Hasta La Gadget!

According to a patent application made public by the USPTO this morning (and originally filed a year ago), Apple believes it’s possible to build a flexible display into an iPad cover in order to “greatly enhance” the functionality of the tablet itself. Taking power and data from a dedicated connector on the side of the slate, at least one segment of the name-deserving Smart Cover could be used to augment the main display with space for extra icons, or operate as a separate media control interface, or simply display notifications. Drawings collected in the gallery below also hint at using the entire inner surface of the cover as a keyboard (ala Microsoft Surface) or as a drawing area. As with all patent applications, there’s nothing to say such an idea will ever see Californian sunlight, but it’d be crying shame if it didn’t.

Filed under: Tablet PCs

Apple seeks patent for Smart Cover with embedded secondary display originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 02 Aug 2012 07:03:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  USPTO  | Email this | Comments

If ever there were a purgatory for ideas, it’d be the USPTO’s patent application database. That land of legal limbo plays host to a multitude of tech entries both bizarre and straightforward, much of which will never see the light of day. So, it’s with a keen eye for the curious that we’ve stumbled upon this pair of filings submitted by Apple back in January of 2011 outlining a new social network specifically for hearing aids. Yes, you read that right, but its function isn’t actually as obvious as you’d imagine. According to the claims, hearing aids worn by at least two users will work in tandem with a personal computing device to identify user identities, establish a communication link and then swap profiles — not a list of likes and dislikes, but dynamic audio settings. It appears users will be able to update the sound processing on their respective devices to adjust for ambient noise and hone in on a specific sources. So, basically, it’s the Cupertino version of Superhuman hearing. It certainly lends a whole new meaning to, “Can you hear me now?” Eh?

Filed under: Peripherals, Wearables, Software

Pair of Apple patent applications set the stage for hearing aid-based social network originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 19 Jul 2012 17:04:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  USPTO, (2)  | Email this | Comments

Apple has already sought to patent some elaborate water damage detection methods, but it’s also a fan of the classics. That must be why it’s still attempting to patent a water detection method that it’s been seeking since December 2006, just a month before the iPhone went public. The concept is a simple one that you’ll find in many iPhones (and other iOS devices) so far: water-reactive, color-changing tape positioned in a device such that the Genius Bar staffer can see that your device took a dive in the swimming pool without having to tear the phone open. Mercifully, the patent factors in a membrane to prevent an overly humid day from triggering a false positive. There’s still no immediate clue as to whether or not Apple will receive the patent, which strikes us as odd for a technology that’s been used in the field for so long — not that the company has needed the USPTO’s blessing to void the warranty (or offer a rare free replacement) for more than a few waterlogged iPhones over the past five years.

Update: After a little fine-tooth comb inspection, we’ve found that this is the long-awaited granting itself, not just a continuation. Apple will be happy, although others trying to use a similar water detection system will be turning red… for reasons besides getting wet.

Apple still trying for water damage indicator patent, drop-prone device owners twitch (update: granted) originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 06 Jul 2012 09:40:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink CNET  |  USPTO  | Email this | Comments

With more carriers pushing unlimited calling plans, we can’t say there’s necessarily a need for the friends and family features of yesteryear on this side of the Atlantic, but plenty of networks beyond the good ole US of A are a bit more stingy when it comes to tallying talk time. The latest Google patent application to be published was filed last December and covers exactly this type of scenario, suggesting that the Google+ profile of the future could include an option to create a “Telco Co. Preferred Calling” circle, which would theoretically enable free calling between yourself and a small group of friends.

According to the application, semi-public information, such as a telephone number, would be shared between Google and a registered service provider, and you would maintain discount calling relationships from within Google+, adding and dropping callers to and from your online contacts list. You could also dictate custom rules, such as ringtones for contacts in specific groups, or create carrier-branded circles that are populated with your friends on the same network, making it easier to determine whether or not you’ll be billed for calls to a particular user. Like all patent applications, there’s no guarantee that Google’s submission with come to fruition, but if you’re feeling optimistic, you can hit up the source link below for all the legalese.

Google+ patent app details myFaves-like carrier contacts integration with social network circles originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 29 Jun 2012 10:08:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink Unwired View  |  USPTO  | Email this | Comments