Gizmodo
-
vizio
Vizio Import Ban Overturned, Free To Ship TVs To US
US customs has cleared Vizio in an ongoing patent dispute with Funai, meaning that they will be allowed to freely ship their HDTVs into the US once more. -
mock-ups
Samsung's New Smartphone QWERTY Idea: Keep Trying, Guys
Samsung filed a patent for this avian-looking smartphone concept: Two spring-loaded half-keyboards burst from the sides of the phone, which in theory provides both a larger keyboard and more screen space, since hands are out of the way. In theory. More »
8,160
By Dan NosowitzComment by KinOfCain: I had one of these and it was the best mobile keyboard I've ever used. Crazy good. But the phone... 6 Responses | Other threads
-
patent
Apple's Future iPhone Patents Show Fingerprint ID For Different Gestures, Plus More
MacRumors found three interesting patents that point to various new interaction techniques. The most interesting is the fingerprint ID directly on the screen so that the iPhone can see which finger you're using and accept gestures appropriately. More »
10,607
By Jason ChenComment by rt100 Penn State: um removal of all buttons, anyone? first item in the patent is "HOME"... 5 Responses | Other threads
-
apple
iPhone Patents Promise to Automate Our Relationships at Last
Unwired View uncovered three new iPhone patents that promise to turn everything from calling grandma on her birthday to turning off your phone in a movie theater into gloriously mindless activities. More »
-
beer
Bill Gates Applies for Patent on High Tech Keg
The cerveza mogul himself Señor Bill Gates is listed on a new patent for a "thermally sealed container." And yes, one of its potential functions is to hold beer. More »
13,258
By Mark WilsonComment by BloggyMcBlogBlog: What kind of beer does Billy G drink? I'm thinking a nice IPA from the northwest. 13 Responses | Other threads
-
windows
Microsoft Wins Patent for Crippling Your Computer Until You Pay Up
Oh ho ho. Microsoft just got a patent for crippling your computer until you pay them dammit. More »
42,914
Comment by SJRNWT: Meh, I see nothing wrong with this. If you're illegitimately using Windows, you shouldn't be able to use it-- simple... 13 Responses | Other threads
-
patents
Apple Patent Hints at iTunes Kiosks
A recent Apple patent application hints at the creation of iTunes kiosks for local and remote media downloading in public areas, such as airports, malls, hotels and even public transportation. More »
4,048
By Andi WangComment by xblindx: how would this work? considering your music is tied to your computer and not so much your ipod? 4 Responses | Other threads
-
apple
New Apple Patent Points at Next-Gen iPhone Video Chat Again
A new Apple patent on a motion-aware iPhone user interface points again at the possibility of a front-facing video camera for video chat in next generation iPhones. One that won't require the 3G videoconferencing kit. More »
20,616
By Jesus DiazComment by LuckyLakey: I have deaf parents and am also involved in the deaf community and this would be huge. To be able... 7 Responses | Other threads
-
-
patents
Apple Patent Implies iPod to Get a Unibody
Last October, Apple started using unibody designs in their MacBook and MacBook Pro. A newly uncovered patent suggests that the next product to incorporate this aluminum case may be the iPod. More »
18,707
By Andi WangComment by Logan DeBorde: Maybe they'll apply this to the iPhone also.... 9 Responses | Other threads
-
patent
Apple's Patent Hints at iChat AV Video Answering Machine Message
This patent for automatically sending an audio or video reply to an iChat call has us excited, because it could point to automated replies not just on computers, but via the iPhone as well. More »
26,711
By Jason ChenComment by daftrok: Gimmick. A simple text response is all you need for something like this. 6 Responses | Other threads
-
patents
Apple Patents Movement Gestures for the iPhone
Apple recently applied for a patent for "movement-based interfaces for personal media devices," which means a more advanced accelerometer and movement gestures for the iPhone. More »
14,012
By Andi WangComment by Sean Murray: lol, I bet Michael J Fox is selling his iPhone on ebay now. Too soon? 6 Responses | Other threads
-
apple
Shot of Jailbroken iPhone Sneaks Into Apple Patent Application
Looks like somebody over at the Apple legal department has been enjoying a little Jailbreak action, because a sketch in a recent patent application includes some features a stock iPhone just doesn't have. Update: More »
34,593
By Dan NosowitzComment by davebach: Ohhhh... I thought you meant Apple had a new Patent Application. You know, so I can file patents from... 8 Responses | Other threads
-
apple
Apple's Ideas for Seamless Biometric Security on iPhone and MacBook
To me, the biometric readers you see on most laptops are obnoxious blemishes—they really can't make them more discrete? Apple feels the same way, so I like their ideas for seamless biometric security.
11,829
Comment by urbanturban666: what about voice detection? id use it if it existed... 8 Responses | Other threads
-
apple
Apple Tablet Likely Described in Patent
Hidden within the usual litany of claims in a patent awarded this January—titled "Display Housing for Computing Device", which covers their current portable displays—Apple describes a tablet display, with the display housing the computer device.
More »
27,773
By Jesus DiazComment by ggvrsn: So if this is a "housing" for a computer device which includes RF transmitter and receiver, then this could just... 3 Responses | Other threads
-
iphone
Apple Patent Would Automatically Adjust iPhone, Mac Volume
A newly published Apple patent reveals that the company has worked out a system that would auto-adjust the volume of the iPhone or MacBook speakers based on the levels of ambient noise. More »
37,535
By Sean FallonComment by CaliBoom: They've been doing this in vehicles for quite some time - I don't see how Apple would be justified in... 10 Responses | Other threads
-
frivolous lawsuits
Tiny Company Sues Apple, Microsoft, and Google, Has Balls the Size of Texas
Cygnus Systems Inc, a small Michigan company, was recently awarded a patent for thumbnail previews of a file, and celebrated by immediately suing the biggest names in town. More » -
apple
Apple Patents For Liquid-Cooled Portables Surface
While us normal folk were gorging on turkey and fixings, the tireless US Patent Office was busy filing an interesting Apple patent detailing a mobile liquid cooling system—something that looks like it could be used in a future portable device.
6,184
By Seung LeeComment by DeadWriter: This reads like a porn script. 3 Responses | Other threads
-
lawsuits
Apple Hit With Bizarre, Poorly Scanned iPhone Browsing Patent Suit
Granted, there aren't that many original ways to sue Apple anymore, but this one is just peculiar. Elliot Gottfurcht, a successful commercial real estate developer, is suing the company because he claims to hold a patent for "the way the iPhone navigates the Internet." He was indeed granted an internet-ish patent in late October, but it's hard to see how exactly it relates to Apple, or how this isn't just another example of Hail Mary patent extortion plot. UPDATE:It looks like the crux of Gottfurcht's claim against Apple is buried in the middle of the patent, and regards a number of methods for navigating web content. More »
52,811
By John HerrmanComment by Herman: Can people like this just be shot? They are costing a lot of money and annoying the living shit out... 7 Responses | Other threads
-
RF everywhere
Apple Patent Forsees Gadget RF Connectivity Everywhere, From Shirts to Cars
Apple's just filed a patent titled "Personal area network systems and devices and methods for use thereof" which is speculative, but basically offers us a sniff of how the future of gadget interconnectivity might be. Apple imagines small, intelligent and efficient RF transmitter-receivers that can handshake and pass data between gadgets and which are embedded everywhere, literally from your socks upwards. More »
3,286
By Kit EatonComment by SGlick1980: Does anyone else see a problem with our government issuing patents on ideas? Patents are supposed to foster innovation by... 7 Responses | Other threads
-
tivo
Tivo and Echostar DVR Patent Saga Ends With $104 Million Payout to Tivo
After getting resoundly swatted in court by Tivo time and again for walking all over its patent for a "multimedia time warping system" (cool retro-future speak for a DVR), Echostar (now just Dish) is finally admitting defeat once and for all. Following its loss to TiVo in a US Appeals court earlier this year, Echostar appealed to the Supreme Court, which just decided not to hear the case, leaving Echostar nowhere else to turn. More »
4,358
Comment by lol123: i can only hope this means the cable companies will start using tivos for their dvrs. i loved my tivo... 5 Responses | Other threads
-
patents
Automatic Cameraphone Zoom Shows Up In Sony Ericsson Patent App
I guess the complicated combination of accelerometers and proximity sensors isn't trivial technology, but this one really should have been done by now: automatic zoom based on camera movement. In a new patent application, Sony Ericsson has detailed technology that judges your intention to zoom by measuring the camera's distance from your body, zooming in as it moves further away. The patent is just for cameraphones at the moment, but there's no reason that it couldn't (or shouldn't) crop up in the next generation of point and shoots as well. [UnwiredView via Engadget]
1,171
By John HerrmanComment by trendspotter: I like Sony Ericsson's patent illustrations, very 50's mod/swinger/Swedish rockstar. 3 Responses | Other threads
-
cell phones
Google 'Instant Bid' Wireless Patent Could Threaten Cellular, Wi-Fi Providers
If Android sputters out and fades away, Google might have another plan to shake up the phone industry. In a patent filed and 2007 and published this week, Google details plans for an "Instant Bid" system for dealing with wireless connections. The concept is pretty straightforward: devices broadcast their request for service, and available networks automatically return a list of price offers for that service. The system makes perfect sense for locations with competing Wi-Fi hotspots, but the application specifically talks about telecommunication devices. That's where things get interesting. More »
6,659
By John HerrmanComment by baltwade: Might work for pay as you go phones, but I don't see this for your normal run of the mill... 1 Responses | Other threads
-
DRM absurdities
Apple Patents DRM For Pairing Only Official Nike Shoes With Nike+ Sensor
Everyone knows joggers can make the worst criminals—look at them, all smug with their fitness, rubbing it in your face on the sidewalk in front of your house as they make a quick and effortless getaway from whatever malfeasance they've just hoisted on an innocent and unsuspecting car-preferring public. And the intellectual property violations? Boy, don't get me started. But now those degenerates may be getting what's been coming—the days of pairing Nike+ with shoes other than those made by Nike may be numbered, if a recent Apple patent has anything to say about it. More »
6,305
By John MahoneyComment by Serolf Divad: Patent #7234658723458234723487 Method of pairing Steve Jobs' lips and my ass. 2 Responses | Other threads
-
creative
Creative Patent Looks Like an Internet Tablet, Digital Camera and More!
This newly discovered patent by Creative, whether actually in production or not, looks like a pretty neat device. Because from what we can make out from the diagrams, it appears to be much more than just a another media player. Internet tablet seems to make sense, with that right oval on the side being a logical (OK, remotely possible) indication of a Wi-Fi antenna. But we've seen stuff like this before. Flip it around to the backside, however, and surprise! There's a camera. More »
2,951
By Mark WilsonComment by Late_Night: @Mark Wilson : How can you deduce that's a Wi-FI antenna? Maybe you're more skilled from following these leaked patent... 2 Responses | Other threads
-
mac tablet
Leaked Apple Patent Filing is Full of New Multitouch Tech For a Mac Tablet
Appleinsider has gotten their hands on a large patent filing from Apple that we haven't seen before, and it's loaded with plans for how a multitouch interface would work on a tablet Mac running full-blown OS X. It covers how small interface buttons will be handled, iPhone-like scrolling through lists, details on a full multi-touch keyboard, and a nifty pop-up scroll wheel. And on top of all that, it seems like it'll even work if you have freaky alien fingers! Let's take a closer look. More »
14,575
By John MahoneyComment by hario: whats w/ the freaky fingers in all these patent filings? 12 Responses | Other threads
-
multi-touch
Apple's Multi-Touch Gesture Patent Has So Many Combinations It's a Shocker
You can already do a handful of gestures on the new MacBook Air and MacBook Pro's trackpad, but Apple's going in and patenting a whole bunch more. Not only are there gestures in this application that involve a thumb and three fingers—something casual users will probably never use—but there's even a sample of how this would work for games like Tetris (shown after the jump) or Final Fantasy. Each "chord" would correspond to a character or movement or attack or something, which is definitely not simple like the Firefox/Opera mouse gestures we've gotten used to. Still, more gestures are always good, and we're sure the end product won't be ridiculous like these. [Unwired View via Crunchgear] More »
21,652
By Jason ChenComment by ArtooBE: mmmmm, IF they use them... it will take a loooong time to memorize :p more » | Other threads
-
iphone 3g
Patent Shows Apple Researching Advanced iPhone Sensor Use, iChat Integration
Over at Mac Rumors they've unearthed a recent patent that shows Apple is researching cleverer use of the iPhone's many sensors. More nifty than turning the screen off when you put it to your ear, the new uses may include things like working out it's in your pocket (by temperature, proximity and ambient light) and then auto-switching to vibrate mode. Intriguingly, there's a hint that by detecting you've docked the phone, it may pass an ongoing phone call to a VoIP call over iChat. This all makes sense: making best use of those sensors and the iPhone's power... but like all Apple patents, we may never see these ideas in a real-life software update. [MacRumors] -
retromodo
Retromodo: Microsoft Takes a Few Steps Back With "The Veda" Computing System
While The Veda concept is a fairly new idea out of Microsoft's R&D labs, the design itself looks as though it was picked out of a time capsule sealed in the mid '90's. Apparently, the Veda can be used as a phone when the screen is closed, as a multimedia player when the screen is open, and as a normal portable PC by opening the screen and extracting the keyboard. It also looks about the same size as a library dictionary. More » -
apple iphone patent
Full Apple Patent Shows iPhone Future Possibilities
The US Patent and Trademark Office has published today a 372-page document detailing every known and unknown aspect of the iPhone. As you can imagine, the most interesting bits of patent 20080122796 are the features never detailed before—like video conference, GPS, widget creator, multimedia messaging, and video recording. Apple secrecy often pushes USPTO patent publication to just mere days before the release of the actual product, to avoid the disclosure of new products or features. Could this mean that we will see some—if not all—of these new listed features in the upcoming iPhone 2.0? We don't know for sure, but here's the complete list for you to judge.
More » -
question of the day
Cellphone Call Quality Warning System: Useful or Redundant?
We were talking today in Campfire—Giz's virtual office—about Apple's newly uncovered patent on a system that warns you about bad quality or dropping cellular or Wi-Fi connections "ahead of time." Jason thought it could be useful to know that, so you could just avoid making the call. I thought that it wouldn't be useful at all, because if I needed to call, I would call anyway—and if the connection dropped, I would call again. Are we missing something? Do you really want to know the quality of a call beforehand, especially if you are traveling, and said quality is constantly changing as you move? And don't cellphones already warn you about dropping calls? More »
2,121
By Jesus DiazComment by Pender: @Phenostar: Oh, yeah, great idea. Let's also not build earthquake warning systems and instead just eliminate earthquakes. more » | Other threads
-
apple
Apple Files Patent To Put Solar Cells on Portable Devices
Is Apple planning on giving their MacBooks, iPods and possibly the iPhone a solar powered boost of energy? Doubtful—but we know they have thought about it thanks to a recently published patent for "solar cells on portable devices." According to the patent, Apple would completely cover a device in a thin layer of solar cells—including the display to maximize the amount of power that the device could harness from the sun. More »
3,337
By Sean FallonComment by NorthBeach: This is a good idea since my Macbook doesn't get hot enough already. Now, I can sitting in the sun... more » | Other threads
-
law
Nintendo Billed $21 Million For Patent Infringement
A federal jury has ordered Nintendo to pay Anascape $21 million for infringing on patents, and almost ironically, all of this has nothing to do with the Wiimote. Instead, their violations were for the GameCube, WaveBird and Wii Classic controllers. The news doesn't come as any huge surprise, as during the last generation of consoles all three of the big manufacturers found themselves in hotcoffeewater for various controller patent issues—Microsoft just settled with Anascape for an undisclosed amount earlier this month. Nintendo is expected to seek an appeal using the argument, "It'sa not-ta me, Mario!" [Yahoo News]
2,791
By Mark WilsonComment by Minas: I think the verdict is right and Nintendo knew at the beginning that they are using a another's patent, otherwise... more » | Other threads
-
philips
High-Pressure Tooth Spray Cleans Teeth With Water, Not Bristles
Toothbrush-like contraptions that spray water into your teeth holes have been around for years, but Philips' new patent has several innovations that makes sure you don't blast your gums into submission. The spray head has probes that can detect how far away it is from your teeth, ensuring optimum distance. More » -
dslrs
New Nikon Patent Brings In-Viewfinder Display To DSLRs
A newly published patent application from Nikon has revealed plans for a new viewfinder technology involving a small display screen that can be viewed within the optical viewfinder. The photographer could switch between the optical image and digital display for a number of reasons, the most notable being the ability to enable a wide viewing angle when zoomed in on a subject. More » -
apple
Is Apple Developing a Wiimote-Inspired Controller For Apple TV?
A newly published patent filing has revealed that Apple is considering a 3D remote control system that combines features found in the Wiimote and their own multi-touch technology. According to the filing, the system could detect the position of the remote control and be used to manipulate objects as well as "zoom into and out of an image or a portion thereof based on the absolute position of the remote control in the third axis"—features that Appleinsider believes could be destined for Apple TV. More »
2,187
By Sean FallonComment by motech: its all about the keyboard, "typing" on a wii is way easier then on apple tv, maybe they will even... more » | Other threads
-
iphone patent
iPhone Instant Message Patent Points to Upcoming MMS, Background IMs, GPS Module
Apple's filed a patent on their upcoming iPhone instant messaging app, detailing exactly what it's going to look like and how it's going to behave. While most of the images show an iChat-esque (and current SMS-like) interface, there are some interesting tidbits we picked up from the text. One, there's mention of "graphics, photos, audio files, video files and/or other attachments as are supported in a MMS and/or Enhanced Message Service," which points to possible MMS support in the future. At the very least, it might mean that their IM app will be able to transfer files. Two, there's also a reference to the user receiving "an instant message while the user of the device is in another application," alleviating fears that we wouldn't be able to IM in the background. Both these snippets are after the jump.
More » -
monster cable
Blue Jeans Cable Calls BS on Monster Cable Patent Suit, Vows to Fight to Bloody Death
Bullshit patent suits are annoying when it's a do-nothing patent holder trying to extract cash from fat corporate wallets, but even more so when it's a bigger company trying to muscle over little ones. Like Monster Cable suing Blue Jeans Cable for having connectors that looked like theirs. Blue Jeans' CEO, a former evil lawyer, has issued a ripping rebuttal, pointing out that "the gross morphology of the RCA plug is pretty well dictated by function" before throwing down, "I would rather spend fifty thousand dollars on defense than give you a dollar of unmerited settlement funds." Here's the whole ballsy letter: More »
17,644
Comment by OctaviaAntiphus: Verily, a thing of beauty. Kurt, I admire the jaunty way you tore monster's arm off, jammed it up their... more » | Other threads
-
apple
Apple Virtual Operator Patent Opens Way to Free Carrier Selection
Remember the rumors about Apple becoming a Mobile Virtual Network Operator, which were constantly buzzing before the announcement of their exclusive deal with the Death Star? Well, the usual USPTO archeologists have discovered a patent showing their system to dynamically select carriers using an iTunes MVNO ID: More »
9,403
By Jesus DiazComment by DeLarge: @Tensor: Gracias por tu comentario, y sin querer entrar en discusiones, sigo de acuerdo con mi antiguo maestro de letras... more » | Other threads
-
apple
Apple Sued for Time Machine Patent Infringement
Another day, another patent lawsuit for Apple. This time they're being sued by the firm Mirror Worlds. The patents at issue deal with a "document stream operating system," which means files are stored in a chronologically ordered stream, and whoa, are archived automatically. Sounds like Time Machine, even though the suit doesn't name Time Machine explicitly. In fact the whole suit's rather vague, except they say that Apple knew about their patents back in 2001. But like most patent suits, this one will probably go quietly into the night. [Ars, USPTO]
2,585
Comment by Worf: Actually, source code control (which keeps documents in chronological order), has been around nearly from the beginning of UNIX computing... more » | Other threads
-
htc
HTC's Patent Shows New Type of QWERTY Slider
HTC's QWERTY sliders like the Sprint Mogul or AT&T Tilt may work great as a text entry device, but dialing on the touchscreen or even the keyboard sucks a big one. Their latest patent shows a device that combines the texting convenience of a QWERTY keyboard but keeps a dialpad in as well, without having to have extra thickness like the Helio Ocean. More »
patent
Gizmodo Team
Tip your editors:
tips@gizmodo.com
Editorial Director:
Brian Lam | Email | Twitter
Editor:
Jason Chen
Email | AIM | Twitter
Features Editor:
Wilson Rothman
Email | Twitter
Senior Associate Editor:
Jesus Diaz
Email | AIM | Twitter
Associate Editors:
Mark Wilson
Email | AIM | Twitter
Matt Buchanan
Email | AIM | Twitter
Adam Frucci
Email | Twitter
Contributing Editors:
Sean Fallon
Email | Twitter
Jack Loftus
Email | Twitter
John Herrman
Email | Twitter
Dan Nosowitz
Email
Editorial Assistant:
Chris Mascari
Email
Andrea Wang
Email | Twitter
Columnist:
Brendan I. Koerner
Comment Intern::
Nick Ellenoff | Email
Comment Account Questions:
Comments@gizmodo.com
Original material is licensed under a Creative Commons License permitting non-commercial sharing with attribution.
