Both Apple and Microsoft are working diligently, and somewhat secretly, on new computers for the masses. I am talking of course about the new tablets coming from both manufacturers at some point early next year. We’ve already seen the Courier from Microsoft and we’ve seen countless image leaks of Apple’s tablet.

No matter what tablet I will choose, I already foresee a problem. I will definitely need to connect a keyboard to the tablet whenever I’ll be writing since it will be really difficult to write efficiently by tapping on the screen. Or won’t it? While Apple’s work on the tablet is concealed from the public, Microsoft has filed a patent which brings an interesting twist to touchscreen keyboard design. As you can see in the picture here, it looks like Microsoft wants to make the keyboard appear whenever you want to write and no matter where your hands would be located on the screen. That way you’re writing should be as efficient as possible and you won’t have to keep looking at the screen.

And while we’re looking at the picture we can’t but hope that Microsoft knows what it’s doing. It will be awfully difficult to write anything with the letter “G” not showing up on the tablet.

via cnet

Tags: Apple, Apple, Courier, microsoft, microsoft, Mobile News, Multitouch Keyboard, patent, Portable Devices, tablet

As the prices of eBook readers continue to drop they may quickly find themselves becoming the next big thing. After realizing this, it’s no surprise that Discovery Communications, the guys behind Travel Channel, TLC and Discovery Channel, have filed a patent for their own eBook reader.

Other than the above picture, we don’t have much to go by, but apparantly the device will feature the ability to view messages, keep up with the stock market, look at the weather and more.

Considering the fact that Discovery Communications is no small company we could see them teaming up with some big names for this device.

via engadget

Tags: discovery communications, eBook Reader, Mobile News, Mobile Software, patent

The above patent filed by Apple was recently spotted by AppleInsider which gives us a glimpse at a new feature in the works that could possibly find its way into a future iPhone OS update.

The patent deals with both in-call messaging and file transfer which will elimnate the need to hang up before you do so. Below is an excerpt from the filing:

While a user of a mobile device is using telephony services, the user may want to send a message or a file to another part. To send this information, the user may have to disconnect the call, and then perform a lookup of the caller’s contact information prior to being able to send the message or file. This multi-step process can be tedious for the user.

Now we’ll have to wait for an official announcement from Apple.

Tags: Apple, Apple, Cell Phones, file transfer, in-call, iPhone, messaging, patent

It seems that Apple has some new technology cooking that will make it even harder for users to scheme their way into new hardware after abusing it.

The patent is called Consumer Abuse Detection System and Method and will log instances of consumer abuse such as exposure to extreme heat, cold or moisture. Below is an excerpt from the patent detailing the system:

The system may include an interface by which a diagnostic device may access the memory to analyze the records and determine whether a consumer abuse event occurred, when the event occurred, and, in some embodiments, what type of abuse event occurred. By providing the capability to quickly and easily detect whether consumer abuse occurred in an electronic device, a vendor or manufacturer diagnosing a returned product may be able to better determine whether or not to initiate a product return under a warranty policy.

via Engadget

Tags: abuse, Apple, Apple, Cell Phones, consumer abuse detection system and method, Mobile News, patent, Portable Devices

When the first iPhone came out, consumers were generally stunned at the touchscreen’s ease of use which could be attributed to the fact that the device features a capacitive screen. However, while that ease of use was made possible, the use of a stylus was made impossible.

Luckily, RIM has recently filed a patent for a hybrid capacitive/resistive touchscreen that will allow users easy finger control while still being able to use a stylus. This means you will be able to write things on the screen with much greater accurarcy in a future BlackBerry model given this patent goes through.

via Gizmodo

Tags: Capacitive, Cell Phones, Hybrid, Mobile News, patent, Research In Motion, Research In Motion, resistive, stylus

Today, people have not completely enjoyed touch-screen technology but RIM is moving ahead. If all goes well with their patent, we may soon see a more sensitive touch-screen interface made of two screens, one a sensitive screen and the next a lesser one, similar to the ones we use in notebooks if you don’t like clicking through the buttons.

One click on the upper layer touch screen would be as the initial selection process while the harder layer would confirm the selection. The new hybrid touchscreen technology is of course going to cost higher as dual touchscreen technology is definitely going to need advanced materials and programming.

But as we have seen, price seems to be nothing for people who want hi-tech devices and gadgets coming out in the market. RIM is no stranger to devices and technology and if this patent does get approved, you can bet that they will once again hog the limelight.

(Source)

Tags: advanced materials, Business, Cell Phones, electronic device, gadgets, hog, initial selection, limelight, Mobile News, Notebooks, patent, selection process, sensitive screen, sensitive touch screen, stranger, touch screen interface, touch screen technology, touchscreen technology, two screens

To tell you the truth I am just a little bit tired of all the iPhone nano rumors that appear from time to time. Apple hasn’t launched the product just yet and it hasn’t even confirmed it until today. We have no idea if the Cupertino-based company will ever make an iPhone nano but at least now we know it has a patent covering it.

As always with these things we have to keep in mind that patents are patents and that doesn’t mean that you’ll actually see in stores all the products presented in those patents.

According to the patent, it looks like the iPhone nano will offer you a traditional iPod, a camera mode and a dual-sided display. One screen uses all the space available on one side while the other one there’s also a force-sensitive touch-based surface which will be needed to control the other display. Hmm! What are your thoughts on the iPhone nano?

via MacNN

Tags: Apple, Apple, iPhone, iPhone, Mobile News, Nano, patent, Portable Devices

Apple is keeping busy and it keeps filing those patents. This time we’re talking about a patent talking about “Portable Device Capable of Initiating Disengagement from Host System” or a “touch and go” system. In other words, the system is a touch sensor attached to an USB devices which will be aware of your presence. Simply touch it and the drive will be disconnected from the computer. That way you won’t have to worry about unwanted data loosing. So what is Apple thinking about in the long run? Are we to expect some sort of new Apple USB device coming our way? Well the patent covers USB devices, SD cards, mobile phones, media players, game consoles computer peripherals, biometric sensors and headsets so we’re definitely going to see this patent in action at some point in the future.

via AppleInsider

Tags: Apple, Apple, Drive, gadgets, Mobile News, patent, Portable Devices, usb

It seems that the patent dispute between Visto and Research in Motion has finally come to an end. This is the same patent dispute that has been going on for years but it looks that RIM’s lawyers have found a middle point.

Research in Motion will reportedly pay $276.5 million to bring the lenghty law suit to an end. However, RIM didn’t come out completely empty handed as they have netted themselves a license to use the patents in question along with “some of the plantiff’s intellectual property by way of transferred ownership”.

At least Visto didn’t accuse RIM of conspiring with the Mafia like this troubled man.

via Engadget

Tags: lawsuit, Mobile News, Mobile Software, patent, Research In Motion, Research In Motion, RIM, settlement, visto

New Apple patents reveal new and interesting applications are ready for the iPhone. The patents reveal features like object identification, face recognition and a couple of messaging tweaks. Anxious to see any of these on your future iPhone? Well let’s check them out now!

The iPhone will be capable of recognizing certain objects and scan various bar codes or RFID tags and then offer you more information about said objects.

Facial recognition is one more important feature. How will the iPhone use it? Well it looks like the handset will know what person is using the phone and thus you can actually control who can access certain applications and functions on the phone.

The message filtering patent application shows you how you will be able to control and filter various messaging systems. That will be especially useful for controlling your children that convinced you to buy them an iPhone. Here’s how it would work:

Control application includes an instructional tool or study aid where the administrator sets one or more modes, such as language, vocabulary, grammar, spelling, punctuation and/or other content of a text-based communication based on, for example, a user’s age or grade level. This can be especially useful, for example, such as when a child’s grades go down. A parent can then institute a condition to improve a child’s grades. For example, the control application may require a user during specified time periods to send messages in a designated foreign language, to include certain designated vocabulary words, or to use proper designated spelling, designated grammar and designated punctuation and like designated language forms based on the user’s defined skill level and/or designated language skill rating. If the text-based communication fails to include the required language or format, the control application may alert the user and/or the administrator/parent of the absence of such text.

Status reports are also coming to the iPhone and a new feature will show you any missed messages, emails or voicemails from one of your contacts before you send a new message to a said contact. And since we did mention voicemail, a new voice-related feature will let you change voice output. That means you can actually hear yourself narrate stuff for you!

When will Apple roll all these features out? Nothing official just yet! We have only got the patents!

via uspto

Tags: Apple, Apple, barcodes, face recognition, iPhone, messaging, Mobile News, Mobile Software, object identification, patent, RFID, voice

Apple’s been known for some crazy patents in the back but I think this one tops the cake. Their recent patent filing is for something they are calling ‘active packaging’.

Essentially, ‘active packaging’ is a retail package that charges the device inside while also transmitting data to and from it. For instance, if an iPhone had this kind of packaging the device would not only be fully charged but would have the latest firmware even if it was released after the phone was packaged.

Sure this is cool and all, but how much is it going to cost us just to get this new kind of packaging? If it costs more money, I’ll settle for the normal cardboard box.

Read (PhoneArena)

Tags: active packaging, Apple, Cell Phones, charger, data, iPhone, Mobile News, patent

What will the next generation iPhone bring? Well it’s a little too early to speculate on that but Apple is certainly working on it. A few new patents have emerged and they depict a few new features like haptic screens, RFID readers and fingerprint ID. The picture clearly suggests that such technology would definitely apply to the iPhone or the iPod touch.

The screen is using a grid of piezoelectronic actuators that will offer a tactile vibration response every time you press the screen. Do we need a haptic touchscreen? Yes we do:

However, one of a touchscreen’s biggest advantages (i.e., the ability to utilize the same physical space for different functions) is also one of a touchscreen’s biggest disadvantages. When the user is unable to view the display (because the user is occupied with other tasks), the user can only feel the smooth hard surface of the touchscreen, regardless of the shape, size and location of the virtual buttons and/or other display elements. This makes it difficult for users to find icons, hyperlinks, textboxes or other user-selectable input elements that are being displayed, if any are even being displayed, without looking at the display.

As for fingerprint identification or RFID reader, these are not exactly must-have features but they would be also useful in a future iPhone.

Tags: Apple, Apple, fingerprint, haptic, ID, iPhone, Mobile News, patent, Portable Devices, rfid readers

The new iPhone will be an even better machine for media content which means you will be able to enjoy even more video shows. But what about streaming video to, say, a home cinema system?

Apple has a new patent “Media out interface” which we might see implemented soon. According to it the iPhone should be capable of streaming video content from the dock to a TV monitor. The handset will be controlled with the TV/Apple remote and that remote will also let you answer and end incoming calls. Of course the whole playback will be stopped every time you’re making a call.

That’s basically how everything should work but we have no idea when these new features will be available. Maybe this June?

via uspto

Tags: Apple, Apple, dock, iPhone, iPhone, Mobile News, Mobile Software, patent, Portable Devices, TV, video streaming

A couple of days ago we have shown you an Apple patent concerning biometric security systems. That patent has some weird pictures and lines of text in it. Basically jailbroken iPhones are being mentioned. Is Apple saying that jailbroken iPhones are good for you? According to this patent authenticated users might be able to access the jailbroken phone while others will be stuck with the default options. Check the picture above and the text matching it for yourself:

[0048]Once the user has been properly authenticated, the electronic device may display options associated with the authenticated user (e.g., options for applications purchased by particular users). In some embodiments, the electronic device may provide access to resources or content that was previously not available (e.g., contact lists or previous messages in a telephone or mail application). FIGS. 5A-C are schematic views of illustrative display screens associated with different users provided in response to authenticating the user in accordance with one embodiment of the invention.

United States Patent Application: 0090083850 PRE { font-family: “Times New Roman”; font-size: 12pt; } [0050]Display screen 500C may include options 510C for resources or applications available to the users. In some embodiments, options 510C for the same resources as other display screens may have different appearances (e.g., different icons). For example, in FIG. 5C, the options displayed for the Mail, Clock, Photos, YouTube, and Calculator applications may be different than those displayed in display screen 500A of FIG. 5A. Display screen 500C may in addition include a custom or personal background 512C (e.g., different background image). In some embodiments, display screen 500C may not include a dock or other feature for maintaining some options 510C in a fixed position (e.g., unlike options 510B located in dock 512B).

via uspto

Tags: Apple, Apple, jailbreak, Mobile News, patent

Do we really need biometric security for our gadgets? Apple seems to have an idea of how to implement it to its iPhone and MacBook. According to the concept patent here the biometric tool will be hidden within the touchscreen of the iPhone or the trackpad of the laptop. The sensor will detect fingerprints, vein patterns or the shape of the year. Therefore the process is totally invisible and it also should be totally secure. Other features might include face recognition and even DNA recognition.

via Gizmodo

Tags: Apple, biometric technologies, iPhone, MacBook, Mobile News, patent, Portable Devices, security

If you’re in Germany and you love HTC phones you might be in trouble. It’s reported that HTC has lost a patent violation suit to IPCom GmbH. HTC is supposed to pay license fees for some UMTS patents used in Windows Mobile and Android handsets. According to German law, HTC infringed on “100 series” patents which were bought by OPCom from Robert Bosch GmbH in 2006.

What will HTC do? A settlement should be the most logical outcome. After all HTC won’t want to miss out on any potential market. Especially since T-Mobile is selling the G1 and HTC Magic is around the corner.

via uberphones

Tags: Germany, HTC, HTC, Magic, Mobile News, patent, Suit

Picsel Technologies is a Scottish company that decided to take Apple to court for the iPhone screen. They say that Apple is using its technologies which are already available in 250 million phones around the world. Manufacturers like Motorola, Nokia, Palm, Samsung and Sony Ericsson are using and it looks like Apple is doing it too. The technologies we’re talking about concern screen updating. Picsel says Apple is infringing a patented method of accelerated screen updating. Is Picsel right? How much money will the two settle for?

via Yahoo

Tags: Apple, Apple, iPhone, Mobile News, patent, Picsel, trial

Is Apple getting ready to bring video-recording to all iPhone owners? Are we going to see a new iPhone arrive? After all we have started to hear various rumors about the iPhone 2,1, we’ve seen Apple join Adobe in order to bring Flash to the iPhone and now people are talking about video-recording capabilities for the iPhone.

And it looks like video-recording is present in Apple’s patent for the iPhone:

The device supports a variety of applications, such as one or more of the following: a telephone application, a video conferencing application, an e-mail application, an instant messaging application, a blogging application, a photo management application, a digital camera application, a digital video camera application, a Web browsing application, a digital music player application, and/or a digital video player application.

And there’s even a hint of video conferencing in that patent:

In some embodiments, the functions may include telephoning, video conferencing, e-mailing, instant messaging, blogging, digital photographing, digital videoing, Web browsing, digital music playing, and/or digital video playing. Instructions for performing these functions may be included in a computer-readable storage medium or other computer program product configured for execution by one or more processors.

As we said before, now that people know Apple might be thinking about an iPhone 2,1, everyone will start running rumors about a future Apple handset. And Apple isn’t saying much about a next generation iPhone yet.

via informationweek

Tags: Apple, Apple, iPhone, Mobile News, Mobile Software, Other Brands, patent, video conferencing, video-recording

I guess we pretty much expected this move, right? Apple was awarded a 358-page patent covering the touch screen, GUI and various other methods that define that iPhone user experience.

All those pages cover the technologies that contribute to the iPhone experience. You’ll find a detailed description of the way various gestures like pinches and zooms, finger swipes, two-thumb twists and more work.

The patent has some features which we might find in the future iPhone versions. There’s a blogging application and a digital video camera application, voice-activated dialing and there’s even a touch-sensitive area described which is supposed to act as a touchpad ready to activate and deactivate functions.

Now that Apple has the patent, are we going to see the company go to trial against some of its competition?

Tags: Apple, Apple, iPhone, Mobile News, multi-touch, Other Brands, patent

Apple has a new patent for us folks. The Cupertino-based company has been thinking about a system that would automatically adjust the volume of your iPhone or Mac depending on the ambient noise.

You will be able to control the parameters of that volume control and the application will suggest the use of headphones if the current ambiance is too loud for you. We’re not sure when and if this technology will be included but it would certainly be cool to have the volume of your music and your ringtones adjusted depending on your surroundings. What do you think?

via Patent Office

Tags: Apple, Apple, iPhone, Laptops, mac, Mobile News, Mobile Software, patent, ringtones, Volume