News tagged ‘патент’
Apple May Release an AR Headset for the New iPhone
Thanks to the new iPhone specs, it is possible Apple will produce devices for augmented reality in the future.
Apple Was Granted New Patents for iPhone Smart Dock, Emergency Calls and more
Apple was granted several new patents for the future projects. They cover iPhone dock with Siri enabled, the reliable way of calling 911 and determining exit from a vehicle, and more.
Apple Invents New Aluminum-Like Metal for iPhones
According to Apple’s latest patent filing, the guys from Cupertino have recently created a new material that looks and feels like metal, but actually is a frequency-transparent plastic. This invention can possibly allow Apple to get rid of the antenna bands that can be found on the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus and create a smartphone with an incredibly sleek design. Below you may take a look at the mockup of the handset made of this new material compared to the iPhone 6.
Jonathan Ive Gets Promoted to Chief Design Officer
According to the latest email sent by Apple CEO Tim Cook to the employees, Jonathan Ive has been recently promoted to Chief Design Officer. In case you don’t know, earlier he was Apple's Senior Vice President of Design. Because of this promotion, two other people will get new posts at Apple. These are Rich Howarth, who will become the head of Industrial Design department and Alan Dye, who’s supposed to get the post of the head of User Interface department.
Microsoft Plans to Acquire BlackBerry - Rumor
According to the latest rumors shared by insiders, Microsoft is currently planning to acquire BlackBerry. There are several reason for such a decisive step, namely, Microsoft’s desire to compete with Apple on the smartphone market on equal terms and the substantial amount of important patents owned by the Canadian company. However, it should be noted that Microsoft is definitely not the only industry giant interested in BlackBerry. Such firms as Huawei, Lenovo and Xiaomi are said to be considering the idea of purchasing the aforementioned smartphone manufacturer as well.
New Patent Filing Describes Apple's Plans to Improve Fingerprint Recognition and Change Home Button
According to the latest patent filing, the guys from Cupertino are currently planning to expand the functionality of the fingerprint sensor and the Home button. This filing contains several separate patents describing new technologies that can possibly be added to the next generations of iPhones and iPads. One the most interesting inventions from the aforementioned document is a touch display with several fingerprint sensors. This special display will allow the user to define a special part on the front surface of the iPhone responsible for unlocking the phone, confirming purchases etc. Apart from that, Apple wants to make the Home button found on iOS devices more functional by adding the recognition of gestures. This will allow to navigate through websites and play games using the Home button.
Apple to Add New Features to Force Touch in Future?
According to a new patent application published earlier today, Apple’s Force Touch technology may be improved in future to allow users’ fingers to “feel” different textures, for example, wood or metal. Looks like the guys from Cupertino plan to add a special hardware component capable of simulating the surface of a certain material using different vibrations and temperatures. Frankly speaking, currently I don’t understand the purpose of creating such a technology, however, Apple will surely find a good application for it.
Apple Reportedly Can't Sell Apple Watch in Switzerland
As you know, the Apple Watch goes on sale in the USA, the UK, Canada, Australia, France, Germany, Hong Kong, China and Japan on April 24th. With time, the guys from Cupertino will undoubtedly launch their long-awaited smartwatch in a number of other countries. What’s interesting is that because of a 1985 patent, Apple may face some problems with the sales of the Apple Watch in Switzerland.
Apple Granted Patent for Docking Station with Flexible Connector
Apple has been recently granted a patent for a brand new docking station for smartphones and tablets with a flexible connector inside, which makes the whole mechanism more durable and easy to use. The patent is entitled “Dock connector with compliance mechanism” and its number is 8.986.029. Below you may take a look at the rendering of the new docking station, which was included in the document filed by the guys in Cupertino last year.
Apple Gets Patent for Brand New Mac Keyboard
Apple on Thursday was granted a patent for “Method and Apparatus for Localization of “Haptic Feedback”. In other words, this is the document, which describes a brand new type of a Mac keyboard with a touch-sensitive flat surface similar to the one Magic Trackpad has. Physical keys on this keyboard are replaced with virtual ones. Their work is based on the technology nearly identical to Force Touch that debuted in the Apple Watch and the trackpad of Apple’s new 12-inch MacBook.
Apple Gets Patent for Eye-Tracking Technology
Earlier today, Apple was granted a patent for an eye-tracking technology, which can help users control the whole interface of a computer, laptop or smartphone. This technology will reportedly be used in the next generations of Apple's iPhones, iPads, Macs and even Apple TVs. The technology described in the document is unique as it allows users not to lose control of a cursor while working with a device. That is the key point of Apple's most recent patent.
Apple Patents New Home Button That Can Transform into Gaming Joystick
According to the latest patent application published by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, Apple is currently working on a technology, which will allow to turn the iPhone home button into a small joystick for gaming. The home button with Touch ID will continue performing its usual functions, however, a simple push will change it into a useful thing for gamers.
Apple Patents Its Own Smart Pen for Transforming Handwritten Text into Digital
Apple on Tuesday was granted a patent for a smart pen capable of capturing handwritten text and drawings and turning them into digital notes or images to be displayed on the screen of a smartphone or tablet. Apple’s rights for the technology described in a document entitled “Communicating stylus” were granted by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. The patent has a registration number 8,922,530.
Rockstar Consortium Sells 4.000 Patents to RPX Corp
The Rockstar Consortium, which includes such tech giants as Apple, Microsoft, BlackBerry, Ericsson and Sony, has recently sold its portfolio of smartphone-related patents to a firm from San Francisco called RPX Corp. This may mean that the end of the patent war between the guys from Cupertino and their rivals is near. As noted in the latest press release published by RPX Corp, the company plans to licence the aforementioned patents to Google, Cisco Systems and a number of other high-profile vendors.
Top 10 Stories of the Week
It is Sunday today, that is why I would like to tell you about the most interesting posts of the past seven days. Are you ready to read my short roundup? If the answer is positive, let’s not waste time and begin.