One of the problems with the Google Glass is that the camera was built into it. This raised some privacy concerns which might have been one of the reasons why it ultimately failed. According to Patently Apple, they have uncovered some patents from Apple which shows how the company is looking into various ways to make recording more obvious, so people are more aware.
One of the ways they are looking into is making the camera a separate module from the headset. This means that if you wanted to record, you’d have to attach the camera module, which would then make it more obvious that you are recording. It sounds troublesome, but it has been suggested that one of the benefits is that this could make the headset lighter for those who do not need recording capabilities.
Another proposed method includes the use of built-in camera light indicators. We’ve seen these indicators used in webcams before, but Apple’s system will make the light pulse in an encrypted pattern. So what’s to stop people from hiding these lights? According to the system, the light pulses will be reflected off surfaces and captured by the camera, and if the camera cannot detect it, then it will not record.
We’re not sure if these are good enough of a reassurance for those who are concerned about being recorded secretly, but they are intriguing. Whether or not they make it to the actual product remains to be seen.
Filed in . Read more about Augmented Reality (AR), Patent, Privacy, Social Hit, Virtual Reality (VR) and Wearable Tech. Source: patentlyapple