Canon SmileShot means no more dour faces

Have you ever wondered what goes on in digital camera R&D labs? Are they trying to cram ever-more megapixels into ever-smaller cameras, devising new proprietary flash card formats to further confuse us, or are the engineers simply taking pictures of one another in embarrassing situations? As it turns out, they are doing none of the above.
Instead, as Canon recently proved at their Canon Expo,
researchers are working furiously to ensure that everyone has a smile on his/her face when the shutter is released.
Seemingly unconcerned that future generations will look back at our photos and assume that we were habitually popping happy pills (oh wait, that's actually happening), Canon introduced a new technology called SmileShot that will only snap a picture when the focused subject is grinning. In an unusual move, Canon will not be adding this tech to models sold in the Pacific Northwest, where the dreary weather makes smiling nearly impossible.