According to the filing dug up by MacRumors, Apple's trying to bring a little hyper-reality to your monitor. Instead of using a keyboard or a click to move a 3D object, you'd simply have to move your head to manipulate the image. It sounds similar in concept to Johnny Chung Lee's heroic Wiimote hack that effectively turned your head into a mouse, though nothing in the Apple patent suggests you'd have to wear a sensor. Instead, a mounted camera would track your movements, and possibly also the environment around you.

The patent application also proposes incorporating the technology into 2D functions—like layering open applications—to provide a more intuitive, hands-free interface with your display for everyday tasks as well.

This isn't the first time Steve Jobs has explored a 3D solution, but with recent advancements like Natal and MIT's bidirectional display, it's more probable than ever that we'll see this—or something like it—come to fruition. [Apple Patent via MacRumors]

Essentially, the iPhone establishes a connection with the computer, then it can control the OS in a similar manner to a TV remote. Using a virtual d-pad, users navigate through apps, open them remotely and even print. But what's possibly more promising that buttoning around an OS is that voice commands could be deployed to skip many of these navigational hassles.

Apple's Remote app, which allows the control of iTunes over a local network, is still one of my favorite apps on the iPhone. If Apple were to evolve that app into what we see in this patent, it'd only become more handy. [Patently Apple via 9to5Mac]

First filed in June 2008 but just unearthed by AppleInsider, it's been called the "Aesthetically pleasing universal dock" and is made from an "elastic sponge-like substance." It would be able to -

"retain its shape between uses or could be reset using a button placed on the front of the dock for use with a different device. This would eliminate the current problem of differing generations of iPods/iPhones needing adapters to fit into certain docks and chargers."

A shape-shifting iPod dock to match your shape-changing Jaguar C-XS car, perhaps? [AppleInsider]

The application explains it thusly:

An individual may call his friend to discuss music, but in order for the friend to listen to the music, the individual either may have to send the music to the friend using a device other than his telephone, or he may have to end the phone call and use the telephone to send the friend an email with the music attached.

This capability extends to pretty much anything, from photos and videos to voicemail and "others", and implies that the data could be streamed in real time, not just transferred and downloaded.

Carrier reluctance and technical network limitations are the most obvious obstacles to something like this actually coming to pass in the near future, though the patent has a clever solution for the latter problem:

There may also be two audio data streams to transmit. In order to transmit all of the streams over the same communication path, the control circuitry may employ a multiplexer to combine together any video streams, and to combine together any audio streams, the multiplexer may then combine into one fixed stream the two combined streams.

In other words, this is more than an airy-fairy "wouldn't it be cool" concept—Apple seems to have given it some serious thought, and a bit of real engineering attention. And the more the better: this is one of those concepts that, once you see it, just seems like it needs to happen. [AppleInsider]

The patent shows that the iPod's new casing will be carved out of a single, large and thick block of sheet metal, making the device lighter, thinner and sturdier. Although it may be a significantly stronger product, with it being made out of one slab of metal, it seems that it would be harder to take the iPod apart for second-hand replacements and repairs, meaning that consumers would have to turn to Apple directly for all their iPod needs.

However, having it made out of one block of sheet metal would reduce the costs of creating it. Does this also mean it'll be cheaper for consumers as well? Please, Apple, let it be so. [iPodNN]

Following in the footsteps of Sony Ericsson, Apple doesn't seem to be satisfied with just the ability to switch between landscape and portrait orientations or simple screen-tilting in games. Just to name a couple of examples, with more gesture controls, you could switch between different webpages with a slight tilt, or change songs by shaking the gadget. That sounds pretty cool and all, but how will that work with my allergies? Sneeze or song change? Apple won't know. [Unwired View]

The patent indicates that the levels could adjust based on user preferences and the presence of headphones. It might even be able to sense an echo in the room and suggest a switch to headphones or even cancel out the effect by changing its sound output. So far, there is no indication that Apple plans on doing anything with this technology, but as far as I'm concerned, it would be a welcome extension to the ambient light sensors they already use. [Patent Office via Electronista]

The primary backlight system may block light from the secondary backlight system except for those one or more regions. Thus, the size and shape of the status indicator may be set by sizing and shaping the transparent or semitransparent regions of the primary backlight system. In addition to setting the size and shape of the icon, the color of the icon may also be set by adjusting the color of the light provided by the secondary backlight system.

For example, each indicator may have a particular color, blinking speed, or light intensity. These properties may be programmed into the electronic device by the user, or may be hard-coded or hard-wired into the system. Thus, when the secondary backlight is turned on, the properties of the light provided by the secondary backlight system may depend on the status of the device. Also, if the status of the electronic device changes while the secondary backlight is on, the properties of the light provided by the secondary backlight system may change to reflect the new status.

To avoid depleting the battery, these icons' backlight system will be low-power. Don't get your expectations too high, however. The patent doesn't clearly explains how the icons themselves may be displayed. By the look of the diagrams included, they may not even be actual pixel-based icons, but cut-outs illuminated by individual LED lights shining through the main display.

But of course, you know that this may be something completely different from what the diagram shows, since the drawings included in patents always seem to be drawn by a monkey on drugs. At least, I want to believe this thing is more like the illustration I did, because if it's just little icons—like every other single cheap clamshell cellphone out there—I won't be very excited. [Apple Insider]

Each Apple component you own will have a software module that plugs into this Module Controller. The software modules will have all the menus and commands for each particular device. So when you fire up the Module Controller (be it from your iPhone or your iMac), the Module Controller will recognize which software modules are plugged in and it'll show you what menus are available to you. Once you make a selection, the Module Controller will recognize what gadget you're using and will make sure the menu/interface you choose is displayed in the right size and format for the gadget you're using. So if you're using an iPhone and call up an Apple TV command, the Module Controller will make sure it can display all of the Apple TV commands on a small touchscreen (your iPhone).

So essentially, the software (Module Controller) will let you access and control all of your Apple media from pretty much any Apple device. It appears like your house will have to be decked out in Apple hardware to get the most of it all, but for fanboys that shouldn't be a problem at all. – Louis Ramirez

True Apple Media Center in the Works [Unwired View]