Despite having only been available for less than 12 months, the iPhone’s form-factor is already well-cemented; could an Apple handset sporting anything other than a full-face touchscreen be viewed as a true iPhone? Brand recognition is great, but it can be stifling as well, especially if you want to introduce new form-factors but still preserve the functionality you’ve built up. After all, any handset with the iPhone’s GUI but with, say, a smaller display would cause a drop in usability. Staska from Unwired View has been doing some patent digging and come up with what might be Apple’s solution to the issue: titled “Dual-Sided Trackpad”, it describes a clamshell cellphone with a transparent, flip-down touchpad covering a large display. When closed it can be used like the original iPhone - touching the screen directly - but when open the reverse side of the trackpad is active.
(more…)
Written by Chris Davies on March 17th, 2008 with no comments.
Read more articles on Apple and Featured and Patents and iPhone and iPhone archive.
A Research in Motion (RIM) patent application points to the possibility of a touchscreen BlackBerry in the near future.
Because the patent application was published only four months after it was filed, as opposed to the typical 18-month waiting period, it’s possible that the production of a touchscreen BlackBerry could be right on the horizon.
The first line of the patent’s abstract reads:
A touchscreen liquid crystal display, method for using a liquid crystal display as a user input, and a mobile electronic device are provided.
Could it be a fake?
A commenter on ZDNet suggests that RIM could just be “spin doctoring” in an attempt to throw off its competitor, Apple.
Would RIM really want to make a touchscreen BlackBerry? Many of the BlackBerry owners I know say they prefer their hardware keyboards as opposed to iPhone’s virtual keyboard.
Some people just dont like the lack of tactile feedback on the iPhone, whether it’s because they have pudgier fingers or because it’s harder to text without looking.
BlackBerry’s edge over iPhone is that it can cater to those customers who prefer traditional hardware on their phones. If RIM were to venture into Apple’s touchscreen territory, they might alienate those customers who like their classic keyboards, and then they’d have to compete with Apple head-on.
Is a touchscreen BlackBerry imminent?
ZDNet’s Russell Shaw thinks so, but I’m not quite sure.
What do you think? Will RIM make a touchscreen BlackBerry? I’d be interested to read your opinion in the comments.
Written by Chris on February 8th, 2008 with no comments.
Read more articles on BlackBerry and News & Discussion and Patents and Rumors.
Apple filed an interesting patent that involve methods for integrating external sound into your iPhone or iPod. In this patent that was filed, Apple describes methods for integrating external sounds in with music or even recording the external sound for later playback.
What intrigued me most is an application that involves the user being able to hear announcements from the pilot or flight attendants. This application would also allow a person to speak to an attendant if you needed anything, all without taking off your headphones. The external Sound could also be integrated into the music in which you are currently listening.
If you missed an announcement, that is OK because you would be able to rewind and listen to it again. I like where Apple is going with this.
Written by tanner.godarzi@gmail.com on August 10th, 2007 with no comments.
Read more articles on Patents.
