Apple’s knack for filing patent applications has struck again, offering a pair of digital pens that could become a competitive one-up for HTC’s Scribe pen. Both filed apps revealed by the USPTO involve styli for iOS displays, but if you’re imagining a magical item that helps (or hinders) your typing, this is another ball of wax. The first stylus is appropriately called “stylus for touch sensitive devices” and includes a rechargeable battery that could be stored and charged by placing it in a dock embedded directly in the device. Curiously, the stylus is heated for “more consistent interaction between the capacitive-sensors in the computing device and the stylus,” which sounds mighty nice on a cold day. By allowing the user to easily write real notes and draw pictures, this patent turns out to be much more than just a different method of inputting text.

Next up is the “communicating stylus,” a digital pen equipped with accelerometers and wireless transmitters that send position data. This would enable it to be used for an iOS device without any physical contact or other accessories. In theory, you could take the stylus (shown after the break) across the room and still jot down notes or doodle on your iPad, even if it’s out of sight. Finally, “the greatest pointing device in the world” — our fingers — will get a chance to rest.

Continue reading Apple patent apps describe ‘smart’ pens for notetaking and long-distance doodling

Apple patent apps describe ‘smart’ pens for notetaking and long-distance doodling originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 07 Jul 2011 12:56:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink

Ever wish life was like a movie, that theme songs went to highlight your every dramatic action? This patent application from Cupertino isn’t quite like that, but it’s close, basically creating dynamic music videos for your friends when they call. It describes a means of stitching together video and audio sequences of the caller and dynamically composting them to create a beautiful little ditty celebrating your BFF — or your mother in law, as it were. Such sequences are to be generated by so-called “seed” songs or videos, content that can either be stored directly on the recipient’s phone or pulled from Genius data stored in the ether. There’s potential here for great stuff, but we already dread a future where data comes from browsing habits and instead of cool tunes and video sequences we’re served jingles and McDonald’s commercials.

Apple patent application for ‘Dynamically Generated Ring Tones’ could make magical videos of your friends originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 10 Mar 2011 02:42:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink

When Apple CEO Steve Jobs had announced the slim and ultra-portable MacBook Air on stage, he had framed the device as something that would result when an iPad and a MacBook “hooked up.” Now, with Apple’s recent convertible tablet patent, we’re beginning to see more clues about the relationships between touchscreens, tablets, and mobile laptops. Described in the patent filed on November 30th as an “Application Programming Interfaces for Scrolling Operations,” the patent reveals a device that would look like a regular notebook when opened up in clamshell mode, but would slide to reveal the screen on top, rather than the inside, when closed to be held like a slate tablet computing device. Manufacturers have been experimenting with a variety of different form factors for convertible tablet designs, and the most recent example is the Dell Inspiron Duo, which has a more unique swiveling screen design rather than a single swiveling hinge.

Read more:
Apple Patent Reveals Convertible Tablet