Hasta La Gadget!

Sure, iPod nano watch straps may be the hot new accessory these days, but the folks at Rampant Gear aren’t leaving the 5th generation iPod nano behind just yet — the company’s just introduced its new Ramant View contraption that turns your nano into a head cam. Is it the best head-mounted camera option around? Probably not, but it is cheap at just $35, and it’s not very hard to find a deal on a previous-gen nano either if you don’t have one already. Head on past the break for couple of sample videos.

Continue reading Rampant View turns your 5th gen iPod nano into a head cam

Rampant View turns your 5th gen iPod nano into a head cam originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 26 Sep 2010 08:02:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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In this week’s Gadget Lab podcast, the crew speculates about the rumored Facebook phone, aka Mark Zuckerberg’s plan for world domination. Adding to the rumors, yours truly blurts out a tip from a source about Facebook developing an all-in-one virtual identity that you’ll use not just to connect with friends, but maybe even buy things. How awesome would that be?

Speaking of money: People who have a lot of it tend to get nasty with lawyers. That’s the case for Daniel Kokin, who’s going to trial with Apple to fight over the word “Pod.” Kokin’s startup Sector Labs is trying to brand a video projector “VideoPod,” and Apple’s claiming that Kokin’s usage of that magical three-letter word could get people confused about the famous iPod player.

Wrapping up the podcast, Priya Ganapati tells a story about a robot taking on the challenge of walking 300 miles from Tokyo to Kyoto.

Like the show? You can also get the Gadget Lab video podcast via iTunes, or if you don’t want to be distracted by our unholy on-camera talent, check out the Gadget Lab audio podcast. Prefer RSS? You can subscribe to the Gadget Lab video or audio podcast feeds

Or listen to the audio here:

Gadget Lab audio podcast #90

http://downloads.wired.com/podcasts/assets/gadgetlabaudio/GadgetLabAudio0090.mp3

Apple is scheduled to go to trial with a startup to fight over a three-letter word: Pod.

The trademark battle centers on independent entrepreneur Daniel Kokin (right), founder of startup Sector Labs, and his in-development video projector called Video Pod. Apple had previously filed oppositions against Kokin’s usage of “Pod,” alleging that it would cause customers to confuse it with Apple’s iPod products.

Wired.com first reported on Kokin’s trademark battle with Apple in early 2009, and now the two parties are finally set to go to trial over the next month.

“My team started working on the Video Pod in 2000, and it took us years to go from prototype to funded,” Kokin said. “At that time, Apple didn’t even enter our minds as a competitor. Now it’s 2010, and I still don’t think Apple is interested in video projection, but I’m supposed to rename our product because Apple also uses pod?”

This trademark fight is nothing personal: Apple has historically filed oppositions against small tech-related businesses attempting to use Pod in their product names. Names that have come under fire include MyPodder, TightPod, PodShow and even Podium. Sector Labs is the only company to go to trial with Apple over using the Pod branding.

Ana Christian, Kokin’s lawyer, says the fight is about more than allowing small businesses to use Pod in their product names. She noted a trend in the tech industry, in which large corporations have been attempting to assume ownership of ordinary words. For example, Facebook recently filed a trademark infringement lawsuit against Teachbook over use of the word book. Other companies have also aggressively defended trademarks on common words, such as Microsoft with the word windows.

“I’m trying to look at it on the big picture,” Christian said. “What I’m hoping to do with this case is to really reach a lot broader of an audience and make it so entrepreneurs and small businesses can use the English language as they see fit in branding their products.”

Apple did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Apple and Sector Labs are undergoing a paper trial, in which each party has 30 days to gather and present evidence in paper form, to be submitted to the United States Patent and Trademark Office. Apple filed its 873-page paper (.pdf) Sept. 20, and Sector Labs’ testimony begins Oct. 18.

See Also:

• Apple Aggressively Pursues ‘Pod’ Trademarks
• Apple Battles Entrepreneur Over ‘Pod’ Trademark
• Beating Apple, Start-Up Wins ‘Mighty Mouse’ Trademark
• Steve Jobs to Developer: Name Change ‘Not That Big of a Deal

Photos: Jon Snyder/Wired.com, courtesy Daniel Kokin

HyperMac‘s line of external battery packs for iPods, iPhones, iPads, and Mac laptops were impressive when we first saw the new ones at CES in January, and the HyperMac iPad Stand made our list of most ingenious iPad accessories, but the connector that all of those devices use to connect to the Apple products they support are patented by Apple. Now, Apple is weighing in on the matter with a lawsuit against HyperMac’s parent company, Sanho.

The suit accuses Sanho of patent infringement by using the proprietary MagSafe and iPod Dock Connectors on the HyperMac external battery packs without Apple’s explicit approval, and the suit specifically names the new HyperMac products announced at CES earlier this year as infringing on Apple’s patents. Sanho, on the other hand, claims they use original Apple-made and user-recycled MagSafe connectors in their products, not re-manufactured or copied products.

It’s difficult to see whether Apple is out to recover costs or stamp out HyperMac products entirely, but Apple did say in the suit that they notified Sanho of the issue three times earlier this year before filing suit. Now we’ll either have to wait and see what the courts say or wait for Sanho to cut a check to make Apple go away.

[via AppleInsider]

Entelligence is a column by technology strategist and author Michael Gartenberg, a man whose desire for a delicious cup of coffee and a quality New York bagel is dwarfed only by his passion for tech. In these articles, he’ll explore where our industry is and where it’s going — on both micro and macro levels — with the unique wit and insight only he can provide.

When Apple refreshed the latest version of the iPod nano, the combination of the square form factor, touch display, clip and cool clock app made me think it would make a great watch. I was not alone. I’ve already seen a number of vendors scrambling to create straps and wrist cases for the nano. While Apple stopped well short of calling it a watch replacement, there’s no doubt Cupertino will be looking carefully to see if there’s an iWatch in your future.

From Microsoft’s Smart Personal Object Technology devices to watches that ran Palm OS, vendors have tried and failed to push high-tech watches every few years. I personally think the watch space and the larger invisible space hasn’t been exploited properly beyond the core feature of telling time. Here’s why.

Continue reading Entelligence: Putting a spotlight on the invisible

Entelligence: Putting a spotlight on the invisible originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 19 Sep 2010 17:30:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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