Apple patents technology will block your phone camera from taking videos


Like anybody else one of the things I love doing is filming live performances using my smartphone whenever I attend a live concert. I have done that a couple of times especially when my favorite Kenyan band or Kenyan artist is performing. But of course there are concerts or events that have always prohibited people from taking videos but most of the time we have always ignored and went ahead to take the videos.

Now imagine this, you are attending a concert that prohibits you from taking a video recording, you go ahead to start recording and boom!! All your video recording settings are disabled. Well, it looks like that is the situation iPhone users will be going through if Apple chooses to adopt its new technology. 

So how possible  is this? Apple has won a US patent for a technology that will disable video recording mode while at concert venues.  The technology will prevent your iPhone camera from recording footage using infrared signals.

The patent shows how Apple will disable your phone video recording features.
The patent shows how Apple will disable your phone video recording features.

The patent approval, which was first reported by Patently Apple describes how infrared signals could be dropped  in places where video recording is prohibited. Once the phone detects the signals it could either shut down the video recording features completely.  What this means is that an infrared emitter can be placed where video recording is prohibited making it impossible for you to record videos.

“An infrared emitter can be located in areas where picture or video capture is prohibited, and the emitter can generate infrared signals with encoded data that includes commands to disable the recording functions of devices,” the patent read.

It’s not clear yet whether Apple plans to put the patent into use but it will be interesting to see how it will be applied if the company chooses to adopt it.

Tell us what you think about this technology? Should Apple adopt it?

 

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By Nixon Kanali

Tech journalist based in Nairobi. I track and report on tech and African startups. Founder and Editor of TechTrends Media. Nixon is also the East African tech editor for Africa Business Communities. Send tips to kanali@techtrendsmedia.co.ke.

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