Apple is reportedly researching ways to use the cameras inside of the iPhone to detect childhood autism, aiming to use data from the camera to observe a child's behavior that could be used for early diagnosis, according to a new report from The Wall Street Journal.
According to the report, which echoes previously announced research efforts, Apple wants to be able to use the camera inside of the iPhone to track a child's face and observe different facial behaviors, such as how often they look away, as potential factors for detecting childhood autism. From the report:
Apple has a third brain-related research partnership with Duke University that it hasn't disclosed. It aims to create an algorithm to help detect childhood autism, according to the documents and people familiar with the work. The research looks at using the iPhone's camera to observe how young children focus, how often they sway back and forth, and other measures, according to the documents.
Biogen, an American biotechnology company, had previously announced it was partnering with Apple to study ways to use the iPhone and Apple Watch to notice a cognitive decline in users or potential signs of depression.
Including that and Apple's early work in childhood autism detection, the Journal says that these features may never become a user-end feature, but notes that Apple had invested in multiple heart-focused studies before releasing a host of related features on the Apple Watch.
The report notes that as part of Apple's privacy push, the company would ultimately aim to run any algorithms, including those for early detection of childhood autism, locally on a user's device, without needing to send any data collected to the cloud for processing. The report adds that research is still in the early stages, but Apple executives are enthusiastic about its potential.
It seems like Apple did a "worst possible idea" workshop a year ago, but someone forgot to invert the ideas ... First CSAM now this? WTF Apple, just leave users devices alone, will ya??
Honor has announced Earbuds 3 Pro that come with integrated temperature monitoring technology, a feature that has also reportedly been tested by Apple in AirPods prototypes.
Market interest in building temperature measuring functions into earbuds has been mooted for some time now, as it could be useful for fertility tracking, keeping track of sleep, and in the future, it could also detect...
Monday February 21, 2022 3:41 am PST by Sami Fathi
Apple's largest supplier, Foxconn, has begun trial production of the iPhone 14 Pro, suggesting that Apple has finalized its design as it moves into the early stages of device manufacturing, according to a report from the Taiwan Economic Times. According to the report, Foxconn will manufacture the higher-end models of the iPhone 14, while Luxshare, another Apple supplier, will take on the...
A new report has highlighted how three top prominent executives initially found themselves at odds in early deliberations about Apple's App Tracking Transparency framework.
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Monday November 1, 2021 5:11 am PDT by Joe Rossignol
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The...
Respected university researchers are sounding the alarm bells over the technology behind Apple's plans to scan iPhone users' photo libraries for CSAM, or child sexual abuse material, calling the technology "dangerous."
Jonanath Mayer, an assistant professor of computer science and public affairs at Princeton University, as well as Anunay Kulshrestha, a researcher at Princeton University...
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Saturday January 1, 2022 4:15 pm PST by Joe Rossignol
Apple today shared a new ad titled "911" that emphasizes the Apple Watch's life-saving potential during emergencies.
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Security research firm Corellium this week announced it is launching a new initiative that will "support independent public research into the security and privacy of mobile applications," and one of the initiative's first projects will be Apple's recently announced CSAM detection plans.
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The European Parliament today voted overwhelmingly in favor of enforcing USB-C as a common charging port across a wide range of consumer electronic devices, including the iPhone and AirPods, by the end of 2024.
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iOS 16 was released to the public three weeks ago with a customizable Lock Screen, the ability to edit iMessages, improvements to Focus modes, and much more. And in the coming months, iPhone and iPad users have even more new features to look forward to.
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Apple is developing new iPad Pro, Mac, and Apple TV models, and at least some of these products will be released in October, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. However, Gurman continues to believe that Apple is unlikely to hold an event this month.
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Monday October 3, 2022 12:50 pm PDT by Juli Clover
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Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for ...
YouTube may make watching videos in 4K quality on the platform exclusive to only YouTube Premium subscribers, according to screenshots posted by users on Twitter and Reddit.
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Top Rated Comments
I'm sure their parents will figure out whether they're autistic Apple, ffs.
Stop scanning what we do or how we act!!
„Your child is autistic“
Tim: “We think you’re gonna love it.”
First CSAM now this? WTF Apple, just leave users devices alone, will ya??