Place your finger anywhere on your smartphone display to unlock it

Now smartphones have become an indispensable part of our daily lives. It’s important to know how to use it better in the era of science and technology. In this blog, I’ll regularly bring you news about smartphones and IT industries. Here are two stunning breakthroughs in March.

1.      Soon you’ll be able to place your finger anywhere

on your smartphone display to unlock it

The Samsung Galaxy S8 and LG G6 are two highly anticipated flagships that will launch in the first half of the year. Both will come with fingerprint scanners meant to live in the back. But your next-next gen flagship might be entirely different.

Most phones these days either put the fingerprint scanner on the back like Samsung Galaxy S8 or LG G6 or make it live in the home button. But according to a recent report coming out of The Investor – all that is about to change.

The publication reveals that smartphones with fingerprint scanners embedded into the display are on their way. South Korean fingerprint module manufacturer, CrucialTec is expected to launch its on-screen fingerprint scanning solution sometime this year. Which in theory means we can expect smartphones (and also wearables) that allow you to lock and unlock them by placing your finger on the screen, to make an appearance this year.

The technology – named Display Fingerprint Solution (DFS), has been getting a lot of positive reviews from people charged with testing it. How will this work? The module will be embedded under the smartphone display and will be capable of detecting touches as light as a single hair. It can also extract high-res fingerprints at 500 dots per inch.

CrucialTec’s under the screen fingerprint scanner is also said to be a lot safer than currently available solutions. What’s more it can recognize multiple fingerprints – all at once. And the South Korean company is already working on a next-gen solution which will allow users to place their finger basically anywhere on the screen and get the device unlocked.

Obviously, rear-mounted scanners have their disadvantages. Look at the upcoming Galaxy S8. If leaks are correct, the phone will have a pretty awkward fingerprint scanner placement – right next to the camera, on the right – which could make trying to unlock the phone a bit more complicated than it needs to be. But the new technology should allow users to choose where the fingerprint module is placed.

2.      Soon, You’ll Be Able to Translate the Road Signs

Using Your Smartphone

Barcelona's a big city, but don't think you have to rent a car or take a taxi - the Metro and bus system are great and secure ways to get around.

The Metro is similar to the London Underground, but arguably it's simpler to use as there are fewer lines and some would say it's nicer (particularly as it's air-conditioned). It's split into zones (most of the major attractions are in zone one), and there's a handy zone counter where you can put in details of your trip. Buses, meanwhile, are easy to hop on and off, and often take you right to tourist destinations.

Tickets can be used interchangeably on buses and the Metro (plus it'll only count as one journey if it's less than 75 minutes). But make sure you get the right ticket to keep costs down.

The price of a single ticket in zone 1 (where the major attractions are) is 2.15€, while a one-day unlimited travel ticket is a fair price 8€ (kids under four travel free). Yet if you're staying for a few days, there are a couple of different travel card options:

1)      T-10 – Zone one (which covers pretty much all the attractions) tickets cost 10 - it's essentially a carnet of tickets to cover 10 journeys (and it can be used by multiple people). Zone two to six tickets cost between 20€ to 42€. You can buy it at Metro or bus ticket machines.

2)      Barcelona visitor cards – These cost between 14.50€ to 32€ per person, for two to five days unlimited travel. There's an additional 10% discount if buying online.

Depending on your itinerary, the T-10 can actually work out much cheaper than the visitor card. For example, it allows two adults staying the weekend to make five journeys each for 10 - which may well be enough. However, it would cost two adults a total of 28 to each get a two-day visitor card.

It's worth noting that you can use a visitor pass but not a T-10 pass on the L9 Metro line to the airport, though you can use the T-10 pass on the bus or Renfe train to the airport.