If you’re already using Android 4.0 or iOS 6, you’re likely familiar with the option to send a pre-made text reply to incoming calls you can’t take. Continue reading »
Sep 202012
Mar 292012
Siri is some seriously impressive technology being able to have what feels like a very real conversation with a piece of technology should not be underrated as an impressive technological feat. New patent application may suggest that Siri is on its way to other devices, thanks to a pairing method that would see Siri live on an iPhone, but then be jacked into a second device. The two devices listed as possibilities in that patent application? Both desktop and notebook computers. Continue reading »
Aug 252010
Not so long ago, we covered about Apple’s rumored plans to launch a new iMac with a multitouch display which will run a iOS 4 layer on top of OS X to use touchscreen capabilities. Well it looks like we are finally going to see a touchscreen computer from Apple after all. A new interesting patent has just popped up which shows a touchscreen capable iMac dubbed as the “Apple iMac Touch”.
Aug 212010
U.S Copyright Office had exempted jailbreaking iPhone from the Digital Millennium Copyright Act making it legal for users in the US to jailbreak their iPhone.
At that time, we had mentioned that it wouldn’t stop Apple from making it difficult to jailbreak iOS to stay ahead in the cat and mouse with the iPhone hacking community.
Apple had also clarified that unauthorized modification of the iOS violates the warranty of the iOS-based device.
Apple has applied for a patent titled “Systems and Methods for Identifying Unauthorized Users of an Electronic Device”, which will allow it to remotely disable an iPhone, iPad or iPod Touch if it detects any unauthorized activity that indicate suspicious activity such as entering a incorrect password a predetermined number of times or within a period of time, hacking, jailbreaking or unlocking the iOS-based device. Continue reading »
Aug 062010
Apple patent applications can be a little out there sometimes, but this one makes so much sense we have to wonder why it’s not a product already. Described as “Systems and Methods for Integrating a Portable Electronic Device with a Bicycle,” the application details what basically amounts to Nike+ for bikes. That includes the ability to relay data from bike sensors to your iPhone or iPod, which you’d be able to view on the device itself or on an external display of some sort — the application even goes so far as to mention the possibility of a heads-up display, although we wouldn’t get our hopes up for that. What’s more, the application also suggests that the system could communicate and share information with other nearby cyclists, and it would apparently include some fairly extensive GPS capabilities (on the iPhone, at least), including turn-by-turn directions to help you find a specific bike route, and maps complete with reviews from other cyclists.
[via engadget]
May 152010
Within the sixteen patent applications that were published by the US Patent & Trademark Office for Apple Inc today, a single gem emerged. It’s a very powerful new concept for a location based application service that is one of the most ingenious ideas that have surfaced on this subject in some time. The idea is simple. Deliver a location based service to information savvy iPhone users that wish to receive temporary retail and service-based applications. Imagine standing at the entrance of a restaurant and viewing their menu on your iPhone or entering a public library and being able to access their database. The minute you leave the library or the front of that restaurant, the app disappears so that you don’t clog up your iPhone with hundreds of local business apps. I don’t know if Apple will tackle this at their upcoming developer conference, but this is a phenomenal opportunity for hungry developers and/or Business Form companies looking for a new avenue for revenue. There are millions of non-geek business owners who are going to want in on this service so as to attract new tech savvy iPhone using clients. Snooze on this opportunity and you’ll Lose.
May 072010
Looks like settlement negotiations in the various Nokia / Apple patent lawsuits aren’t going too well — Espoo’s just hit Cupertino with a second federal patent lawsuit, this time alleging the iPad 3G and iPhone infringe five patents related to “enhanced speech and data transmission, using positioning data in applications and innovations in antenna configurations that improve performance and save space, allowing smaller and more compact devices.” Interestingly, Nokia’s filed this one in the Western District of Wisconsin, a so-called “rocket docket” that’s well-known for bringing patent cases to settlement or trial in just over a year. That means we could see some real movement in this dispute within our lifetimes, but we’re not holding our breath for a definitive conclusion — by our count, Apple and Nokia now have some five pending legal actions between them, including one that’s been placed on hold pending an ITC decision. Anyone want to bet how long it takes for Apple to add another countersuit to the mix?
Mar 192010
Apple patent applications are usually pretty dry, but it looks like a new one turned up by Patently Apple has a bit more user-focused meat to it — it describes a location-based social networking app called “iGroups,” which lets groups of people share data amongst themselves using a service like MobileMe. Once group members are identified and linked up, they can securely share information and users carrying devices without GPS-abilities will be able to triangulate their position using the positions of other GPS-enabled devices in the group. Of course, the actual patent itself is focused on the cryptographic key system that protects all the data, and we’re pretty sure the “iGroups” name is just a placeholder for now — we’d guess the developer of the iGroups app currently in the App Store hopes so too — so how this winds up in a shipping product is totally up in the air, but our interest in what iPhone OS 4.0 may hold has certainly been piqued once again.
[via engadget]
Mar 102010
The computer giant, which manufactures the iPod and iPhone, has plans to replace the traditional door key with a hi-tech alternative.
It is developing technology, already being nicknamed the "iKey", which will mean that rather than carrying around a bunch of keys, people will be able to use a single electronic device to unlock their car, front door and gain access to their office.
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Users would simply have to enter a pin code and wave the device over an electronic pad fitted beside a door to open it.
The technology is revealed in a newly published patent application, which has generated speculation that the next model of the iPhone will contain this feature.
Apple filed the application with the US Patent Office. It states: "The device can communicate with an external device to open a lock. By way of example, the electronic device may be a model of an iPhone.
"The external device may be any suitable electronic device such as a portable media player, personal data assistant or electronic lock that may be used to access a door, car, house or other physical area."
The iKey uses a similar principal to the technology employed by card access entry systems commonly used in many workplaces and the Oyster Card, used on public transport in London.
Car manufacturers, including Mercedes, Lexus and Toyota, are also starting to use such keyless entry systems for their vehicles through key fobs.
According to the patent, Apple hopes to replace these cards and keyfobs by allowing the iPhone to be used instead to unlock doors to buildings and cars.
It would exploit a technology known as Near Field Communication, which allows electronic devices to transmit information between each other when in proximity.
In a home, householders would need to install electronic, computer controlled locks to their doors.
The iPhone would need to be registered with the locks so that they could communicate with each other.
By rotating the iPhone near the electronic lock, consumers then select their pin numbers on a dial displayed on the screen, as if entering a combination on a safe.
If the combination entered matched the one held by the electronic lock, the door would open.
If not, an alarm could be sounded or alerts sent to the householder to indicate someone was attempting to gain unauthorised entry.
The patent also proposes encrypting any information that passes between the iPhone and the computer-controlled lock to prevent hackers from "listening in".
The iPhone has become a huge success for Apple after combining their popular iPod with mobile phone technology, selling more than 40 million worldwide.
The iKey technology will take Apple one step further towards creating a ubiquitous mobile device that is the only thing people need to carry in their pockets.
A spokesman for Apple refused to comment on the patent.
But Leander Kahney, a consumer technology expert and author of a book and blog called the Cult of Mac, said there were strong rumours that Apple had already been testing the technology and it could lead to the company even trying to replace consumers’ wallets.
He said: "If true, it’s a very big deal. As well as opening doors and unlocking your car, it could also turn your iPhone into an electronic wallet and ID card.
"You’d be able to pay for buses and trains, as well as your morning coffee and groceries in a jiffy, just by laying your iPhone on a special pad, and the price is electronically deducted from your account.
"The trouble is that the technology hasn’t gone completely mainstream. If Apple were to adopt the technology, they would likely set the standard, and that would drive widespread adoption as everyone scrambles to make their systems iPhone-friendly."
If granted, the patent will offer Apple legal protection from other companies copying its ideas and technology.
Earlier this month Apple filed a lawsuit against mobile phone firm HTC, claiming the company had infringed on 20 of Apple’s iPhone patents.
"We can sit by and watch competitors steal our patented inventions, or we can do something about it. We’ve decided to do something about it," said Steve Jobs, Apple’s chief executive.
"We think competition is healthy, but competitors should create their own original technology, not steal ours."
[via telegraph ]
Use Your iPhone As An Electronic “iKey”
accessories, Apps, iphone, News
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Mar 102010
The Daily Telegraph reports that a new Apple patent has surfaced which could potentially allow the iPhone, or another Apple portable, to act as a sort of electronic key. The potential applications are as limitless as the number of things locked by old-school metal keys. It could be used for cars, offices, homes, or lockers. Basically, anything that could have an electronic receiver mounted to it in place of a metal tumbler-style lock could then use an iPhone as a key.
While Ars Technica notes that “the patent application itself merely describes a unique way of using motion detection to generate an input, such as turning a virtual combination lock-style dial,” the patent itself, as reported by the Telegraph, says that the device could be “any suitable electronic device such as a portable media player, personal data assistant or electronic lock” that could open up any number of physical lock types just by communicating wirelessly.
Electronic key fobs already exist for certain models of cars, most notably the Toyota Prius, which not only allow keyless entry but also allow you to start the car without a traditional metal key. If Apple actually implements this patent and allows iPhones and iPods to act as an “iKey,” carrying a ring of metal keys and fobs around in your pocket could eventually seem as passé as a pocketwatch or pager seems today.
While the patent notes that the device would have to be paired with the locks in order to work, and that all communications would be encrypted, people are naturally going to be skeptical about the security of an iKey compared to a traditional metal key. I can see some other potential pitfalls: losing your iPhone, or having it stolen suddenly, means not having access to your car, your house, or anything else accessed with your iKey. Plus, if you’re dumb enough to store your access code on your iPhone in a place where a thief can find it easily, it also means that, immediately after finding your home address in Contacts, the thief could gain entry to your house with next to no effort. Or how about this: you come home after a night of carousing at the bar, power up your iPhone to gain access to your front door, but then find a blank screen staring back at you from your iPhone because your battery died.
While the idea sounds great on paper and certainly stokes my science-fiction geek fires, the practical application of the iKey sounds like a giant headache.
[Via tuaw.com]