Tag Archives: patent

The Cleanable Tobacco Pipe Invented By Kurt Vonnegut’s Dad [Tobacco]

After fathering sci-fi satirist Kurt Vonnegut Jr., Kurt Vonnegut Sr. dabbled in tobacco smoking, pipe cleaning, and innovation. The result: this patent for an easily-cleanable, tubular-stemmed tobacco pipe for "a maximum of digital cleanliness." That means clean fingers. [ Atlantic ] More
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The Patents Paul Allen’s Suing the Whole World Over [Patents]

If you haven't heard, Paul Allen , mostly famous for his early role at Microsoft, has sued basically the entire tech world over patents filed by his former company, Interval. The WSJ has a more in-depth look at the patents, and who he's suing for what. Spoiler: One of them is basically a news aggregator, and another is a real time newsfeed—say, running across the top of CNN.com. [ WSJ ] More
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iPhone ‘kill switch’ would use voice, facial recognition

Apple patent proposal includes Big Brother-ish ways to detect those who jailbreak their iPhone, or hack into others' devices. iPhone - Apple - Jailbreak - IOS jailbreaking - Patent
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Google calls Oracle Android lawsuit ‘baseless,’ says Java goes ‘beyond any one corporation’

Oracle's decision to sue Google for infringing its patents and copyright on Java in Android has certainly stirred up a hornets' nest of commentary and analysis on the web today, but it's only just now that we've received Google's official statement, in which the search giant calls the suit "baseless" and vows to "defend open-source standards." Them's fightin' words -- and considering the Dalvik virtual machine at the heart of the Android OS is the centerpiece of this dispute, we wouldn't expect either side to back down quietly here. Get ready for years of litigation, friends. Here's Google's full statement: We are disappointed Oracle has chosen to attack both Google and the open-source Java community with this baseless lawsuit. The open-source Java community goes beyond any one corporation and works every day to make the web a better place. We will strongly defend open-source standards and will continue to work with the industry to develop the Android platform. Google calls Oracle Android lawsuit 'baseless,' says Java goes 'beyond any one corporation' originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 13 Aug 2010 16:21:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
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Oracle Files Lawsuit Against Google For Patent And Copyright-Infringement [Legal]

Oracle may be known for making database software, but it also happens to have acquired the Java computer programming language and related technology when it purchased Sun Microsystems. Now the company is suing Google for using those technologies in Android. More
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12 God-Awful Fake Patents [PhotoshopContest]

For this week's Photoshop Contest , I asked you to come up with some really crazy patents. I'm not sure how crazy they are, but I do know that none of them would be accepted by the patent office. More
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Apple uses third-party app screenshots in patent applications, world erupts in hysteria

There's been a bit of a furor in the past couple days over Apple using third-party app screenshots in several patent applications that were just made public -- the most talked-about example is a screenshot of an app called Where To? that appears in a travel-related patent, but other apps like a Ralph Lauren app appear in a shopping-related patent as well. And, since it's Apple, there's been the usual blind panic of hysterical reactions , with some claiming that Cupertino's trying to patent third-party app ideas and pull the rug out from under its own developers. At this point, we hope you know better -- let's take a look at what's really going on. First of all, all of the patent applications in question are just that -- applications . None of them have been granted, and since all of them are still so new, it's a virtual certainty they'll be narrowed in scope as Apple's attorneys and the Patent Office continue through the patent prosecution process -- a process that typically takes years. Second, the only operative parts of a patent are the claims -- not the drawings, and not the description, which are technically known as the "specification." (We've now repeated this basic axiom of patent interpretation so many times we're considering making T-shirts.) The only reason the drawings and description are there is to explain the claimed invention in sufficient detail so that someone else can make it. Remember, patents are a trade: in order to get protection, you have to give up the full details of how your invention works. (The other option is to keep your invention a trade secret , but then you can't prevent anyone else from figuring it out and using it if it gets out.) Bottom line? If it's not in the claims, it's not in the patent. So... let's look at the claims, shall we? Continue reading Apple uses third-party app screenshots in patent applications, world erupts in hysteria Apple uses third-party app screenshots in patent applications, world erupts in hysteria originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 06 Aug 2010 16:51:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
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Apple patent application details iPod / iPhone bike integration system

Apple patent applications can be a little out there sometimes, but this one makes so much sense we have to wonder why it's not a product already. Described as "Systems and Methods for Integrating a Portable Electronic Device with a Bicycle," the application details what basically amounts to Nike+ for bikes. That includes the ability to relay data from bike sensors to your iPhone or iPod, which you'd be able to view on the device itself or on an external display of some sort -- the application even goes so far as to mention the possibility of a heads-up display, although we wouldn't get our hopes up for that. What's more, the application also suggests that the system could communicate and share information with other nearby cyclists, and it would apparently include some fairly extensive GPS capabilities (on the iPhone, at least), including turn-by-turn directions to help you find a specific bike route, and maps complete with reviews from other cyclists. Apple patent application details iPod / iPhone bike integration system originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 06 Aug 2010 14:06:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
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Did Apple Slip An Existing Third-Party App Into A Patent Application? [Apple]

On the left we have an existing iPhone app called Where To , on the right we have an illustration found within a patent application filed by Apple. Is this some sort of cruel joke or just an innocent misunderstanding? More
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Samsung Files a Patent For a Front And Rear Touchscreen Tablet [Patent]

Samsung's filed a patent for a tablet incorporating front and back multi-touch screens. [ Unwired View via Electronista ] More
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