One of the first things I do after getting a new phone (or flashing a new ROM) is set up a lock screen. Lock screens aren’t always convenient and usually always add time to your smartphone or tablet experience. The few seconds that it takes to get past your security and navigate to whatever app you’re looking for may not seem like a lot, but it adds up. I’ve even set my latest phone to delay locking for five minutes after it goes to sleep.

Lock screens take many forms: patterns, PINs, passwords, and now face recognition on select devices. (In this context we’re excluding lock screens that don’t offer some sort of security — like swipe to unlock, window shade, etc.) Some are easy to use, but offer low security, others take longer to use but offer high security.

A development house with funding from LG is attempting to address the “lost seconds” problem — by reinventing the lock screen. Their lock screen is called ZENE.

ZENE attempts to save you time in two ways: first by putting access to information on your lock screen, second by allowing you to unlock your device with a series of taps (similar to Morse Code, but simpler).

The “tap a code to unlock” is pretty novel in and of itself and is a bit more discreet than other unlocking mechanisms (and is less prone to “over the shoulder” glances that might compromise your phone).

The interactive information part of the ZENE is where this lock screen really stands out. Using your location, other sensors, and some pretty sweet logic, ZENE guesses what you’re doing and what information you need — like offering to show you a bus schedule. What makes ZENE different is that this information is available without unlocking your phone.

Take a look at their promotional video and let us know what you think!

Source: ZENE