It happens all the time: You miss an important phone call because you're in a loud environment and your ringtone volume is turned down too low. Or worse, you're in a restaurant or doctor's office and your phone blasts out your favorite Britney ringtone. Don't be that guy.

Apple just filed a patent on an audio sensor that adjusts volume based on ambient sound. Now that Britney ringtone will whisper at you when at the doctor's office, but bellow when you're next to a construction site. Besides phones, any gadget with an automatic sound could use this technology. Ever try to power up your laptop during a quiet meeting? You know what we're talking about.

Once again, Apple comes up with a concept that you have to wonder why no one else thought of before. Why didn't I think of it first?

AppleInsider