Here's our curated list of important tech news from this week in byte size.
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Apple’s next-gen Face ID tech
Apple is working on a next-gen Face ID camera using a new indirect time of flight (iTOF) system that may be able to identify a user at a far greater distance from the camera, according to a report by
Patently Apple. The present Face ID system used in Apple devices requires a user to hold the device fairly close to their face, for it to recognise and unlock the device. The new system, as revealed in a patent application, uses pulse modulation, which will be able to improve depth accuracy at short, mid and long-range distances even in challenging ambient light conditions, the report noted. The next-gen Face ID camera could be useful on iMacs, MacBooks and other Apple devices, as well as for augmented and virtual reality applications, it added. In another update, Apple was granted a patent by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office for a touch-based Pencil that has removable and exchangeable components.