On April 4, 2013, the US Patent & Trademark Office published a patent application from Apple that reveals a possible new retail packaging system. The system is designed to provide an Apple Store customer with the ability to conveniently customize an iDevice's content while it's still in its original packaging. The customer picks the iDevice and brings it to an in-store kiosk so that they could connect the device to the kiosk and be able to customize its content with iTunes, Apps and more. This is great for gift giving situations. The customer will also be able to print out a custom label with a message on it such as Happy Birthday. It's a smart idea plain and simple.

On January 24, 2013, the US Patent & Trademark Office published Apple's latest registered trademark certificate for Apple's "Distinctive Design & Layout." Apple was granted two designs officially on Tuesday covering their design in both color and black and white. This particular design is that of your typical mall centric Apple Store layout. Apple had originally filed for these trademarks in May 2010. The Apple Store's design was a noted passion in the biography of Steve Jobs by Walter Issacson. In fact all of chapter twenty-nine is dedicated to the history of the new Apple Stores. The late Steve Jobs once stated that "Unless we could find a way to get our message to customers at the store, we were screwed." When it comes to shopping for a new computer or mobile device today, the Apple Store experience has no equal in the industry. 

In Walter Isaacson's biography simply titled "Steve Jobs," Issacson penned, "Jobs hated to cede control of anything, especially when it might affect the customer experience. But he faced a problem. There was one part of the process he didn't control: The experience of buying an Apple product in a store." Even when Jobs initially presented his vision for Apple retail stores to the Company board, Issacson writes, "the board was not thrilled." Although they finally got on board with Steve's vision, it goes to prove that even Jobs had to fight internal head winds on getting some of his ideas approved. The video we present to you below can't be viewed without saying to yourself, this is the house that Steve built. This is one of his greatest contributions to the " Total Apple Experience." If you've ever been in an Apple Store, then you know it's one of the greatest retail experiences bar none.

On November 22, 2012, the US Patent & Trademark Office published several patent applications from Apple that relate to their retail store signage and table-top device security. One patent discusses management of multiple dynamic signage devices that could be coordinated within and across stores, and an interactive floor-map creation system incorporating dynamic signage devices that could facilitate changing the associations between products and dynamic signage devices. If retail based technology happens to be of interest to you or if you're just curious as to how Apple designs their in-store signage, our report will point you to four distinct patents that you'll be able to research to your heart's content.

On November 22, 2012, the US Patent & Trademark Office published a patent application from Apple that reveals a new customer service application specifically designed for iDevices. The project was spearheaded by Benjamin Vigier Product Manager - Mobile Commerce at Apple. Mr. Vigier who came to Apple in 2010 has valuable NFC experience having worked with French mobile operator Bouygues Telecom, an early backer of NFC. Today's revelations show us that for those fortunate enough to live in a city where there's an Apple Store, the newly designed customer service form will help to check users in to see a Genius Bar representative or a workshop/event in a more convenient way. The form will activate automatically on iDevices as they near an Apple Store and provide customers with queue times and other reservation information. Apple's online and in-store service is the very best in the industry today hands down. It now it appears that it's about to get even better.