Patents

It is kind of creepy what Apple is planning with the use of the iPhone’s sensors, but at the same time, it is a very neat idea that could indeed be quite useful.

A new Apple patent application was recently published that shows Apple has been researching more advanced uses of the iPhone’s sensors in order to predict what a user wants to do. How?

The patent talks about various scenarios in which information picked up by proximity sensors, ambient light detectors, temperature sensors and accelerometers to determine the state of the device, letting it automatically change it’s configuration to better suit the circumstances.

Some ideas are that the accelerometer would also determine if device is being picked up, temperature, ambient light, and proximity sensors to determine if device is in a pocket, proximity to see if the phone is held up to your ear or Bluetooth headset is being worn, and audio detection to see if you start talking into Bluetooth headset instead of the headphone.

So with this information the iPhone would be able to determine what it should… more...

Not so sure about this one, but Unwired reports that one of Apple’s recent filings seems to indicate that it has considered the possibility of an iPhone flip phone, among other dual-screen possibilities.

The patent is described as a “dual sided trackpad,” which would be translucent and boast touch sensitive panels on each side, allowing it to be used both when it’s opened or when it’s covering the main display.

The patent does not stop there. Click the link above to find out more.

I don’t know about you all, but I prefer the “candybar” style rather than a flip…

That’s right folks- if you connect your iPhone to iTunes right now you’ll see there is an update to 1.1.4 available. More details to come.

Via: Tuaw

Markspace has updated their iPhone syncing utility to version 1.0.1 and is free for all users.

The Application is available here for a limited demo, $24.95 for a crossgrade or $39.99 for
new users.

The popular iPhone utility, iPhoneDrive made available by Ecamm networks has received a major update and a name change as well.

Now known as MegaPhone 1.5, users can now copy Word Documents, PDFs and Text Files to the iPhone which can be edited directly from the iPhone. A 7 day trial is available but a full version can be bought for $20.

MegaPhone can be downloaded here.

Via: iPhoneAtlas

Shortly after updating the iPhone and iPod Touch with a higher capacity storage, Apple also posted new ads highlighting the web features of the iPhone.

The ad showcases using FaceBook and KBB.

Via: MacNN

Earlier today Apple took down their online store to silently update the iPod Touch and iPhone’s flash storage.

The low end 4GB model was cut out which previously retailed for $299. Apple has kept the 8GB model at the same price point but added a $499 option with 16GB of memory. No word yet on when this updated iPhone will make its way out of the states.

Via: Powerpage

The best thing about a great design is the boundaries it breaks and the possibilities created. The worst thing about a great design is that it needs to be changed once competitors start copying it. It’s not the easiest thing to do but the problem has afflicted everyone including Apple and is even more of a concern with the iPhone.

If we look back at the iPod, the core design still exists today carrying on into the iPod Nano and the iPod Classic but is doomed to the iPod Touch. The iPhone on the other hand relies on essential Hardware components being virtualized. The candy bar style looks to be the best form factor Apple could’ve have picked for the iPhone allowing only the screen to be dominant. Focusing mainly on the screen compensates for the lack of Hardware components such as a keyboard, all of this can be changed to better fit the user.

The overall design in my opinion wouldn’t change that much but rather Apple updating the underlying Hardware and focusing on the interface to draw users in. After all, it makes sense to put a bigger priority in Software over Hardware, once… more...

Whoops. Looks like I forgot about copy/paste again. Apple had me so excited with the new features, I forgot about the basics. Greg reminded me with his previous post on what he didn’t like about the new firmware update. As much as I do love the new features on my phone, I am a bit upset about not having the basics. Why does Apple blind the average consumer with so many unnecessary, but awesome, features. Yet another update comes along, bringing with it many exciting features. Only one question remains. How many firmware updates must we install before we get copy/paste? What do you guys think? My guess is that at least one more will come out before we finally get the update we have been waiting for.

So my answer to Greg’s question is… no. After further reflection I realized that I was not satisfied with this update. Though I do not think 1.1.3 was a bad update, it could have had more features. So Apple, either release your updates more often or have better quality.