LinkedIn description read as follows, “Our technology provides our customers and end-users with the highest level of authentication and security available on all platforms. We have proprietary IP in the field of frictionless face recognition and effective learnings from facial features.”
The company had earlier developed Pickeez, an app that lets you automatically choose the best photos from every platform. A video of the app demos how the app functions but apart from that there has been no public record of the app. As per a database for Israeli tech companies, RealFace had raised $1 million prior to the acquisition and was manned by 10 employees. That said both Apple and RealFace has been keeping mum on the deal and the company had earlier also acquired another facial recognition company called Emotient Inc.
Along with Realface Apple has also acquired three other Israeli companies till date including Anobit, PrimeSense, and Linx. In all likelihood, we might be seeing the facial recognition on the upcoming iPhone 8 and this is something that will rival Windows Hello. The LinkedIn profile of RealFace algorithm developer Gidi Littwin describe the company and claim that they “implement machine learning solutions ranging from state of the art deep learning solutions to more traditional techniques.”
The RealFace site has not been updated since October last year and this is typical of companies that are acquired by Apple. What this also means is that the company might have been acquired in last year end. Apple’s upcoming iPhone iteration has been rumored to come equipped with a new 3D Touch sensor, OLED display, and Wireless charging.
Source:Silicon Angle
