The iconic notch that debuted on Apple’s iPhone X may be making its way to the company’s computers, including the MacBook series of laptops and the iMac desktop, in the future. Apple’s patent filing with the United States Patent and Trademark Office from September 2019, discovered by Patently Apple, revealed a computer design with a “biometric authentication module” built into a notched portion on the computer’s display.
Apple depicted how the biometric system would look on a laptop and all-in-one desktop design, showing a notch not unlike the design found on the company’s smartphone lineup.
However, Apple said that the light recognition module for determining a user could be housed in a “notch, a circle, an ellipse, a polygonal shape, a series of polygonal shapes, a curvilinear shape, or the like.”
Like the iPhone’s Face ID module, the biometric system will use a light pattern system consisting of IR lights and sensors, a dot projector, and camera. Additionally, for ergonomic and to accurately authenticate a user, the notch portion can pivot, so you don’t have to adjust the computer’s screen to get an accurate facial recognition.
Despite the fact that the filing was made in September last year — more than a year after the 2018 iPad Pro model with Face ID launched — it’s interesting to see Apple stubbornly sticking with the notch to house the biometric scanning module. On the 2018 iPad Pro models, Apple had built the Face ID cameras and sensors into the black bezel portion of the display to the allow the tablet to be used seamlessly in portrait or landscape orientation.
Building the Face ID module into the screen’s module allowed Apple to eliminate the notched design on its tablet. And even though iMac and MacBook owners won’t need to switch their displays into portrait orientation, a notch or cutout would be wasted space on the display. A major downside would be that creative users who rely on Macs for their workflow may find the notch distracting, as it would cut into the content on the screen.
If the Mac follows in the iPhone’s steps, then the Face ID module could potentially supplant and replace the Touch ID modules on the keyboard deck of Apple’s laptops for authenticating a user.
“Although the systems and techniques described herein are described with relation to recognizing users and/or authenticating users, the systems and techniques may also be applicable to capturing face gestures and emotions, video chatting, generating emoji, encrypting data, unlocking the computing device, supplementing passwords, differentiating different users, and the like,” Apple revealed in its patent application.
Despite the publication of the patent, it’s still unclear at this time if or when Apple intends to bring Face ID to the desktop. This could allow Mac users to not only log into the computer, website, and apps without having to type a password, but it could also bring features like Memoji and Animoji to the desktop if it gets implemented in the future.
Acer’s Predator Atlas 8 finally has a US release date and price, several months after the company first showed off the handheld in May. The highlight is the Intel Arc G3 Extreme chip inside, which has been adopted by only a couple of other consoles besides the Atlas 8. This version will go on sale exclusively at Best Buy on November 1 for $1,299.99.
Acer originally said the Atlas 8 would arrive in North America in October, but left pricing open at the time. The launch came amid the ongoing DRAM crunch, which has made memory more expensive across the PC industry and complicated pricing for hardware makers.
Google DeepMind's AI world model Genie 4 can now build interactive worlds that you can explore and reshape as they run. It also generates ambient sounds, music, and dialogue that respond to your actions.
The new world model builds on Genie 3 with improved realism, more natural human movement, and better simulations of real-world physics. It could eventually help with everything from game development to training robots.
Apple has an incredible talent for making me admire its products while simultaneously questioning what on earth it's thinking with the pricing. This isn't even something as bizarre as a monitor stand, but the audacity for starting a new laptop lineup from $2,000 doesn't surprise me.
The newly announced 14-inch MacBook Pro with M6 is just the latest to showcase this. The funny thing is, I already know that it's going to be a reliable workstation. You get a powerful new 2nm M6 processor, a gorgeous Liquid Retina XDR display, and up to 24 hours of battery life. We were impressed by the M5 MacBook Air, so the high-end M6 powered MacBook Pro definitely won't let us down.