Latest Machine Learning Research at Apple Considers the Learning of Logical Functions with Gradient Descent (GD) on Neural Networks.

A patent from Apple suggests the company is considering how machine learning can make augmented reality (AR) more useful. Most current AR applications are somewhat gimmicky, with barely a handful that have achieved any form of mass adoption. Apple's decision to introduce LiDAR in its recent devices has given AR a boost but it's clear that more needs to be done to make applications more useful. A newly filed patent suggests that Apple is exploring how machine learning can be used to automatically (or "automagically," the company would probably say) detect objects in AR. The first proposed use of the technology would be for Apple's own Measure app. Measure's previously dubious accuracy improved greatly after Apple introduced LiDAR but most people probably just grabbed an actual tape measure unless they were truly stuck without one available.

Apple's Face ID method for authenticating on recent iPhones offers a number of security benefits, and it's a neat trick to boot. But in a pandemic-stricken world where many people either opt to or are even required to wear protective masks, users have discovered that Face ID doesn't usually work when they need it to. Those masks interfere with the iPhone's ability to read your face, and at the moment, there's no easy solution. This story originally appeared on Ars Technica, a trusted source for technology news, tech policy analysis, reviews, and more. Ars is owned by WIRED's parent company, Condé Nast.