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Browser Extension That Pauses Video When You Look Away, Yea or Nay?

From a UX perspective, what's a mere inconvenience vs. a hassle?

By Rain Noe - May 29, 2018

in UX

I consume a lot of video for work. My viewing is frequently interrupted by phone calls, dogs, delivery people hitting the buzzer, etc. Each time this happens I reflexively hit the spacebar to pause the video--and instead the browser window scrolls down half a screen while the video continues to play.

German developer Mattias Hemmingsson has a workaround--but one that I'd never consider using. By tapping into the Chrome browser's FaceDetector API (application programming interface), Hemmingsson has created an extension called FacePause. As you've probably surmised, it uses your camera to detect when you look away, and automatically pauses whatever video you're watching.

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I think a lot of people, especially those enamored of technology, would happily use this. I'm always surprised by how much privacy people are willing to trade away for the sake of "convenience," like having a microphone/speaker in your house that's connected to the internet. It recently made the news that an Amazon Echo mistakenly recorded a couple's private conversation in their home, and sent it to someone on their contact list.

The cameras on my computer set-up are covered, and the mic is muted, unless I have a Skype meeting. I can't imagine a single convenience that would prompt me to do otherwise. Not being able to pause video correctly is a minor annoyance to me, not a dealbreaking hassle.

My question to you designers is: When does attention to UX go too far? From a functional perspective, FacePause is undeniably a clever use of technology that confers a benefit, however small. Is it too small to justify the cost of privacy? If so, would you use it if, for example, it somehow saved you money, or if the developer paid you to try it out for a month to give feedback?

Not that Hemmingsson would ever do such a thing. "I don't trust my webcam," he told Gizmodo, "so I have it covered and I don't trust Youtube/Google so see this more as an experiment of Chrome's new technology, than a product you'd use every day."

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Machine Visions

6 years ago

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This will be a fantastic addition for youtube preroll ads. Thanks for the idea!

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- amunta nul
  
  Machine Visions
  
  6 years ago
  
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  That thought is nightmare inducing
  
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Flo Peters

6 years ago

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pro tip: when on youtube, pressing K will always pause the video without doing that dumb jump to the comments thing. The J and L keys are skip forward and backwards buttons as well!
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Gypsy J

6 years ago

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This is a good idea, however what do you do when your in an aqward state watching adult stuff, and look away for a mind blowing split couple of seconds and the damn pc pauses, ya that could get kind of rough, you may loose your target ;)

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Marie-Pascale Girard

6 years ago

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I keep seeing the episode of Black Mirror where the guy is forced to pay credits to be able to skip ads.

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