In May we reported on Fujitsu developing an in-vehicle navigation system that will use Apple's iPhone. Today we're reporting on a wild inductively-powered ring that works in conjunction with Fujitsu's developing sensor network system; A system that ties into a new application that is being designed for Apple's iPhone. If you thought that the iPhone only ran tiny commercial apps and games, think again. This system is mind boggling and covers many possible applications including healthcare monitoring of patients, environmental and habitat monitoring, military and homeland security surveillance and more. Due to the fact that this is a Fujitsu patent application, our report only provides you with a basic overview of this new system.
Patently Apple has discovered that Apple has filed a patent in Korea relating to Radial Menus that could apply to both OS X and iOS as is illustrated in our cover graphic. Apple states that their invention is "directed towards the presentation of menu or toolbar options in a graphical user interface. Specifically, the invention is directed towards presenting these options in a radial form."This is Apple's second patent application regarding this particular form of presenting menus and/or toolbars, though they have others that borrow from this theme that we link to in our report.
According China Daily, Chinese authorities are urging Apple to unify its global intellectual property protection standards, in the wake of ongoing allegations that the US technology giant has infringed on the rights of some prominent Chinese writers.
According to a new report posted by China Daily, Apple is embracing Chinese developers. One in particular worth noting is AutoNavi. According to China Daily, "AutoNavi's navigation application showed up in Apple's latest operating system on Tuesday, replacing the Google map application." Although this appears to fly in the face of a recent Engadget report, it's highly likely that Apple has chosen AutoNavi in China and TomTom in North America and Europe. Our report clearly illustrates that Apple is indeed a partner of AutoNavi.
On June 14, 2012, the US Patent & Trademark Office published a patent application from Apple that reveals one of their research projects involving a camera device that provides the user with configurable optic options. The unique aspect to this is the device's removable back panel. Although Apple's patent background mentions a mobile phone, their actual summary and patent detailing mention nothing of a phone in any traditional way. So the device could either represent a next generation iPod touch as a means of differentiating it from the iPhone or a standalone camera that Apple has been playing with since 2009. While Apple has toyed with the idea of adding various lenses to handhelds via an external accessory in the past, their concepts were never in-line with Apple's great design ethic. Today's design seems to properly address the need for better portable device optical options while retaining an Apple-like form factor. The only real question remaining is this: Is Apple designing this removable back panel design as part of a standalone camera or as part of the iPod touch's reinvention. Which do you think it'll be?
Now that Apple's Main Event Keynote is over, Patently Apple presents you with a look at some of the patent applications that came to life on Monday. This time around, the big winner was software. Our report takes a look at Apple's Mega Ticket Patent which was by far the star of the show while others touched on 3D mapping, augmented reality, Siri and much more. While Apple's competitors are overly focused on Apple's industrial design form factors, Apple once again took their software to new heights by upgrading both their desktop and mobile operating systems with flair. Unless Windows 8 with its Metro user interface could mount a challenge against Apple, it looks like Apple isn't only a runaway freight train, but one that just happens to own the tracks.
Today, the US Patent and Trademark Office officially published a series of twenty-three newly granted patents for Apple Inc. Today's report focuses in on four of these patents, with Apple's iOS editing on iDevices being the most important of all. Also included in today's report is an industrial design win relating to Apple's iPad's display module which lists the late CEO Steve Jobs as one of the inventors.
The 3G standard was still considered a voice centric standard that wasn't really designed for data services. The new LTE standard was designed for the data services era. Apple uses LTE in their latest iPad and their own marketing states that "The new iPad supports fast cellular networks the world over — including 4G LTE networks in the U.S. and Canada. So you can browse the web, stream content, or download a movie at blazing-fast speeds." Today, Apple has ten granted patents to their credit regarding a future cellular MacBook and has many other patent pending applications in the queue. In 2013, Intel's architecture powered by their next generation processor known as Haswell will introduce "Always On" capabilities for the Ultrabook. Translation, it'll offer consumers LTE or 4G capabilities. With LTE options available today for the iPad, is it not time for the cellular MacBook Pro to emerge? The question is really quite simple: Will Apple wait for Intel's 2013 architecture to offer LTE on MacBooks or will they lead and begin to offer LTE options for their new MacBook Pro starting tomorrow? I'd like to think that Apple will lead but there are no guarantees. What do you think? Our Report has been updated, 2PM June 11, 2012
On Tuesday the Wall Street Journal reported that "later this year, Apple is planning to oust Google Maps as the preloaded, default maps app from the iPhone and iPad and release a new mapping app that runs Apple's own technology…" Today, we read that Apple's next move against Google is to replace their search services on the iPhone with search services from China's Baidu as soon as their contract with Google expires. Some think that could be as early as next week.
Last December we first reported on Apple's possible switch from IPS to Sharp's IGZO displays for future portables and a possible HDTV. In March we followed up with a report titled "The Foxconn-Sharp Alliance is all about Apple's Coming HDTV." Today we take a brief look at a new report from Japan's Nikkei BP that discusses a new twist coming to Sharp's next generation of IGZO displays that range in size from 3.4 to 13.5 inches. With Sharp being one of Apple's iPad display suppliers, any new development is worth noting. One of the designs coming to market is a 3.4 flexible display that's illustrated in our cover graphic. Could we see any of these next-gen IGZO displays working into Apple's roadmap? Only time will tell.
On June 7, 2012, the US Patent & Trademark Office published a patent application from Apple that reveals their work on possible new QuickTime interface controls. The new controls will allow users to set a speed of playback which will provide users with superior playback accuracy. The new controls temporarily replace the traditional timeline scrubber. When the user taps on the scrubber, the interface will begin to morph and pop-out in 3D fashion to reveal the new interface controls. It's a practical idea delivered in an interface that only Apple could dream up.
China's Hong Kong IP Department has officially published a series of four newly registered design patents for Apple Inc. The designs cover two designs in both black and white and in color. One of the designs now integrates the Apple logo right into the retail display. In other IP News, the US Patent and Trademark Office has officially published Apple's "Smart Cover" as a registered trademark. And in closing, our report takes a quick look back at Steve Jobs presenting the new Smart Cover for iPad 2.
