One of the most polarizing issues at concerts these days is the personal use of smart phones. Artists like Kate Bush, Glenn Danzig, and Ian Astbury have spoken out — and/or acted out — against fans taking photos and recording video during their performances, while bands like Radiohead have encouraged it. And we’ve all stood behind someone holding up their phone towards the stage, obscuring our view from anywhere from a few seconds of snaps to an entire song (which will inevitably land on YouTube by night’s end).
However, those using iPhones may not have the ability to capture their own moments. Fact Magazine reports that Apple is working on a technology that will disable an iPhones’ camera during concerts, with the help of infra-red transmitters and receptors inside your device. In short, the stage area could be equipped with gear that would lock an iPhone pointed in its direction.
Fact writes:
“Most cameras are only capable of receiving visible light, but Apple’s patent would allow a camera with extra circuitry to receive data through the invisible infrared portion of the spectrum. The technology has multiple uses, but what this means for concert-goers is that infrared transmitters in a venue would send data that disables your camera as soon as you hold it up to take a photo or video.
There’s no indication Apple is planning to build this feature into your iPhone yet. The patent application was originally filed in 2011 and technology has changed a great deal since, but as Patently Apple notes it did file for the patent again in 2014.”
Other potential uses explained in the patent include preventing film piracy in movie theaters, and protecting light-sensitive artwork in museums. Peep the visual below.
