The Latest in IT Security

Apple was recently awarded a patent that would allow its touchscreen devices to detect how hard the user presses on the display. The patent, first noted by Apple Insider, uses a technology called frustrated total internal reflection, or FTIR, along with current capacitive touch sensors to determine force applied to the screen. FTIR is essentially an alternative method for detecting multitouch. Jeff Han used an FTIR-based multitouch display in his incredible TED Talk back in February 2006. FTIR uses infrared lights to bounce light off the back of a touchscreen. If there is no interference, or frustration, then the infrared light will completely reflect off the surface of the touchscreen, similar to how the surface of a pool can act as a mirror when viewed at