Hasta La Gadget!

It’s been 30 years since we saw Deckard track down replicants by having a machine “enhance” pictures, and yet we’re still stuck with distant-looking photos when we want more detail than our smartphone cameras can manage. While we’d argue that a few phones already live in that Blade Runner future, Google has just obtained a patent that could give the rest of us a helping hand. If the zoom isn’t up to snuff, the proposed software could gauge a mobile device’s position and orientation to offer a closer, already-taken photo from a server as a substitute, whether it’s a Street View shot or a more traditional image. The geocoded system could even cue photos based on the time of day and year to provide that extra dash of authenticity. We already get a trace of the concept through photo overlays within Street View itself, although there’s no indication as to whether or not Google will link our camera apps directly to a cloud of substitute photos — suffice it to say that the industry has changed a lot since Google was using the iPhone 3G to illustrate its photography concepts.

Filed under: Cellphones, Cameras, Internet, Software, Mobile

Google patent delivers close-up photos when your phone can’t, Blade Runners would approve originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 25 Sep 2012 17:27:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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These days, just about every Apple product is defined by a non-removable battery. It’s with no small hint of irony, then, that Apple just received a US patent for a universal removable battery system. As proposed, the technique would let Apple cut batteries from lithium-polymer or similar materials into commonly sized packs that could then be swapped between devices, providing all the benefits of removable, rechargeable batteries with a longer lifespan than an old set of AAs. Batteries could have serviceable cores for when they finally give up the ghost, and computers could even alternate between charging the batteries (when plugged in) or using them to extend the runtime of MacBooks. We’d recommend against basing any purchasing strategy around Apple’s filing, though. The Cupertino team originally applied for the patent in 2010, and in turn broke out the technology from a patent it had filed in 2007 — there’s no guarantees Apple is still interested in replacing those disposables, let alone any sealed-in batteries. That won’t stop us from yearning for the day when a Magic Mouse lasts for more than a week of heavy use.

Filed under: Peripherals

Apple gets patent for universal batteries, edges closer to long-lasting wireless peripherals originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 19 Sep 2012 22:19:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Apple has a tradition of timing FCC filings for new wireless mobile devices so that they appear just as soon as they’ve been announced, and it’s not about to let up now. We’ve got a trifecta of approvals on the way for 2012 that start with the iPhone 5. What’s hard to miss is the absurd number of cellular bands at work: as Apple had to make separate iPhone 5 models to cover every LTE carrier it supports, on top of the usual alphabet soups for CDMA and GSM, the filing combining the two devices is one of the largest we’ve seen to date. The addition of 5GHz WiFi support only compounds the situation.

A pair of iPods also made their appearances today, and they’ve been given the regulatory once-over as well. The iPod touch has the 5GHz WiFi band included and isn’t special by itself, but the new iPod nano is noteworthy simply for showing up at all — the inclusion of Bluetooth means a spin past the testing facility in addition to some wireless audio. We’re still digging to see if the iPhone or new iPods have any surprises, although you can have a first-hand look through the source links.

Brad Molen contributed to this report.

Filed under: Cellphones, Portable Audio/Video, Mobile

iPhone 5, updated iPod touch and iPod nano models reach the FCC right on cue originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 12 Sep 2012 17:39:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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RIM just can’t quit keyboards, and neither can many of its fans: even the BlackBerry PlayBook has an official Mini Keyboard case. It almost shouldn’t be a surprise, then, that the company is applying for a patent on a tablet design with a stealthy keyboard built-in. The layout hides a full, hinge-attached QWERTY keyboard from critics (and accidental key presses) underneath a back-mounted cover. When an owner’s urge to use physical buttons becomes overwhelming, the keyboard swings into action and relies on the cover as a kickstand. It’s a clever solution to lugging around a separate keyboard or specialized case, but it’s hard to say if RIM will implement what it’s learning into a finished product — the firm isn’t in the best position to experiment with new tablet concepts, and we’ve already seen a few imminent solutions to the concealed keyboard problem from other vendors. That said, the patent does show that the folks in Waterloo would like to keep a love of keyboards alive in the tablet era, even if it requires some subterfuge.

Filed under: Tablets

RIM applies for patent on tablet with concealable keyboard, keeps your QWERTY love a secret originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 05 Sep 2012 20:11:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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We know our fair share about the redesigned Galaxy Note 10.1, but wait — what’s this? Another Samsung tablet, the GT-P8110, has made a trip through the FCC to complicate what was looking to be a simple near-future strategy for the Korean tech giant. The likely Galaxy Tab variant isn’t a familiar design by any stretch, with curved sides and the absence of a back antenna window pointing to a change in aesthetics. The wireless features of the 16GB model at the agency are the conservative elements — there’s just 802.11n WiFi, Bluetooth and NFC. Our only current hint at what the unknown slate might be is a mention of the 11.8-inch P10 in court evidence, but we don’t know if that’s what the P8110 represents or if the P10 is even on track for 2012, as Samsung’s roadmap hinted in the past. We’re not counting on Mobile Unpacked to shed any more light on the subject than the FCC does today.

Update: We’re less inclined to think it’s the P10, since the dimensions as we understand them wouldn’t realistically support that 11.8-inch screen.

Filed under: Tablet PCs

Mystery Samsung GT-P8110 tablet passes through the FCC (update: likely not the P10) originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 09 Aug 2012 20:10:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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