Apple Patents Point to Future MacBooks with IPS & Touch Displays

http://www.patentlyapple.com/patently-apple/2010/08/apple-patents-point-to-future-macbooks-with-ips-touch-displays.html

If you miss the days when you could walk down to the neighborhood arcade, you’re pretty much out of luck if you want to play a game of pinball. Sure, there are plenty of computer games and mobile apps which let you play a digital version of game, but there’s nothing quite like whacking those flipper buttons and pulling the plunger to set your ball in motion. Now, thanks to this goofy little accessory, you can enjoy an ever so slightly more pinball-like playing experience on your iPhone.

Dock your iPhone inside New Potato’s Pinball Magic, and it turns your smartphone into the world’s tiniest pinball machine. The weensy little pinball machine has a pair of flipper switches, a plunger for launching balls, and an LED backlit backboard display which shows animations when you play. And the accompanying game uses the iPhone’s motion sensors to support tilt detection, so jostling the machine works just like the real deal.

You can pre-order the Pinball Magic over at Best Buy for $39.99 (USD), and while you’re waiting, you can download the free Pinball Magic app here (opens iTunes). Keep in mind that the game cannot be played without the table, so don’t bother trying to figure it out until you get one.

[via Chip Chick via SlipperyBrick]

友達三主管被美扣

美國的專利法、智財法與反托拉斯法真可以"打死"很多紅頂商人...

Apple Wins Major Touch Technology Patent along with Patents for the Original iPod, iPod touch, Graphic Gradients, Shake & More

 
http://www.patentlyapple.com/patently-apple/2010/08/apple-wins-major-touch-technology-patent-along-with-patents-for-the-original-ipod-ipod-touch-graphic-gradients-shake-mo.html

The DAGi Pen still has a wider than normal tip, but it’s made out of a see-through material with a red dot indicating exactly where you’re pressing the pen on screen. That fixes one of the biggest issues with the other styli out there, which are usually so fat that they obscure the location that you’re touching.

Now, I’m not sure if the wide, flat tip of the DAGi Pen will be any less odd than the Pogo, but it’s probably worth a shot for now. I’m hoping that someday someone comes up with a fine-tip stylus for capacitive screens, but I’m guessing that physics are standing in the way of that achievement at the moment.

For now, the DAGi Pen looks like one of the better options out there.

You can get your hands on DAGi Pens over at PDA Plaza for $20 Canadian (appx. $19 USD).

(technabob)

An Apple A4 Chip Related Patent Surfaces

http://www.patentlyapple.com/patently-apple/2010/08/an-apple-a4-chip-patent-surfaces.html

Apple Considers New Audio Jack with Built-in Mic for Future iPhone

http://www.patentlyapple.com/patently-apple/2010/08/apple-considers-new-audio-jack-with-built-in-mic-for-future-iphone.html

iTV的遙控器概念設計
來自：weiphone
現在距蘋果九月發布會僅有數日之遙，會上蘋果有可能推出在設計上脫胎換骨的新款AppleTV的，有傳聞稱它將以此前的開發代號 iTV的命名。據推測該機將運行蘋果系統內部監督辦公室，目前無數傳聞和爭論的焦點是它將採用何種操控方式。蘋果現有的5個按鍵遙控器顯然不能勝任;魔術觸控式軌跡板雖有觸控功能，但桌面設計不便握持;還有一種可能是使用一款iPhone / iPod / iPad應用，但這樣一來互動電視似乎僅是擴展現有產品功能的一款附件，而非能夠獨立工作的產品。

上圖這款完美的互動電視遙控器概念設計出自國外網友丹溫曼，它實際上是由魔術觸控式軌跡板和iPhone拼合而成。遙控器借用了魔幻觸控式軌跡板的物理性質以及多點觸控技術，體型則縮減至iPhone大小。按照設計，這款控制器將加入多項 iPhone硬件功能，例如陀螺儀，羅盤以及加速計，基本上就是一台不帶螢幕的iPhone。

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單就電器設備的遙控器要標準化與統一化就很難???

Apple Wins Major Patents for iPhone Gesturing, iMovie, iTunes +

http://www.patentlyapple.com/patently-apple/2010/08/apple-wins-major-patents-for-iphone-gesturing-imovie-itunes.html

新科技造福視障者 盲用軟體 摸得到影像

 

〔記者林宜樟／嘉義報導〕誰說視障者不能看照片和拍照？中正大學資工所碩士彭羽軒發明免費視障輔助軟體「盲人照相機Dark Angel」，讓視障者透過照相手機和觸碰面板「摸」照片，感受美麗世界的風景。

 

中正碩士生彭羽軒研發

 

彭羽軒今年剛取得碩士學位，1年多前，他發現盲用電腦和使用軟體價格昂貴，和指導教授羅習五討論後，決定在手機平台上研發盲用軟體，讓視障者能輕易取得免費軟體使用。

 

「盲人要的不多，他們願意竭盡全力只為看到一點光芒！」彭羽軒希望能幫助視障者用各種方式感受世界，這套軟體目前可在Android手機平台免費下載。

 

「盲人照相機Dark Angel」主要是將照片以無線藍芽傳輸連接到可觸摸的浮雕面板，照片會形成類似點字畫的效果，視障者透過觸摸來感知周圍物體景象。

 

平面照片可轉換成立體

 

彭羽軒說，軟體把平面照片轉換成立體觸摸照片，「類似摸麻將的感覺」，讓視障者摸到不同突起來感受。除摸照片，視障者也可對著景物照相，將照片傳輸到面板後，確定自己喜愛的畫面再拍，多次嘗試後也可瞭解自己喜歡的照片風景類型，還可和一般人分享。

 

中正資工所博士班學生蔡國寶是全盲生，他使用過軟體後認為還可以更好，決定要以視障者角色繼續研發改良。

 

提供免費下載 網友稱讚

 

彭羽軒說，軟體上網後，有網友下載使用，還有外國人寄電子郵件鼓勵，讓他很感動。

 

彭羽軒以軟體參加遠傳校園盃應用軟體競賽，更獲得菁英組亞軍「不止相片軟體，我還想要更多！」彭羽軒還想繼續發展各種盲用軟體，由於點字書、有聲書數量還是很少，他正研發文字辨識發音軟體，當照相手機照下文字後，再依照字形辨識發聲，未來將可讓視障者更輕易的取得資訊。

(Yahoo!)

Apple's All New iPod Nano, One Step Closer to an iWatch

http://www.patentlyapple.com/patently-apple/2010/09/apples-all-new-ipod-nano-one-step-closer-to-an-iwatch.html