A belated US Patent via an Australian filing mysteriously surfaced this month revealing a stunning nano-phone concept in development at Apple. The design involves a very sophisticated yet complicated dual-surface user interface. The full face-side of this device will be nothing more than a display, much like the iPhone is today, while the back-side will be primarily dominated by a force-sensitive touch based surface. Your fingers, which act as a cursor, control the face-side UI by the back-side etched controls. The dramatic design will offer users a variety of interfaces or modes to work with including one for a phone, text messaging, a traditional iPod, a camera mode and more.  The design may also, according to Apple, simply offer consumers with a dual-sided display option in lieu of a force sensitive controller surface. On one hand, the design appears to be nothing shy of being revolutionary once again. On the other, the concept seems to be overly complicated. I'm sure that once we see it, it'll all make sense. Yet until that time it arrives, I think that Apple's design could be hotly debated.

On July 23, 2009, the US Patent & Trademark Office published a patent application from Apple that reveals various concepts behind the design of a dual-purpose hardware aperture on a portable electronic device. The dual apertures could be used to incorporate a microphone and speakers or used as a dual card slot. Although Apple emphasizes that multiple devices such as the iPhone, iPod or even MacBooks could be utilize this invention, the only key embodiment presented in the patent is that of a new upright camera design/concept.  

On July 23, 2009, the US Patent & Trademark Office published a patent application from Apple that reveals a new one-touch concept for ejecting your iPod or iPhone from iTunes on your computer. In the future, the USB cable connector supplied with your new iPod or iPhone will come with a built-in capacitive-sensing system that includes conductors that generate fringing electric fields. When your fingers approach the USB cable to eject your device, the system will sense this and immediately go into shut down mode to prevent data loss. 

The US Patent and Trademark Office officially published a series of nine newly granted patents for Apple Inc. today. The notables within this group include several industrial design wins for Apple covering Airport Extreme, earphones, Universal Dock and iPhone's retail packaging. Yet the one that hits a homerun today covers an Ink Phase Termination Engine that supports Apple's Inkwell technology and a future Tablet device supporting handwriting applications. The evidence for an Apple based Smartbook-Tablet hybrid device is certainly mounting.

On July 16, 2009, the US Patent & Trademark Office published a patent application from Apple that reveals one of the next chapters for Apple's iPhone in-vehicle navigation systems and services.  This particular patent covers estimated time travel and is a direct follow through patent to one published on June 18 concerning the operational state of the vehicle.  This is Apple's fourth in-vehicle navigation patent this year.  The other patents were covered in reports titled A Future iPhone could Advance Sophisticated In-Vehicle Navigation System Functionality and Apple Intros In-Vehicle Cryptographically Paired Technology. With scores of vehicles already offering iPod integration, the next wave of in-vehicle navigation systems working with Apple's iPhone is likely in the works at this very moment.

On July 14, 2009, the US Patent and Trademark Office officially published a key granted patent of Apple's relating to a wide multi-touch trackpad for notebooks. Apple has partially implemented the technologies behind this patent in their current MacBook Air and MacBook Pro line-ups. The patent also presents us with an overview of advanced imaging, infrared & optical emitter-detector sensors that could be used in future iterations of Apple notebooks. And yet, the interesting aspect of this patent in many ways isn't about the technology behind the wide multi-touch trackpad but rather the potential applications it may one day support. Although the patent is absolutely silent on this point, one of the plausible applications that could eventually emerge from this multi-touch trackpad technology is that of an advanced gamepad.

Hidden within one of Apple's recent patent applications is a conceptual figure that Apple simply describes as an accessory device; a device that is clearly meant to enhance the value of an iPod – be it an iPod Classic or iPod touch. The contemplated accessory would add practical capabilities to the iPod, such as providing superior speakers and a built-in microphone that would work with Apple's new iPod touch/iPhone voice memo app - which is great for consumers, students and professionals. The iPod accessory could also introduce other interesting twists such as adding the ability to introduce external data to the iPod via SIM cards, flash drives and even hard drives. It could also include one or more connector ports such as a headset jack, USB ports and/or a 30-pin connector. Yet it's the possibility of adding both wireless capabilities and a SIM card to a media iPod that would strongly suggest that Apple may be thinking of ways of introducing entry level iPhone-like capabilities to their existing base of iPod owners. In these harder economic times, a SIM card option, especially a prepaid option, could certainly be what the doctor ordered. 

 On July 9, 2009, the US Patent & Trademark Office published a patent application from Apple that reveals various concepts behind a newly advanced facial detection and recognition system. Although the system described is primarily focused on use with portables such as the iPod and iPhone, it is evident that such a system will be implemented throughout Apple's hardware lineup - and eventually spill over to future applications such as television, a vehicle navigation system, a video gaming system, video glasses and so forth, according to the patent. The system will be used to identify those in communications with users via various methods of messaging including email, instant messaging, video messaging, and/or user voice call. Yet the most advantageous aspect of this system will be found in its advanced security technologies that will go far beyond simple password protection. The user will be able to program the facial detection and recognition system so that only authorized faces could control access to specific applications, be it a spreadsheet or word processor app - or to even authorize the purchase of content at Apple's iTunes Store.