OS X Mavericks Taps Ambient Light Sensors to Detect Motion and Prevent System Sleep

[MacRumors]

OS X Mavericks includes a new feature that leverages the light sensors included in many Macs to detect movement in front of the machine and prevent the system's Energy Saver sleep functions from activating even when the user is not actively using the machine, notes The Verge.

First highlighted by Moshen Chen of Radiantlabs and confirmed by developer Jonathan Wight, the feature was initially thought to use the iSight camera to monitor movements but was quickly discovered to actually be tapping into light sensors.

The sensor is already used to adjust screen brightness to ambient light, but the new OS puts it to a different purpose, tracking changes in the light as "movement," and resetting idle time accordingly. Verge tests confirmed this on two separate Mavericks laptops: after covering the camera but not the light sensor, we were able to delay sleep mode by changing the ambient lighting conditions.

Users have long been able to set separate thresholds for display and system sleep based on lack of interaction with their Macs, but under Mavericks, many Macs have now become smarter about being able to detect whether or not the user is sitting in front of the machine.

Article Link: OS X Mavericks Taps Ambient Light Sensors to Detect Motion and Prevent System Sleep

 

[Michaelgtrusa]

Do you need a newer Mac for this to work?

 

[iHEARTcartoons]

Hurray for push notifications! Now what's the article about?

 

[MrX8503]

How about we have the Mac not go to sleep when you're downloading something or encoding a video?

That would be really helpful.

 

[Small White Car]

Dave?

Dave, are you awake?

"Ugh, just go to sleep."

I'm sorry, Dave. I can't do that.

Why are you not typing on my Dave?

I know you're awake...

 

[needfx]

mavericks also taps into flash banners and blocks playback in safari for energy saving unless user specifies otherwise

unless it's just safari

 

[Small White Car]

How about we have the Mac not go to sleep when you're downloading something or encoding a video?

That would be really helpful.

Here's my FAVORITE simple Mac app:

http://caffeine.en.softonic.com/mac

It puts an icon in the task bar that toggles on a 'no sleep mode' when you want it.

 

[needfx]

How about we have the Mac not go to sleep when you're downloading something or encoding a video?

That would be really helpful.

this doesn't help?

 

[pbasmadj]

How about we have the Mac not go to sleep when you're downloading something or encoding a video?

That would be really helpful.

Download Caffeine

 

[HenryDJP]

I don't think this works in my 27" iMac. I wish it would. I like this feature. I use my iMac for work and I keep the auto sleep mode set to 5 minutes so I can walk away and it goes to sleep. But there are times I'm at my desk in front of the iMac filling out paperwork and I don't wish for it to go to sleep just because I'm not touching the trackpad.

 

[pbasmadj]

this doesn't help?

While that is great too, if you have Caffeine, you can have all your sleep settings the way you want, and just toggle an always on state from the taskbar. Works great

 

[snebes]

I hope this sensor isn't "racist" like the HP webcams...

http://www.cnn.com/2009/TECH/12/22/hp.webcams/

 

[oneMadRssn]

Does this work even if "Automatically adjust brightness" is unchecked in Display Settings?

 

[needfx]

While that is great too, if you have Caffeine, you can have all your sleep settings the way you want, and just toggle an always on state from the taskbar. Works great

just googled it, seems practical

 

[mazz0]

So it won't go to sleep if you're moving around tidying or something cos it thinks you might want to use it? That would be best not enabled by default I think.

 

[snebes]

I don't think this works in my 27" iMac. I wish it would. I like this feature. I use my iMac for work and I keep the auto sleep mode set to 5 minutes so I can walk away and it goes to sleep. But there are times I'm at my desk in front of the iMac filling out paperwork and I don't wish for it to go to sleep just because I'm not touching the trackpad.

Ditto. I wish I could do this with my Mac Pro at the office. It definitely won't have one of these sensors, but my password locked screen saver comes up after 2 minutes. I am constantly entering my password after checking things out on my iPad or taking notes. I've got the 5 second grace period too, but I don't always catch it.

Maybe the new TB displays will have it.

Another option would be TouchID on the keyboard.... can't wait for that.

 

[leman]

How about we have the Mac not go to sleep when you're downloading something or encoding a video?

That would be really helpful.

Well, ask your application developers to use power assertions.

 

[troop231]

Download Caffeine

I like NoSleep for Mac: http://code.google.com/p/macosx-nosleep-extension/

 

[djtech42]

this doesn't help?

It should automatically disable sleeping in those cases though.

 

[xdunlapx]

I see no option to enable or disable it through the Energy Saver settings panel.

 

[litmag01]

It should automatically disable sleeping in those cases though.

Totally agree. Then the question is how woud a given device distinguish between a user and an automated process, especially when threads are all over the place initiated by apps?

 

[vmachiel]

How about we have the Mac not go to sleep when you're downloading something or encoding a video?

That would be really helpful.

Download caffiene from the app store.

 

[talmy]

I use "Should I Sleep" (from the App Store). It uses the camera and will stay awake (configurable) based on movement, face recognition, up/download activity, processor usage, noise, and or external monitor connected. It's very flexible. I set my system to sleep in 1 minute and the app does a great job of keeping it awake as needed and pretty much immediately shutting it down if I walk away (and it's not doing anything).

 

[whooleytoo]

I'm going to find who in this office has Mavericks installed, and dance incessantly in front of their light sensors to kill their battery life. Muhahahah...

 

[akbarali.ch]

I love these kinds of features. This is what should've been done long before, rather than computer industry (now Mobile manufacturer) focusing on GigaHertz and GigaBytes.