MSI laptops and all-in-one PCs preinstalled with Tobii Aware

About MSI

Founded in Taiwan in 1986, MSI began by designing and assembling motherboards in the early-tech era that was highly hardware-focused. Today, MSI is a global supplier of premium laptops, all-in-one PCs, graphics cards, monitors, motherboards, and desktop computers. A trusted name in gaming and esports communities, MSI has been listed on the Taiwan exchange since 1998, with manufacturing and sales located in strategic global locations. The company often ranks among the top ten brands for laptops and monitors.

MSI and Tobii

The collaboration between MSI and Tobii began in 2015, resulting in the integration of Tobii’s eye tracking technology and use cases into the MSI GT72S gaming laptop shown at CES 2016. Today, several all-in-one PCs in the MSI PRO and Modern series and laptops in the MSI Summit and MSI Prestige series come preinstalled with Tobii Aware — a set of smart features that enable users to increase privacy, security, productivity, and wellbeing.

What is Tobii Aware?

We have designed Tobii Aware to detect user presence and attention in real-time. Its aim is to understand human intent and anticipate users needs. It can be integrated into a wide range of personal computing products by making use of the built-in RGB webcam. MSI devices just got even smarter with Tobii Aware.

The challenges

MSI develops premium laptops and all-in-one PCs and is committed to sustainably supporting user workflow while upholding user wellbeing and privacy, as well as information security.

PC users have traditionally relied on physical solutions like screen protectors to safeguard information from prying eyes. But due to device proliferation and evolving user behavior, new privacy and security issues have surfaced — replacing physical protection methods with software solutions and display-native features. The challenge, however, is that even basic security capabilities like screen-lock are inconvenient and often interrupt workflow, resulting in reduced compliance and information theft.

All-in-one PCs are vulnerable because users cannot simply shut the device to protect information rapidly. The risk of theft and related security breaches and integrity violations tends to be higher for laptops than for all-in-one PCs. But even in secure office spaces, users are exposed to security breaches and integrity violations occur, and their wellbeing and privacy needs remain high. MSI was on the lookout for a software solution to overcome these challenges.

The solution

Intuitively sensing the user’s presence and interpreting behavior makes it possible to develop software solutions that safeguard information, uphold privacy, and adapt to the evolving needs of office, home, and mobile working. Such solutions shift responsibility from the user to the device, ensuring compliance with security protocols by automating capabilities, such as screen-lock, peeker detection, dimming, and background blur — without interrupting the user’s workflow.

Why MSI chose Tobii Aware

Tobii Aware automates essential security features, but its crucial strength lies in the automation of unlocking functions that enable people to work without interruption. For example, screen-lock will activate when a user moves away from their device, and when the same user returns, screen-unlock will open the device immediately. Users can control sensitivity levels so that all Tobii Aware features adapt to personal preferences and environments.

Privacy and security are two of many challenges Tobii Aware solves for MSI. The software leverages machine learning and computer vision, understanding user behavior to:

• Save energy — by automatically dimming the screen when the user looks away, immediately returning it to the user’s brightness setting when they look back.

• Assess digital wellbeing — by measuring ergonomic factors such as distance from the screen, user position, and screen time to provide health insights and reminders to take a break.

• Deliver presence-based privacy — enabling users to automatically keep the details of their environment private while on a call — irrespective of the underlying communication software.

• Protect information — by automatically blurring the screen when the user looks or moves away from their device and clearing blur when the correct user looks back at the screen or is present again.

• Raise productivity — by enabling windows snap based on the user's gaze point.

• Lower mouse mileage — by enabling Tobii Aware to warp the pointer to the user's gaze point.

Tobii Aware enabled all-in-one MSI devices

As of end 2022, Tobii Aware comes preinstalled on:

MSI Modern Series

Modern AM242TP 12M | AM242P 12M | AM242T 12M | AM242 12M | AM272P 12M | AM272 12M | AM272P 13M | AM242 13M | AM242P 13M | AM242T 13M | AM242TP 13M

MSI PRO Series

PRO AP243TP 12M | AP243T 12M | AP242 12M | AP272 12M

2023 Supported MSI devices

MSI PRO Series

PRO AP272 13M | AP243 13M | AP243P 13M | AP243TP 13M

Tobii Aware enabled laptop MSI devices

As of end 2022, Tobii Aware comes preinstalled on:

MSI Summit Series

Summit E13 Flip Evo A12M｜E14 Evo A12M｜E14 Flip Evo A12M

MSI Prestige Series

Prestige 14 Evo A12M

2023 Supported MSI devices

MSI Summit Series

Summit E13 Flip Evo A13M｜E14 Flip Evo A13M｜E16 Flip Evo A13M

MSI Prestige Series

Prestige 13 Evo A13M｜14 Evo B13M｜16 Evo A13M

For more details and technical specifications, check out the Tobii Aware product page.