Apple Applies For Color-Change Patent 466
Secret300 writes "Apple is applying for a patent to release "devices capable of dynamically changing their ornamental or decorative appearance." If this is a success, it would considerably boost Apple's presence in the technology world." So, perhaps we can not only theme our desktop on the machine - but our *literal* desktop.
Too broad for no prior art. (Score:5, Insightful)
Imagine a display on a CRT surrounded by a decorative border... like we see in most applications.
Now if Apple had filed a patent specifically for a computer case that could change it's appearance at whim and provided a mechanism for it to do so, they'd be set, but no, the want to corner the market before there is a market. Boo, Apple!
Computers don't make the man (Score:1, Insightful)
Now dont get me wrong, I love computers. Im a verified geek. I have been ever since my parents sat me in front of the old Apple IIe at the age of six. (And gave be a BASIC book at the age of 7)
Computers arent the savior of education that everybody was hoping they would be. Computers are a tool and nothing more. You will always have the children who choose not to use the tools available to them, as well as the children who have no tools available to them.
I remember one time in elementary school we were in the computer lab of Apple IIe s and I decided to have a little bit of fun with the people in there - so I wrote a little program to show just how l33t I was:You wouldnt believe how much trouble I almost got in for that little stunt. I distinctly remember sitting in the hallway for the remainder of the class - with a large smile on my face. (This only got worse when I started going into Radio Shack Stores - Some of the messsages I came up with there probably affected sales quite a bit
Anyway - I remember in highschool (around 1995) when they built the computer lab full of older IBM 486 Lan Manager machines. We spent a large amount of time there (to my great surprise) - but it was only to waste time on substandard "education" games and work on composing some research presentation using some Powerpoint wannabe called "Linkway" or something.
The point is: Most of those kids learned absolutely nothing. Most of them just goofed off in the computer lab. The teacher didnt even really know what the heck she was doing in there.
The morale of the story kiddies: Computers are like an encyclopedia - they are only useful if you are willing to open the cover and explore. Until then - they are useless.
So what does this mean? (Score:2, Insightful)
Does nature count as prior art? (chameleon)
Is there a patent on covalent molecular bonds? Man, I could really clean up.
Boost what? (Score:5, Insightful)
If this is a success, it would considerably boost Apple's presence in the technology world.
I'm not sure how pretty colors will bost them in the technology world, let alone the ability to change amongst various pretty colors. Remember those sneakers with the clear logo and replacable colored inserts? That didn't boost the shoes in the technology world, why would a similar tech boost Apple? Have their shiny colored computers boosted them "considerably" so far, or was it their generally good hardware architecture and cleanly-integrated OS? Sigh.
official COMPUTERS NOT WORKING IN EDUCATION thread (Score:1, Insightful)
Computers cannot, on their own, solve any problems - they can perform complex calculations, sure, but you have to feed them the exact steps to follow. If kids do not understand the principles behind something as simple as multiplication or division, say, how do you expect a glorified calculator to help them? Sure they could use it to divide 22 by 7, but do they understand why they are doing that? Sure they can use spell check on grammar check, but is that any substitute for actually understanding sentence structure or knowing how words are properly spelled? That is how you solve literacy and mathematic deficiencies. You have to work at it - technology isn't the magical panacea everyone appears to think it is.
You don't see architectecture schools talking about how power actuated fasteners are changing how they teach, do you? Of course not, they are just tools that save on labor. Computers are the exact same thing, and the quicker people realize that a computer is just another form of tool, the quicker everyone will realize that there is nothing mystical about them and their operators. Realizing this will help to devalue the artificially high prices of computer "engineers", cut down on overhead drastically, and provide just the shot in the arm our stock market needs to rebound.
I don't mean to bash on our dedicated teachers - they are doing the best they can, given their abilities and environment, but hyping up computers as a replacement to study isn't a good idea. There's a reason we weren't allowed to use calculators until Calculus class when we were in school, and that is why we hand to hand write exams without a dictionary available. It is nice to have technology available, but it should always be as an assistant to aid the individual in his work- it should not direct his work
Is this how the patent system works now? (Score:2, Insightful)
I thought that a patent had to be on a particular method or device, not on a general class of devices that has a capability to do something.
If Inventor A patents Mousetrap A that works using a mechanical spring baited with cheese, and Inventor B invents Mousetrap B that works using poison, if Inventor A holds a patent on Mousetrap A, it shouldn't affect B's ability to build or patent Mousetrap B. It's not the capability of the device (the capability to trap mice in this case), it's the *method* or the *design* used to achieve that capability.
Or has the patent system gotten completely screwed up?
WOW! (Score:5, Insightful)
Seriously 'tho..after reading the patent I don't think this is anything that special. It seems like Apple is going to start putting RGB LED lights inside a specially designed case so you can change the color of it to match your surroundings.
Is it just me or is this the hardware version of feature creep? Is Apple going to fit all its devices full of cute doodads just to raise the price more? My opinion is that Apple should be investigating an open architechture for its hardware..but that's just me.
Re:"devices capable of changing their color" (Score:5, Insightful)
Slashdot hypocrisy pseudocode (Score:5, Insightful)
&& $topic == "patent" )
{
post.story("Patents are evil, Linux r0x0rZ!");
}
elsif ($org within ("Apple"|"Transmeta"|"VA")
&& $topic == "patent" )
{
post.story("Feature xxx is cool! $org r0x0rZ!");
}
else {
ignore.story();
}
So, they're patenting the mood ring? (Score:3, Insightful)
Serisouly, even if they are changing color dynamically, isn't that basically just wrapping an object in "electronic ink" paper?
Jon Acheson
Re:Slashdot hypocrisy pseudocode (Score:2, Insightful)
The most pathetic thing is, if Dell did something like this, there would be a front-page rant with 1500 replies to it in 10 minutes.
But Apple is held sacrosanct, because they compete (poorly) with Wintel.
The Shining Apple Logo on iBooks? (Score:2, Insightful)
By applying for a patent on this idea, Apple secures that no other laptop producer removes the light isolation on the back of an LCD screen to allow light to shine through a logoshaped part of the lid of the computer. The only part of the computer you can see in a dark conference room, I might add.
as always, very broad wording.... (Score:3, Insightful)
any hard drive in a transparent housing, with a led indicating seek or read, is covered by this patent
This is rather nifty: (Score:5, Insightful)
fiber optic lighting (Score:2, Insightful)
It'll probably be functional (Score:5, Insightful)
It'd be nice if there were similar indicators for new mail, or alarms from iCal, connection state, short messages, etc.
THAT is how I think this technology will be used. As indicators of state independent of the display, that effectively use sparse cover space, that can change in multiple ways, and so forth. And uniquely, they don't mar up the computer's appearance when they're not needed. Possibly this will even be like having a second display capable of showing generalized information, at least in part. Changing the overall appearance of the computer is just a bonus.
Re:Slashdot hypocrisy pseudocode (Score:5, Insightful)
not too innovative (Score:2, Insightful)
however, after seeing this picture [mac.com] posted on ars technica [infopop.net], it looks like what they're really doing is patenting a method of lighting. the picture suggests a light inside the monitor and the computer that illuminates the device. sounds like mod kiddes putting cold cathode lights and windows in their cases, doesn't it?
Re:Once again, apple comes in first. (Score:3, Insightful)
The old MacOS could multitask just fine.
No, it couldn't. Its cooperative multitasking was stone age technology. Clicking on a freaking menu item would often bring everything else on the system to a grinding halt.
What OS X brought to the Mac was preemptive multi-tasking (which some people would say is not always a good thing for a single-user computer to have, but that's another debate).
By "some people," you must mean "Mac apologists." What technologist EVER argued that the Mac's cooperative multitasking was better? Just the thought of that is hilarious.
There were multi-CPU Macs prior to 2000.
No kidding, too bad MacOS itself couln't utilize those extra CPUs -- ya know, kinda like I fucking wrote. I'm sure the technology world is real impressed that less than a handful of apps could actually utilize those extra processors. How efficient. Must be another example of Apple coming in first.
Yeah, these uses are gonna be just about as practical as a line of multi-colored iMacs -- just what the world of hightech has been waiting for with white-knuckled anticipation. And about as useful as an Apple-branded mouse.
Re:new imacs (Score:3, Insightful)
You obviously do not understand Patents... (Score:5, Insightful)
What is patentable is the means to DO the magic. A patent must disclose that means in a manner that those skilled in the art could reproduce the results.
Re:Too broad for no prior art. (Score:3, Insightful)
A television screen, for example, or any other CRT can alter both it's functional and decorative apperance with just a change in display signal.
I'm no expert, but aren't you confusing the patent Title with the patent detail?
For example, the first company to develop a way for producing steel razor blades applies for a patent entitled 'Method for producing steel razors', but that only protected the method described in the detail, not every possible technique.
In fact, one of thier competitors developed a different method for making steel razor blades, and they were allowed to patent that.
Just because this patent's title is quite broad, doesn't let them patent the entire market.
Cheers,
Michael