Remote controls aren’t really something we think about much or a device that needs improvement. We use it to change channels, adjust volume, turn lights on/off, adjust our air-conditioners/heaters, and so on. Basically it’s something we use once or twice and then put down and don’t think about it again.
However it seems that the remote control is something Apple is thinking about, and according to a recently discovered patent by Patently Apple, it looks like the Cupertino company is toying with the idea of creating a remote control with a built-in Touch ID sensor. Now you might ask why would anyone need to “protect” their remote, and the answer isn’t so much about protection or security, but personalization.
As the patent suggests, using Touch ID could be used to identify who is using the remote, and thus load up their personal configurations, or maybe even launch their preferred channels when watching Apple TV. It has also been suggested that it could be used with home automation like thermostats or opening a garage door, where only the person whose fingerprints are recognized can do those things.
All of these things sounds like great ideas, but unfortunately due to the fact that it is a patent, there’s really no telling if and when Apple will ever make it a reality, but given that Apple has interest in home automation with HomeKit and with a rumored Apple TV refresh on the way, perhaps it might not be such a ludicrous idea after all.