MacRumors

Apple has been awarded a patent by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (via AppleInsider) for a system that allows for a personal computing device such as a Mac or iPhone to be controlled through facial detection and recognition, primarily for security and convenience purposes.

The patent, which was filed back in 2008, introduces itself by describing the problem with the interaction between users and current electronics, stating that devices such as computers inconvenience the user by requiring action in order to continue operating without interruption, along with detailing the security hazard that comes with the inability of passwords to detect a truly authorized user.

The facial recognition and detection system is broken up into three separate parts, and includes a face detection decision application, a face recognition application, and an input/output control manager, all working with an image sensor to determine whether a user is authorized to control a device.

In a further aspect, a personal media device includes an image sensor that captures one or more images. The device includes a data store having at least one known face pattern that is associated with an authorized user of the media device. The device includes a processor that detects one or more faces in the captured images, recognizes at least one of faces as the face of the authorized user by comparing the one or faces with the data store, and controlling the operation of an application of the device in response to recognizing at least one of the faces as the face of the authorized user.

An incoming phone call is cited as an example scenario that could benefit from a facial recognition and detection system, with the system keeping the screen off and only giving off a ringtone or vibration alert if a user is not authorized compared to displaying a normal call screen for an authorized user. The same principle is applied to an incoming email, where a message can be hidden if an unauthorized user is detected.

The patent also details a number of examples as to what information the facial detection and recognition system cites in authorizing users, with information such as visual facial features and background being matched up against stored information to determine whether control of a device can be accessed or not.

It is unknown exactly how or even whether Apple plans to utilize this technology in its products, but competitors such as Samsung and Google have already touted simple facial recognition as key features in their products. Apple also recently completed its acquisition of 3D body sensing firm PrimeSense, and while the system detailed in the patent differs from the firm's image sensing technology, both could be used as part of a bigger initiative by Apple to better integrate human recognition into its products.

This is also not the first time evidence of Apple's interest in face recognition has surfaced, with other patent applications addressing similar concepts while the company acquired Swedish face recognition firm Polar Rose back in 2010.

Following a brief premature appearance in Apple's online store over the weekend, FileMaker Pro 13 officially launches today with a number of enhancements including a new FileMaker WebDirect feature that offers access to databases through the Web. Other features include enhanced tools for iOS, new design options, and improved security.

FileMaker 13 includes more than 50 new features. Chief among them are:

- FileMaker WebDirect, an entirely new, HTML5 browser-based technology that allows teams to create and deploy desktop-style solutions in a web browser with no programming skills required.

- Tools to create amazing iPad and iPhone solutions that support even more iOS behaviors, including slide controls, popovers and the ability to scan records using gestures. iPad and iPhone layouts can now be created in one step; and iOS solutions can include single-click capture of bar codes using on-device cameras and custom keyboards that speed data entry.

- Major improvements to design capabilities, including support for shareable custom themes and styles, and the ability to drag and drop data fields onto design layouts.

- More robust security, with AES 256-bit encryption that locks down data no matter where it lives – on iPad, iPhone, desktop or server. FileMaker Pro 13 Advanced is used to enable encryption.

- Dozens of new enhancements for solution developers, from the ability to hide or display objects on a screen based on business logic to easier integration with web applications.

- Simplified server administration, including an entirely new HTML5 administrative console in FileMaker Server 13 for managing business solutions from anywhere.

FileMaker Pro 13 is available through traditional licensing methods starting at $329 new or $179 upgrade, while volume licensing is available starting as $9/month for FileMaker Pro, $15/month for FileMaker Pro Advanced, and $29/month for FileMaker Server.

FileMaker Go 13 is a free universal app for iPhone and iPad available in the App Store. [Direct Link]

Apple has purchased social analytics firm Topsy for more than $200 million, reports The Wall Street Journal. According to its website, Topsy is a social search and analytics company that partners with Twitter to maintain an index of Tweets going back to 2006.

Topsy also makes products to search and analyze trends on social websites like Twitter and Google+. With its analytics tools, companies can analyze keywords by several different metrics such as activity, exposure, geography, or general sentiment. The Topsy website also serves as a search engine that looks through shared content on social networks and ranks results based on a social influence algorithm.

Topsy specializes in data from Twitter, offering tools to analyze tweets and other information to help track consumer sentiment. Its tools can decipher how often a specific term is tweeted, find an influential person on a specific subject, or measure the exposure of an event or campaign.

The company is one of a handful of Twitter’s partners who have access to the so-called "firehose"—the full stream of all tweets posted to the service. Topsy competes with DataSift Inc. and Gnip Inc. to analyze and resell this data to customers.

An Apple spokesperson confirmed the acquisition with the company’s standard line: "Apple buys smaller technology companies from time to time, and we generally do not discuss our purpose or plans."

According to The Wall Street Journal, Apple could possibly use Topsy's technology within iTunes Radio, and it could also be useful in the App Store, delivering content recommendations based on Twitter trends. It could also be used as a way to bolster iAd, providing data to marketers to serve targeted ads in iRadio.

Apple's purchase of Topsy comes after several other acquisitions earlier this year focused on mapping. According to Apple CEO Tim Cook, Apple made a total of 15 acquisitions during fiscal 2013.

Following the initial revelation of some details on a new 24-inch 3840 x 2160 "4K" Ultra HD display from Dell yesterday, the company has now officially announced that the display launches today in the Americas with a $1399 price tag. A 32-inch model at the same resolution is also available for $3499, while Dell will be introducing a 28-inch 4K display in early 2014 with breakthrough pricing of under $1000.

The flagship Dell UltraSharp 32 Ultra HD Monitor delivers stunning screen clarity and detail with Ultra HD 3840 x 2160 resolution and high pixel density on an expansive 31.5-inch screen. Dell’s largest monitor allows for easy multi-tasking and viewing multiple applications side by side, and its ultra-wide viewing angle ensures that images and colors remain consistent regardless of the perspective. Designed for graphic designers, video and game developers, CAD/CAM designers, engineers, photographers and other power users, the Dell UltraSharp 32 Ultra HD Monitor provides an exceptional, high performance viewing experience.

With the same remarkable, pin-point clarity, the Dell UltraSharp 24 Ultra HD Monitor, users can enjoy color consistency and precision from virtually any angle thanks to an ultra-wide viewing angle on a 28.3-inch screen. The UltraSharp 24 Ultra HD Monitor allows customers to see more and do more with uncompromising picture quality that facilitates multi-tasking on a screen that delivers four times more data than a Full HD monitor.

Both the 24-inch and 32-inch displays support refresh rates of 60 Hz over DisplayPort 1.2 and 30 Hz over HDMI, as well as a variety of ports including HDMI, DisplayPort, Mini DisplayPort, four USB 3.0 ports, and a media card reader. Both displays also offer height, tilt, and swivel adjustments.

Exact details on the upcoming 28-inch model have yet to be released, but Dell says that it will offer "the same incredible Ultra HD screen performance" as the other members of the 4K display family and will carry multiple input ports for flexible connectivity.

Dell's new 4K displays arrive just as speculation regarding a potential 4K display from Apple has escalated ahead of the launch of the new Mac Pro later this month. Apple touts the new Mac Pro as being able to drive up to three 4K displays, but the company has not made any announcements about its display plans. The recent introduction of new 4K display panels from AU Optronics fueled speculation that Apple could be nearing an introduction for new displays, but Dell's displays may be the strongest hint yet that Apple may have something in the works given the two companies have typically used the same panel suppliers for their displays.

Apple has posted a guide on holiday shipping deadlines on its website notifying shoppers when to place orders for Macs, iPads, iPhones, iPods, and accessories for delivery by December 24, 2013.

In the United States, Apple's earliest deadlines are for the Retina iPad mini and the iPad Air, which must be ordered by midnight on December 5 and December 9, respectively, for delivery by December 24. Other iPads can be ordered as late as December 22 with Next Day Shipping, but Next Day Shipping is not available for Apple’s most popular iPads.

Unsurprisingly, the iPhone 5s must also be ordered early, with a deadline of December 12 and no Next Day Shipping Available. Other non-engraved iPhones, iPods, and standard configuration Macs can be ordered as late as December 18 with standard shipping and December 22 with Next Day Air. Custom orders and orders with engravings must be placed earlier.

Apple is offering free shipping with no minimum order on all products through December 22 and later in the month, it is likely the company will upgrade that to free next-day shipping for last minute orders as it did last year. Free shipping typically requires a $50 minimum purchase, which has been waived through the holidays.

Holiday return periods have also been extended, with products purchased from November 1, 2013 through December 25, 2013 eligible for return until January 7, 2014.

Though Apple's iOS market share numbers have fallen behind Android in the past year, the platform still leads for Black Friday shopping.

According to research from IBM Benchmark, iOS users spent an average of $127.92 per order on Black Friday, versus an average of $105.20 per order for Android users.

Further, purchases from iOS devices accounted for 18.1 percent of all online sales tracked, while Android only represented 3.5 percent.

The data comes from millions of sales from 800 different U.S. retail websites tracked in IBM's Holiday Benchmark Report.

Separately, a report from Branding Brand (via TechCrunch) found that iOS made up two-thirds of mobile site visits to 152 smartphone-optimized websites.

According Branding Brand, iOS sent 66.62% of mobile site visits on Black Friday, while Android sent just 32.97% of the 9.3 million total visits accounted for across the sample 152 smartphone-optimized websites. These visits produced 174,111 orders, with a $93.20 average order value – an increase of 22.08% in average order value over Black Friday 2012.

Black Friday kicks off the traditional beginning of the holiday shopping season, continuing today with Cyber Monday.

OS X 10.9 Mavericks continues to gain popularity, overtaking previous versions of OS X like Mountain Lion and Lion in November of 2013 according to the newest market share data from Net Applications (via The Next Web). First introduced on October 22, Mavericks is Apple's newest operating system and the first version of OS X to be released free to consumers.

During the month of November, Mavericks gained 1.58 percentage points, growing from 0.84 percent of total operating system market share to 2.42 percent, while other versions of OS X lost share. OS X 10.8 Mountain Lion dropped 1.48 percentage points to 1.85 percent, while OS X 10.7 Lion dropped 0.22 percentage points to 1.34 percentage points. OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard dropped 0.07 percentage points to 1.53 percent and OS X 10.5 dropped 0.01 percentage points to 0.32 percent.

Though Mavericks market share has continued to grow steadily since its release, overall OS X market share, at 7.56 percent, remains dwarfed by Windows market share, which is at 90.88 percent with Windows 7 being the most popular Windows operating system.

While Net Applications data shows Mavericks gaining ground over its predecessors, data from GoSquared suggests that though Mavericks usage has continued to rise over the course of the last month, it is still lagging behind OS X 10.8 and OS X 10.7. According to the data, Mavericks usage is at nearly 21 percent, compared to 31 percent for 10.8 and 24 percent for 10.7.

The difference between the two measurements is likely due to the number of visitors tracked and the different sites being monitored, but both data points suggest that Apple's strategy of delivering the update free to all users has worked favorably for the company, encouraging users to upgrade to the latest software.

The Monday after Black Friday has been dubbed Cyber Monday to reflect a large number of online purchases that takes place on that day. As a result, many retailers continue or begin online sales on Monday. Here's a selection of Apple-relevant Cyber Monday sales.

Accessories, iTunes Gift Cards and Software

- $100 iTunes Gift Card - $85 ($15 off)
- iOS Apps on Sale at AppShopper
- Mac Apps on Sale at AppShopper

- Zagg - iPhone/iPad accessory maker is offering 20%-50% site-wide including keyboard cases and portable power.
- Belkin - 30% off entire order with promo code: "CYBERMONDAY"
- Otterbox - 20% off all purchases over $35
- Lifeproof - 15% off all Lifeproof products with promo code: "E13122"
- ClamCase - $50 off all products with promo code: "Cyber50"

- Adobe Photoshop Elements 12 - $49.99 ($50 off)
- Adobe Photoshop Elements 12 & Premiere Elements 12 - $69.99 ($80 off)
- Quickbooks 2014 for Mac - $181.30 ($69.65 off)
- VMWare Fusion 6 - $38.99 ($21 off)

iPads

- iPad Air Wi-Fi - $20-$34 Off
- iPad Air Wi-Fi + Cellular - $20-$34 Off

MacBook Pros

BestBuy has two good deals for the 13" MacBook Pro today:

13" Retina MacBook Pro with 256GB - $1399 ($100 off)
13" Retina MacBook Pro with 512GB - $1599 ($200 off)

All Other Macs

MacMall continues to have modest discounts on all other Mac models:

Tablets have proven to be the most popular consumer electronics item on buyers' early holiday shopping lists, with a new research note from Cantor Fitzgerald analyst Brian White citing numbers from the Consumer Electronics Association revealing that 39% of shoppers looking for consumer electronics over the Black Friday weekend were planning to purchase a tablet. Supporting that data, both Walmart and Target highlighted iPads as top sellers on Black Friday.

With Apple's new iPad Air and Retina iPad mini having hit the market in recent weeks, Apple is well-positioned to take advantage of the surge in tablet interest, although the company has been struggling hard to ramp up production on the Retina iPad mini to meet holiday shopping demand. White notes that supplies for Apple's retail stores continue to improve, although 64 GB and 128 GB cellular-capable variants remains in tight supply.

Based on our survey across 38 Apple Retail Stores in the U.S. market, all Wi-Fi only models for both the iPad mini with Retina Display and first-generation iPad mini are readily available. Regarding Wi-Fi + Cellular models for the iPad mini with Retina Display, 64GB and 128GB models have very limited stock, while 16GB models are plentiful. For example, 47% of the Apple Retail Stores that we surveyed sold out the iPad mini with Retina Display 128GB models and 42% sold out 64GB models, while only 29% sold out 32GB models and 3% sold out 16GB models.

The news comes ten days after Apple's retail stores began offering walk-in sales of Retina iPad Mini models, along with a report last week stating that supplies of the tablet are beginning to improve after Apple was reportedly struggling with display yields that limited production.

Overall, in-store availability of Retina iPad mini models has improved markedly for Apple's U.S. retail stores, although availability of Wi-Fi models remains much stronger than for cellular-capable models. Orders placed through Apple's online store are currently being quoted 5-10 business day shipping estimates for all models.

Research firm Kantar Worldpanel has released a new report (via TechCrunch) highlighting global smartphone sales over the August-October period, finding that Apple's market share in most regions is unsurprisingly now higher when compared to the months leading up to the release of the iPhone 5s and iPhone 5c. Apple's share is, however, lower when compared to the prior-year period with the iPhone 5 launch.

Dominic Sunnebo, strategic insight director at Kantar Worldpanel ComTech, comments: “In almost all markets, the iPhone 5S and 5C releases have given iOS a significant bounce compared to the previous month. Generally, Apple’s share of the market still remains lower than when the iPhone 5 was released, although this is not wholly unexpected as shoppers tend to react more positively to ‘full’ releases than incremental improvements such as the 5S and 5C.

Apple's total market share in the U.S. hit 52.8% during October, with the report attributing the overall growth during the 12-week timeframe to the appeal of the cheaper iPhone 5c and noting that half of all iPhone 5c owners had switched from competiting brands:

“The cheaper 5C appeals to a broader audience than Apple usually attracts. In the US, the biggest demand for these mid-end models is coming from lower income households. Some 42% of iPhone 5C owners earn less than $49,000 compared with just 21% for iPhone 5S. iPhone 5C customers also tend to be slightly older at an average of 38 years compared to 34 years for the 5S. The good news for Apple is that this wider appeal is attracting significant switching from competitors. Almost half of iPhone 5C owners switched from competitor brands, particularly Samsung and LG, compared with 80% of 5S owners who upgraded from a previous iPhone model.”

While the iPhone continues to enjoy strong market share in the U.S., it also continues to face challenges in mainland Europe and China, where Android's market share is around 70% or even higher in many countries. Apple has, however, had more success in Japan, where the addition of NTT DoCoMo as a carrier partner helped the iPhone garner 76% of the market in October and 61.1% for the broader August-October period.

Dell has posted details of a new 24-inch monitor sporting a 3840x2160 "4K" Ultra HD resolution at 185 pixels per inch on its website (via Anandtech), suggesting the company may soon be selling 4K monitors to its consumer and business customers. No pricing or release date information, however, was included in the listing.

The development could provide insight into future Apple 4K monitor offerings as the two companies have historically used the same supplier for their display panels.

From Dell's listing:

See more of everything — down to the smallest detail

Whether it’s video editing, CGI animation or application and game development, the Dell UltraSharp 24 Monitor – UP2414Q gives you an up-close-and-personal view.

- Our highest pixel density sharpens the tiniest details in videos and images for stunning results.
- Ultra HD 3840 x 2160 packs in four times the resolution of Full HD.
- Get a clear and consistent view with an ultrawide 178°/178° viewing angle.

Diagonally Viewable Size: 60.47 cm 23.8" (23.8-inch wide viewable image size)
Aspect Ratio: Widescreen (16:9)
Panel Type, Surface: In-plane switching, anti glare with hard coat 3H
Optimal resolution: 3840 x 2160 at 60 Hz (DP1.2*)
3840 x 2160 at 30 Hz HDMI
Contrast Ratio: 1000: 1 (typical) 2 Million:1 (Max) (Dynamic Contrast Ratio)
Brightness: 350 cd/m2 (typical)
Response Time: 8 ms (gray to gray)
Viewing Angle: (178° vertical / 178° horizontal)
Color Support: Color Gamut (typical): Adobe RGB 99%, sRGB 100%
1.07 Billion colors (8 Bits +AFRC)
Pixel Pitch: 0.137 mm
Pixel Per Inch (PPI): 185
Backlight Technology: LED
Display Type: Widescreen Flat Panel Display
Display Screen Coating: Antiglare with hard-coating 3H

It is unknown if Apple would use the same 16:9 3840 x 2160 panels for a 4K display, as some have suggested that the company may prefer to push Thunderbolt 2 to its limit and support the wider 4096 x 2160 "Cinema 4K" standard given that the display will undoubtedly be targeted at professionals, many of whom in the film industry will be working with content using that resolution standard adopted for film production.

With the new Mac Pro, expected sometime this month, supporting up to three 4K displays simultaneously, there had been hopes that Apple would release updated Thunderbolt displays with 4K displays in the near future. Though these new 4K display panels have been announced from a number of potential suppliers, we have heard no firm details about new Thunderbolt displays from Apple.

Update: Dell has now officially announced the UP2414Q display, which launches in the Americas today for $1399 and will be available worldwide on December 16. A 32-inch UP3214Q model is also available for $3499 and a 28-inch model priced at under $1000 will follow in early 2014.