The Pit Viper

As collectors of natural-history trivia know, the pit viper’s pit is not the one it lives in, but the directional infrared-sensing dimple between its eye and nostril. If snakes can do it, why shouldn’t my smartphone?
Jacob Fraden and David Pintsov have patented (and are looking for licensees for) their new scanning IR device. This 2.5-mm IR sensor is built into the phone next to the digital camera and can measure temperatures from -30 C to about 200 C—and measure them accurately enough for clinical use.

http://spectrum.ieee.org/tech-talk/at-work/test-and-measurement/how-is-a-pit-viper-like-an-iphone-an-ir-thermometer-for-your-smartphone