Apple buys “emotion-aware computing” pioneer

PanARMENIAN.Net - Future iPhones might have the power to tell what you're thinking, thanks to advanced emotion-recognition technology that Apple has just acquired.

The Cupertino firm has bought out facial scanning startup Emotient, which specialises in determining a person's emotions based on their expression, Digital Spy reports citing the Wall Street Journal.

Emotient's technology is widely used in marketing and advertising to analyse viewer reactions to video content, but it is unclear what Apple has planned for it.

In theory, future iOS devices could pick up on emotions like joy, fear, sadness and contempt though their cameras, and respond accordingly.

The San Diego-based company holds five patents in facial recognition, including one that enables it to determine exactly what an online dating user finds attractive based on the physical features of their matches.

Don't expect to see this technology come into play in the iOS range anytime soon - the iPhone 7's design and features were probably finalised ahead of the acquisition, but who knows how Apple will put it to use in the future?