Its larger form factor and bigger battery mean the iPhone 5 should last longer on a single charge. But to overcome the fact that battery technology still basically sucks, Apple has applied for a ‘shake to charge’ patent that uses electromagnetic induction to convert everyday motions into extra battery life. More »
Just when you thought the whole “let’s take each other to court” thing was fading out in the tech world, Samsung confirmed that it plans to sue Apple over eight patents relating to its implementation of LTE tech in the iPhone. Ugh. More »
Imagine if everything on your desk was powered by identical batteries, all of which could be recharged by slipping them into matching charging slots on the side of your computer. It might not be ubiquitous wireless charging, but it still sounds pretty great, right? More »
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.
Permalink | 
USPTO | Email this | Comments
As often as companies love to toy with flexible displays, we’re seldom told how we’d control that newfound freedom. Are we supposed to make e-paper cranes? Credit LG for some forward thinking — it’s just receiving a US patent for a 2008-era user interface invention that would use a bending screen to its advantage. The implementation includes two displays, one of which flexes while the other accepts touch; bend or fold the first display, and the touchscreen changes to suit the context. Having two closely linked displays would also let the panels run either in unity or independently. Suffice it to say that the technology is unlikely to roll out as-is on a smartphone, if ever: LG’s attention has swung towards having one big touchscreen as of late. However, the interface does give the Korean firm a place to start if it develops devices to match its new flexible batteries.
Filed under: Cellphones, Displays, Mobile
LG gets patent for mobile UI that reacts to flexible displays, encourages origami originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 19 Sep 2012 13:24:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | USPTO | Email this | Comments
RIM has big ambitions for media on BlackBerry hardware — really big. Accordingly, it just reached a patent licensing deal with Microsoft that lets it use the exFAT file system on “certain BlackBerry devices.” We have a hunch that’s a reference to future BlackBerry 10 phones and tablets rather than retrofits of existing (and likely incapable) mobile gear. The move will let any devices that do recognize exFAT handle much larger files, such as long videos, in addition to streamlining transfers between computers and other gadgets. The conditions of the deal haven’t been given out, but we suspect RIM’s negotiations with Microsoft were on more voluntary terms than those faced by Android supporters.
Filed under: Cellphones, Tablets, Mobile
RIM licenses Microsoft’s exFAT file system to stuff extra-large files into BlackBerry devices originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 18 Sep 2012 12:32:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Florian Mueller (Twitter) | Email this | Comments
There are plenty of high-tech phone features to yearn for, but Microsoft is applying for the patent on one so simple, primitive, and awesome you’ll be amazed you didn’t think of it yourself: the ability to smack your phone and have it shut up. More »
This just hasn’t been Samsung’s summer. On top of Apple winning its earliest civil lawsuit against Samsung, the International Trade Commission has just handed out an initial determination that Apple didn’t violate any of four Samsung patents (including two reportedly standards-essential examples) by offering the iPad and iPhone. While Judge James Gildea didn’t publicly outline why Apple was in the clear, he added that Samsung lacks a domestic business that uses the patents — important when it’s trying to claim economic harm in the US. The verdict still gives Samsung at least four months’ room to breathe while the ITC reviews the decision, but it’s hard to see Samsung enjoying the reduced offensive strength when it’s already on the defensive in American courtrooms.
Filed under: Cellphones, Tablets, Mobile
ITC says Apple didn’t violate four Samsung patents with iPad, iPhone originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 14 Sep 2012 16:06:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Dictation on the Mac is pretty nice, for what it is, but Apple isn’t the first to pull that off. According to a new patent application though, it might be eyeing something more ambitious: full Siri control on the Mac. More »
Nike has always been like Chubbs was to Happy Gilmore, helping you improve your golf game. But now it wants to do it digitally—it just earned a patent to put data-collecting sensors in clubs that would track your swing. More »
This is site is run by Sascha Endlicher, M.A., during ungodly late night hours. Wanna know more about him? Connect via Social Media by jumping to about.me/sascha.endlicher.
