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Medical company Synchron has demonstrated using Apple’s new thought protocol to enable a patient to use an iPad solely by thinking.

What if you could use your iPad just by thinking? No tapping, no swiping no voice commands—just pure thought. That once sci-fi-sounding idea just became real, as a patient suffering from ALS, which is a condition that causes progressive loss of muscle control, was able to use an iPad using only their brain.

A video published on YouTube demonstrates this in action. Instead of some Frankenstein lab setup, the solution uses Apple’s new Brain-Computer Interface Human Interface Device (BCI HID) protocol, unveiled in May 2025 and shown in action for the first time.

Thought-controlled iPads are becoming a reality

It permits Synchron’s brain-computer interface (BCI) device, implanted through a vein, called Switch, to collect motor data from the blood vessel in the brain. Apple’s protocol interprets the data and translates it into swipes, taps, etc. The BCI HID protocol permits BCI devices to send input to Apple devices in a standardized way.

The patient in the demo, Mark Jackson, cannot use his hands at all. Instead, he can be seen using their mind to control actions on the iPad, performing everyday tasks that most of us take for granted.

“When I lost the use of my hands, I thought I had lost my independence,” Jackson told The Wall Street Journal. “Now, with my iPad, I can message my loved ones, read the news, and stay connected with the world, just by thinking.”

Imagine being locked inside your body, unable to move or speak. But now with this technology, you can text your family, scroll through social media, browse the web or send an email without assistance. It’s a real example of how technology can dramatically change lives for people with ALS, spinal cord injuries or other movement-limiting conditions.

“This is the first time the world has seen native, thought-driven control of an Apple device in action,” said Dr. Tom Oxley, CEO and Founder, Synchron. “It is a technical breakthrough, and a glimpse into the future of human-computer interaction, where cognitive input becomes a mainstream mode of control.”

Over the years, Apple has become a leader in accessibility, and this latest move shows how deep its commitment runs. Keep in mind that Synchron’s implant is currently in the clinical trial stage in the United States, so it could be years before it’s fully commercialized.

Source link: https://www.idownloadblog.com/2025/08/04/thought-controlled-ipad-for-als-patients-demo-video/

Apple is reportedly developing a custom image sensor for future iPhones that could achieve dynamic range levels comparable to the human eye.

The company is reportedly quietly moving toward a breakthrough in mobile photography with a custom image sensor that could match the dynamic perception of the human eye. Weibo leaker “Fixed Focus Digital” claims Apple has already developed the sensor in-house and is now testing it in developmental hardware.

If the sensor performs well, Apple might use it in future iPhone cameras instead of Sony-made image sensors that it currently uses. The leaker says the sensor would take up less space in the camera module and offer custom features.

Apple is working on a custom image sensor for iPhone cameras

Apple’s work on the sensor came to light recently as the United States Patent and Trademark Office published an Apple patent filing for “Image Sensor With Stacked Pixels Having High Dynamic Range And Low Noise.” The invention describes an image sensor overlaid on a sensor die that would be capable of reaching up to 20 stops of dynamic range.

This would make it on par with the human eye, which is capable of detecting around 20 to 30 stops of dynamic range. In contrast, cameras used in flagship smartphones are capable of capturing between 10 and 13 stops. Such a sensor would also beat many cinema cameras, like the ARRI ALEXA 35, in terms of dynamic range.

The patent describes a stacked design with a sensor die that captures light stacked on top of a logic die, dedicated to image processing functions including noise reduction and exposure control.

Hartley Charlton, MacRumors:

One of the most important parts of the sensor design is a system called a Lateral Overflow Integration Capacitor (LOFIC). This allows each pixel in the sensor to store different amounts of light depending on how bright the scene is, all in the same image. With this, the sensor can handle extremely wide lighting differences, such as a person standing in front of a bright window, without losing detail in the shadows or highlights.

And:

Another part of the design focuses on reducing image noise and grain. Each pixel has its own built-in memory circuit that measures and cancels out heat-related electronic noise in real time. This is done on the chip itself, before the image is saved or edited by software.

It’s unclear how far along the project is and whether it will soon reach a level where the sensor could be used in commercial devices. So far, no other leaker or publication has backed the report.

Source link: https://www.idownloadblog.com/2025/08/04/apple-testing-iphone-image-sensor-human-eye-dynamic-range/