COMMENT
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A GLIMPSE INTO APPLE'S FUTURE PRODUCT RELEASES PATENT ANAL
FOR MORE, VISIT
With the sad news of the passing of Steve Jobs, one may think that all creativity and drive of Apple will be lost. But thankfully, that view is wrong. There is still an abundance of talent at Apple, not to mention that Jobs' fingerprints will be on Apple's products for several years thanks to the long process of patent applications. There are some interesting things you can expect in the future, and they are not even difficult to find courtesy of Jack Purcher at .
Hybrid Drive
A patent was published making known Apple's plans for a new hybrid drive system. The drive would combine the speed and durability of flash with the massive storage capabilities of the hard disk drives we know and love. The system is designed to dump contents of a write operation to flash memory when the HDD fails due to environmental conditions such as excessive heat or vibration. In doing so, the data would still be written, but would not damage the write heads or other sensitive parts of the HDD. Interestingly enough, this comes right after Intel has announced its own Smart Response hybrid drive systems in 2012. Given Intel's recent plans with Windows 8 to dominate the computer market, perhaps Apple is simply preparing itself. Regardless, any drive that improves speed, saves power, and increases reliability is welcome in my system.
Camera Stabilization
If you have ever used a cellphone camera, you know that unless you have some sort of stabilization system, it can be difficult to shoot smooth video. While some higher- end cameras have stabilization built in, most cell phones do not. A recent patent application shows that Apple is working on its own stabilization solution for cameras on its iOS devices such as the iPad, iPhone, and iPod touch. In basic terms,
94 MacDirectory
the system will make use of data from the accelerometer of the device to determine what frames of the video need to be adjusted. Such a system would smooth video out, producing much better results than even the most steady-handed person might be able to do. Say goodbye to camera jitter!
Advanced iPhone Wireless Communication
Looking into future devices a little further, it would appear that Apple is looking to incorporate more advanced wireless functions into upcoming iPhones that would allow them to communicate with other everyday wireless devices. This sounds rather underwhelming until you find out that these other wireless devices are everyday devices that are not every day as of yet. Potential systems include parking meters or cash registers, confirming that Apple is interested in an iWallet scheme. The interesting thing with this application is that it would not be a simple connection, but rather a smart one that would depend on signal strength in establishing a connection. For example, if you pull up to a metered parking spot, it would interface with the meter that transmitted the strongest wireless signal automatically. Likewise, if you were in line at a store with multiple checkout lanes, the register that broadcasted the strongest signal would be the one your iPhone would identify with. While this may seem like there would be issues in accidentally paying for someone else's groceries, only time will tell exactly how the system will work. For now, start saying goodbye to that wallet you have been carrying for the past 25 years, because you know when this becomes mainstream, you will want it.
A New Way to Club
The most interesting of Apple's recent patent activity has pertained to an
application for an all-new way to go clubbing. While you probably would not get the typical clubbing experience were this patent to develop further, you might get a sort of impromptu dance party. The patent outlines a way that users of iOS devices could send a notification out saying where the mobile party would start. The iPhones would then share information with one another that would determine common music between the devices. When one device received the information via any medium such as Bluetooth, WiFi, SMS, or email, it would then share that information with another, which would share it with another, and so on and so forth. While exact songs would not need to be matched, the system would seek tracks with similar characteristics including the number of beats-per-minute. In this way, the system does not share tracks, but simply track information. This could certainly make flash-mobbing much easier, and I can imagine the videos on YouTube already. This feature would be available via a specifically designated app, and would likely be compatible with older iOS devices as well as current and future models.
For more info visit: PatentlyApple.com
http://www.patentlyapple.com/patently- apple/2011/10/apple-thinks-of-enhancing- the-mobile-clubbing-scene-with- itunes.html
http://www.patentlyapple.com/patently- apple/2011/09/hallelujah-apples-now- working-on-a-video-stabilization-solution- for-ios-cameras-on-the-move.html
http://www.patentlyapple.com/patently- apple/2011/09/apple-is-working-a-new- hybrid-drive-system-of-their-own.html
http://www.patentlyapple.com/patently- apple/2011/09/future-iphones-will- communicate-with-parking-meters-doors- more.html
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