Jan 27
After signing a global patent licensing agreement with Google, Samsung is once again entering into another licensing arrangement. However, in its settlement with Ericsson, however, Samsung is not really standing … Continue reading
Jan 26
Samsung and Google’s lawyers have been busy bees over the weekend. Now the two companies have announced a global patent license agreement that will extend 10 years into the future … Continue reading
Jan 23
This afternoon Qualcomm has announced that they will acquire all of HP’s remaining Palm-related patents. They will also be acquiring from Hewlett-Packard a number of other patents in the mobile … Continue reading
Jan 23
Apple is certainly a company that holds plenty of patents, as patents happen to be the new “firepower” for companies. Having said that, Cupertino has a particular patent that could very well pave the way to a new generation of advertising. In a new Apple patent that was published today, it pointed to a mood-based advertising system which will tailor ads to users depending on their existing mood, now how about that? The thing is, emotions can be pretty difficult for something as cold and calculated as a computer to figure out, but the system would rely on a range of pointers to figure out your current “baseline mood profile”, where among them include the likes of blood pressure, adrenaline level, and body temperature, and existing apps that you are using.
Apple Patent Points To Possible ‘Mood-Based’ Advertising original content from Ubergizmo. 
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Jan 23
Apple Has Plans For Sapphire Glass
Posted in: Today's Chili
Apple did throw in a fair amount of money into a sapphire glass plant sometime in 2013, and it seems that this particular investment is not going to waste as we have heard of a new patent that depicts possible future plans that Apple has for sapphire glass. In November last year, both Apple and GT Advanced Technology put pen to paper for a five-year, $578 million deal when it comes to sapphire manufacturing.
Apple Has Plans For Sapphire Glass original content from Ubergizmo. 
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Jan 23
Apple Patents Sapphire Display Tech After Last Year’s $578M Deal With Sapphire Maker
Posted in: Today's Chili
Apple has had a patent approved today (via AppleInsider) that could make it a leader in a new kind of display material technology: Sapphire glass. The patent describes various methods for attaching sapphire crystal to electronic devices, and includes a description of how it does this with the sapphire glass covering the iPhone camera lens introduced with the iPhone 5, as well as a means for attaching sapphire as a cover for the whole display.
In the past, the iPhone has used Gorilla Glass to protect its screen (though some believe it may have stopped recently); Apple championed this tech and basically made its maker Corning the default choice for smartphone OEMs looking for a tough, scratch-resistant material to use to protect their screens. But last year, Apple made a $578 million bet on sapphire (which is used often in good watches) with GT Advanced Technologies to have it build a manufacturing plant for the material in Arizona.
When the deal was announced, our own Matthew Panzarino took a closer look at the investment, and at what sapphire glass could provide Apple. Sapphire, including the lab grown variety, is much tougher, more resistant to scratches, and more resistant to breakage after scratches than even Gorilla Glass, which has a strong reputation in all those arenas. It’s heavier, too, but would potentially allow Apple to use thinner pieces for both space and weight savings.
Of course, there are also existing needs at Apple for sapphire glass, including the iPhone camera lens and the new Touch ID-compatible home button, which many expect to make its way to other Apple devices including the iPad eventually. But the patent uses an iPhone-type device as its illustrative example, and specifically states that while the gadget depicted is a “smart phone,” the techniques described could be used on any number of devices. A smartwatch might be a good target case, for example, given that Apple has been rumored to have been working on one for some time, and that sapphire is a very common case material used in the manufacture of watches from most leading brands.
The patent itself details ways in which the sapphire material could be attached to the shell or casing of an electronic device, with examples in illustrations detailing jigsaw-type and tounge-and-groove mechanics for keeping the glass firmly in place.
At this stage, it’s more likely that Apple is simply laying the groundwork for a potential shift to sapphire in its phones and other devices a considerable way down the road, rather than tipping its hand for any immediately upcoming change in how its devices are made, but this patent demonstrates that it is indeed thinking in terms of smartphone displays and other applications that go beyond its current uses of the material.
Jan 22
Another day, another favorable patent verdict in the land of Texas, the crowd favorite when it comes to patent litigation. This time, the scales were tipped against Google as the … Continue reading
Jan 22
The legal proceedings in the patent infringement suit between Apple and Samsung keep raging. Yesterday Judge Lucy Koh issued a summary judgment in the case. Koh declared that Samsung Android … Continue reading
Jan 22
Apple Patents Buttonless Trackpad
Posted in: Today's Chili
If you have ever used the trackpad on any of Apple’s MacBook laptops, you will know that it supports touch and gesture commands, but at the same time it is clickable as well for those who might miss the click of a regular mouse button. Well it looks like Apple might not feel the same because according to a patent that was recently granted to Apple, it reveals Apple’s potential plans for a buttonless trackpad design that may or may not make its way into future MacBooks. Then again this just a patent so like we said, we can’t tell if Apple ever plans on integrating it into future devices.
The patent basically incorporates the same features and sensors of the current trackpad design, but instead does away with the hinge that allows to be clickable. Instead an actuator will be used to provide tactile feedback which could also be adjusted in the settings, where users will be able to adjust the sensitivity levels for the click pressure of the tactile feedback. We’re not sure what the point is for a buttonless trackpad. Perhaps less moving parts could also mean a slightly thinner design, but at the same time there are plenty of users out there who still require the familiar clicking feedback. However given that the patent is four years old, it would seem that it was an old idea that might never see the light of day.
Apple Patents Buttonless Trackpad original content from Ubergizmo. 
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Jan 21
Though most of the MacBooks you’ll see out in the wild today – from the last few years, that is – work without any apparent buttons under their surface, they … Continue reading
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