Android 4.0

One of the more awesome features of Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich is facial recognition. This new feature allows you to unlock your cell phone just by sticking your face in front of the camera sensor. This sounds like something straight out of the future, but one Android developer found that it may be a quick way for your phone to be hacked. In the video below, this reviewer shows that your phone can actually be opened with just a picture of your face. Maybe it's best to stick with a good old-fashioned passcode from here on out?

Android 4.0, codename Ice Cream Sandwich, is set to be rolled out to Android lovers everywhere this November with the launch of the Galaxy Nexus phone, and all signs indicate that this is the best OS yet. The entire system has been revamped and refined, bringing some powerful apps, features, and functionality to the mix. Though there are plenty of new tidbits to learn about inside Android 4.0 (which we'll be uncovering over the next few weeks prior to its release), here are six cool features we can't wait to try out.

• Face Unlock — Say buh-bye to passcodes! Thanks to some upgraded face detection software, Ice Cream Sandwich can take a quick scan of your face to unlock your device. The only downside might be low-light situations, but hopefully there's a way to bypass face detection for a code in those instances.
• Android Beam — NFC technology takes another turn with Android Beam, which will allow you to share information and content — like contacts, websites, apps, maps, and more — with other Android users within close proximity.
• Flexible widgets — Organize your homescreen the way you want it with flexible widgets. You can scale Android's stock widgets up or down in size and store them in a separate space of their own in the app drawer.
• Voice typing — This feature allows you to speak your emails, texts, messages, and search queries (or anywhere you want to enter text) just by tapping on the microphone icon on your keyboard.
• Panoramic camera modes — Your on-board camera can take full panoramic pics with Ice Cream Sandwich and full panorama mode. Partner this with the new zero-lag shutter on the Galaxy Nexus and you have a sweet way to document landscapes.
• New typeface — Hey, lookie here: Android has a new typeface! Gone are the days of Droid Sans — Roboto is on the scene now.

Want to see more? Check out the Ice Cream Sandwich and Galaxy Nexus demo video after the break.

Google and Samsung announced the new Galaxy Nexus this evening in Hong Kong, which will be running the latest Android operating system, Ice Cream Sandwich. New features coming with the OS are extensive and pretty amazing: facial recognition lets you unlock the phone with your face, NFC technology that has been partnered up with an app called Android Beam, which lets you share information and content with other Android users, lots of Google + integration and upgrades, along with a Movie Studio app so you can edit and perfect your mobile vids on the go.

As far as the Galaxy Nexus goes, it's a beautiful monster coming with a 4.65-inch Super AMOLED touchscreen, 1.2Ghz dual-core processor, a teardrop-shaped bod (that's only 8.9mm at its thinnest), and soft Home, Recent Apps, and Back buttons (instead of physical buttons on the casing). Swipe gestures are emphasized on Ice Cream Sandwich, allowing you to swipe away messages, recent apps, and even swipe up during an incoming phone call to send predrafted text messages if you don't want to be bothered. The on-board camera comes in at 5MP, which is surprisingly low compared to other top-notch camera phones on the market, with a 1.3MP front-facing camera for video calls.

Stay tuned for more, including pricing and release date info!