Apple's New Patent Could Block Photos, Video
LOS ANGELES (CBSLA.com) — Apple has been granted a patent for technology that would disable a device's video and photo capturing ability.
The technology is aimed at concerts and other public events, where smartphone use can disrupt and distract.
The venue could send out an infrared signal that would be picked up by Apple devices, signaling them to turn off video and image capturing.
While Apple has the patent it needs, it hasn't fully developed the technology and the company may never actually use it.
"Chances are we're not going to see this in a shipping product," CNET Senior Editor Dan Ackerman told CBS News. "I think it's just something they've invented, but the problems behind it are so numerous -- like what if you turned it on at a political rally or a speech so nobody could record what the candidate was saying? You could see people abusing this all over the place."
"If you're a big technology company, you invent something, it's in your interest to at least get it on paper to say that you own the idea," said Ackerman.