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Apple Technology

Apple Files Trademark For "iWatch" In Japan 82

Posted by samzenpus from the its-i-time dept.
An anonymous reader writes "Apple has filed a trademark application for 'iwatch' in Japan. 'The maker of iPhones is seeking protection for the name which is categorized as being for products including a handheld computer or watch device, according to a June 3 filing with the Japan Patent Office that was made public last week. Takashi Takebayashi, a Tokyo-based spokesman for Apple, didn’t respond to a message left at his office seeking comment on the application.' Rumors suggest that the new iWatch is expected to sport a 1.5-inch OLED screen."
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Apple Files Trademark For "iWatch" In Japan More

Apple Files Trademark For "iWatch" In Japan

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  • iWatch? (Score:4, Funny)

    by Anonymous Coward on Monday July 01, 2013 @07:50AM (#44152739)

    Is this an NSA only product?

  • I'd consider a nano (Score:5, Insightful)

    by drinkypoo ( 153816 ) <drink@hyperlogos.org> on Monday July 01, 2013 @07:51AM (#44152755) Homepage Journal

    I'd consider just using a nano on a band if they made a waterproof model. They have that spray now, but I'm hesitant to try self-applied. And the professional waterproofing services cost too much.

    • Re:I'd consider a nano (Score:4, Interesting)

      by Anonymous Coward on Monday July 01, 2013 @08:07AM (#44152861)

      The battery life for the nano is terrible. LCD is a nonstarter for a smartwatch IMO, it uses way too much power! Even with the fact it goes into standby all the time. I have a nano with the wrist strap and I gave up on it because I just didn't care much for the constant charging. And the constant going on standby when the screen turns off means I have to click on it to see the actual time. And the face will turn itself off when you are playing music, so you will have to do some fiddling just to get the time!

      Unless they have some sort of no hassle wireless charging, it will just become another device you have to make sure you plug in. Phone is already a hassle in of itself. Adding another gadget to your routine is just not an improvement. My current wrist occupant doesn't need batteries changed for over a year. Why would I replace it with something that requires daily attention? A smartwatch that only needs a weekly recharge would be a start.

      Another downside of the nano it's HUGE. Some of us do not have wrists so big to ascetically accommodate such a big face. Not to mention the ridiculous size of the two jacks on it, the headphones and the charging port. It is dated technology, and there is definitely room for improvement.

      • Another downside of the nano it's HUGE. Some of us do not have wrists so big to ascetically accommodate such a big face.

        Well, I am two meters tall and have wrists like many other people's ankles, so that's not a big problem for me.

        It is dated technology, and there is definitely room for improvement.

        I guess I should have said "I had already considered..."

      • Some of us do not have wrists so big to ascetically accommodate such a big face

        That's a very spiritual [wikipedia.org] outlook. Most people would be concerned with worldly matters such as asthetics [wikipedia.org]. Bravo for rejecting worldly pleasures.

        • Re: (Score:1)

          by Anonymous Coward

          Yes. But it is my spellchecker that rejects worldly pleasures. I simply cannot be bothered to spell properly.

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by Misagon ( 1135 )

      The current 7th gen iPod Nano that came last year is too big to use as a watch.
      Lots of people are using the 6th gen iPod Nano as a watch, but it doesn't have any features that a true "smartwatch" should have and you can't install apps on it.

      Personally, I think that a smartwatch should be designed as a "dumb" terminal to a smartphone, although maybe with an interactive display so that you could move between pages of notifications/time/calendar from different apps.
      In other words, it should be an accessory to

      • Re: (Score:2)

        by Trogre ( 513942 )

        Personally, I think that a smartwatch should be designed as a "dumb" terminal to a smartphone, although maybe with an interactive display so that you could move between pages of notifications/time/calendar from different apps.

        You mean like this [amazon.com]?

  • Wearable technology is the next evolution (Score:5, Insightful)

    by the computer guy nex ( 916959 ) on Monday July 01, 2013 @09:42AM (#44153969)
    Countless times per day I'm removing my smartphone from my pocket simply to check today's calendar, today's to-dos, weather, latest emails, latest calls/sms, latest notifications, and of course the time. Quick access to your ecosystem would be a tremendous convenience.

    The other big opportunity is sensors. Fitness and health are the obvious ones, but it could even branch into creative uses of an accelerometer.

    The key here is the hardware engineering, where Apple has the big advantage. This thing needs to have multi-day battery life with the screen on continuously. It needs to utilize Bluetooth 4/BLE to reduce battery impact to your tablet/smartphone. The screen needs to have more brightness than the typical junk AMOLED. The microphone needs to be sensitive enough to operate at a distance farther than the typical smartphone.

    My bet is Apple has a wealth of ideas, but they are still nailing down the hardware engineering aspect. Now that they are custom-designing their own SoCs, I believe this should be sooner than later.

    • Re: (Score:1, Flamebait)

      by csumpi ( 2258986 )
      "Countless times per day I'm removing my smartphone from my pocket simply to check..."

      So now you'll strap an indicator to your wrist that notifies you _every time_ you get a text or email, which will require you removing your phone from your pocket _every time_ to read such message (unless you are going to do so on a 1.5" display) and to eventually reply such message. So instead of removing your phone once every hour,you'll do so _every time_ such indicator goes off.

      On top of it you'll be recharging suc

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by gl4ss ( 559668 )

      you're going to think they'll go all dick tracy on it? as if.

      now amoled they need in order to show the time while the rest of the screen is sleeping(one of the best features of my 808 is the amoled screen.. you don't need to open keylock to check time, or pick it up even -it's showing the missed call notifications and time+date constantly - and no, it doesn't need charging every day despite keeping that option on, because it's from a company that had a big hw advantage in regards of practical carry electron

    • I don't think you'll ever get any sort of light-emitting element, be it AMOLED or whatever, that's compatible with good battery life. It's going to have to be some sort of reflective LCD.

      Well, actually, given another twenty years or so of progress on low-power, high-res cameras and ultra-low-power processors, I suppose you could save power by having a display that only emits light when someone's looking at it. But I think that would be just a bit too creepy for words.

  • It's Japan. Shouldn't they have filed for 'iLikeToWatch'?
  • ... for the iCloud PRISM plugin! go figure...
  • I seem to remember the idea of such a thing being laughed at not too long ago. Actually, it was in one of the Pebble threads where an iDrone specifically proclaimed "If a connected watch were a good idea, Apple would have done it years ago!"

    But now that such a device is already on the market (that seems to be more practical and will have much better battery life due to e-ink vs OLED), Apple decides they can't let that stand. To not be filling every little mobile device niche is tantamount to admitting fa
  • 1.5" seems awfully small for touch, but I don't want to live in a world where every jackass on the train is shouting at their wrist.
  • http://www.iwatchz.com/ [iwatchz.com] is enough to block them from trademarking the iwatch name.
  • Apple is not making a watch. Just because it can keep track of time don't call it a watch. Just because you wear it on your wrist, don't call it a watch. And don't ever call a "digital watch" a watch. It's an abomination. Noted exception is the mechanical digital watch. Very cool, but I don't think there has been one made in the last 100 years.
    • Yeah, let's face it, the human race is so amazingly backward, they still think that digital watches area pretty neat idea.

  • I thought that Apple already used name for their daemon that spys on its customers.

    I'm more interested in the SmartWatch [wikipedia.org], which can be had right now for less than US$100.

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