Back in the 1980s, when an original Mac encountered a problem, it would play a crash sound and display Susan Kare’s bomb icon. While whimsical, it was far from appreciated when work was lost.
Decades later, Apple seems poised to introduce a potentially similarly frustrating feature, albeit with good intentions. They’re considering adding a new health feature where iPads can recognize when users are feeling stressed.
A newly disclosed patent application, titled “Stress Detection,” primarily focuses on how stress could be identified. However, it also mentions potential responses from the devices.
Apple suggests that devices could “enhance the user experience by providing notifications based on detected stress,” which might not be entirely welcome. On the bright side, the device could also offer relaxing content, such as meditation or soothing music, which could be beneficial, especially during stressful times like deadlines.