Through the mirror: Earlier this week, Apple was awarded a brand new patent for a removable watch-based digital camera attachment system. The patent features a removable strap design and a quick-release fastening mechanism to assist a watch-based digital camera. While there is no assure it’ll ever be produced, the patent is an effective signal that Apple is actively seeking to deliver new options to their watch followers.
A brand new patent (US-11571048-B1) printed by the United States Patent and Trademark Office on February 7 focuses particularly on a strap-based quick-release system that gives easy accessibility to an built-in watch-based digital camera.
According to the patent info, the retention system would give customers the choice to shortly and simply take away the watch face, take a photograph from the underside digital camera, after which simply put the machine again in place. The info was first reported by Patently Apple…
This new strap-based system is not Apple’s first try at patenting a watch-based digital camera function. In 2019, the corporate obtained US-10331083-B1 for a watch strap with an built-in versatile optical sensor. If obtainable, this swivel digital camera would enable customers to snap pictures with out eradicating the watch from their wrist.
Apple is not the primary firm to deliver small digital camera tech to wearables, both. Samsung tried to normalize the wearable digital camera idea with the Galaxy Gear, first launched in September 2013. However, the machine was shortly eclipsed by the Apple Watch, and customers weren’t pleased with the Galaxy’s built-in 1.9MP digital camera.
While a high-quality embedded digital camera might have sensible makes use of for some, it does pose potential privateness and safety issues for others.
The capability to secretly take photos by eliminating the necessity for bigger hand-held cameras or cell telephones opens the door to something from secret, unauthorized and leaked pictures to rising the danger of company espionage. Embedded cameras require the next degree of safety and consciousness to make sure they aren’t used inappropriately in areas comparable to faculties, locker rooms, restrooms, or areas the place confidential paperwork and data are prone to being captured.
The proliferation of applied sciences comparable to embedded cameras in wearable gadgets has positioned larger emphasis on the enforcement of legal guidelines and acts such because the Video Voyeurism Prevention Act. The Act, which protects people from being recorded in non-public areas with out their consent, is an integral kind of safety that ensures know-how comparable to watch cameras can be found to accountable customers whereas offering potential victims of abuse with Protect.
Image credit score: David Švihovec
