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Apple patents recap, universal docks, iPod motion controls and more

Apple flied a patent for a more "universal" dock for iPods and iPhones. This dock would be made of an elastic, sponge-like material, and would conform to any shape, instead of having to find a dock adapter. Silly putty? Spage-age memory foam? We're not sure what the magical morphing material would be, but not having to deal with bunches of little adapters for each iPod would be terrific. Apple also filed a patent for a "sticker" which would show evidence of tampering. If you would open the casing of an Apple product, the casing could be attached to a sticker, which would also be attached to a part inside the casing, and would indicate if the casing had been opened. This would be similar to the liquid sensors that Apple has been putting in iPhone and recent iPod models. It also sounds similar to the same sorts of stickers you see warning you that you'll violate your warranty if you break the seal. This warning is seen frequently on hard drives, but would Apple use this to preclude 3rd-party battery replacements? We hope not. Apple also filed a patent for controlling an iPod with motion. It would use an accelerometer, which is currently found in the iPod nano, iPod touch and iPhone. There's the "Shake to Shuffle" that's been a part of 4th and 5th generation iPod nano models, and the iPhone and iPod touch since iPhone OS 3.0, which allows to skip to a random song by shaking the device. Further motion-based controls may allow you to scroll by tilting, or move to the next song by "flicking" the device in your hand. Either way, you'll want to turn it off before you go dancing in an iPod ad.

Ok, the tamper-resistant sticker, at first glance, sounds like patent trolling to me. First, it sounds like an obvious invention (putting something in one place, and if it is disturbed, you know it has been removed, moved, etc). Second, these stickers have been around forever. I've ween them mounted inside devices, etc. I'm mostly drawing a blank on examples, but one many people might...

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Apple Music Event 2001-The First Ever iPod Introduction

Here we see Steve Jobs introducing the very first iPod at a low key event in 2001. The rest is history.

Scosche launches kickback range for ipod nano, ipod touch and iphone

11.12.09

An integrated kickstand and rubberised feet that provide grip on flat surfaces allow the iPod/iPhone to be propped up making the kickBACK useful for video viewing.

There are three models in the range including:

The kickBACK S & t3 provide protection to the iPhone and iPod touch respectively. The sleep and volume buttons are still accessible through play-through rubber bumps. They have an open face design with additional padding at each corner to prevent the screen from touching any surface when placed face down.

The kickBACK S is compatible with the iPhone 3G and 3GS and the t3 is designed for the second generation iPod touch. They are priced at £26.99 and are available from www.microanvika.com .

The KickBACK n5 has rubber edges and a flip-out kick stand that enables iPod users to enjoy videos on the nano 5G’s 2.2 inch display without it sliding around.

Source: Macworld UK