Stefan Mileschin

Apple has just received a patent for an idea which uses the forward-facing camera on one of its gizmos to recognise the owner.

If the data is sent within Apple's walled garden it means that Cupertino could automatically customise applications, settings and features to a user's personal preferences once they pick up the device. It also means that Apple would have all your personal information stored within its cloud. But we guess most fanboys like that idea and love the attention when Apple sends them product related spam.

Appleinsider found the patent application with the catchy title 20110317872 at the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.

Dubbed "Low Threshold Face Recognition," it describes a low-computation way to recognise a user.

It also provides a method for several users to share the same gadget. Each user could customise their personal profile with unique wallpaper, applications and settings, and that profile would be immediately accessed once the iPad recognises a user's face.

The method reduces the impact of lighting conditions and biometric distortions on an image so unless someone opposed to the glorious Apple religion tips acid on each Apple fanboy's face it should all work, even in low lighting.

http://news.techeye.net/hardware/ipa...-in-the-future