Apple Still 'Exploring' New AirPods With Tiny Cameras

Apple continues to explore the idea of releasing camera-equipped AirPods in the future

Apple moving further into medical devices. These will notify you if you have too much ear wax build up

Are we just throwing darts at random ideas on the wall now?

Guys, the point of the IR cameras is related to blood flow (pulse) and/or oxygen readings. Idk where some of you are thinking it’s going to do proximity sensing facing externally or taking pictures…

Just what I need, Big Brother spying on everything going on inside my ear. Great!

Did you skip the part of the story where it said they are infrared sensors, not for taking photos? IR isn't going to help with any of those examples.

Did you skip knowledge of infra red signatures?

Aside from the obvious object outlines provided by IR that enables object detection and recognition, it can do this in the dark.

Plants can be identified by both their shape and their heat signature in ways visible light cannot. Moreover, IR can determine the health of the plant, and even whether it needs to be watered or has been overwatered.

Ink on a menu or chalk on a restaurant sign are more easily distinguished and machine readable by infrared in any light conditions, including the low light of a restaurant or no light.

While Colours as we perceive them live in the visible light spectrum, materials reflect different IR signatures in ways that correspond to their visible light wavelength.

Lastly, Ming-Chi Kuo is a supply chain leaker. He rarely (ever?) has the complete picture (pun not intended) of all components. The pursuit of an IR camera for AirPods is one component he's come across. Gurman, whose sources are within Apple itself, has often talked about cameras (plural) on AirPods Pro. In the context of competing with Meta Raybans, it's clear that an RGB camera would be necessary.

If they're not competing directly with Meta RayBans, then IR flood and/or dot projectors could be included to make this a Visual Intelligence device. This too would make sense for Apple focused on privacy. IR cameras could do everything RGB cameras can do in the Visual Intelligence space while preserving privacy by not capturing full images.

Meanwhile, Google is exploring ways to play unskippable ads through their next earpods.