Patents are fast becoming the principle rumour roots in the world of techy gossip and speculation; they are a great way to guess what’s coming next and they offer some fascinating insights into the individual characteristics of certain ideas.
This week two more earth-shattering patent leaks have got techy mouths jabbering and hands a-typing; and they come from two of the biggest of big boys, Apple and Google.
Apple
Let’s start with A for Apple, which has filed a patent for a system which detects when an iPhone is dropped and automatically spins the device so it always lands butter side up, as it were. A.ma.zing. There will come a day when shattered iPhone screens are no more!
The patent application, which is called ‘Protective Mechanism for an Electronic Device’ will house a sensor which somehow detects the position of the device relative to the ground. The position will be monitored by simple gyroscopes, although the patent also mentions more sophisticated equipment like GPS and imaging sensors. Data compiled by the sensors will be fed into a processor that will make a decision on how best to reposition the device. The patent speculates a number of solutions, including the movement of a weighted mass positioned inside the device, aeroplane like foils that extend out from the surface of the device and a thrust mechanism such as a small gas propulsion device. Saucy.
Also mentioned in the patent is the problem of a device being pulled to the ground by a trailing lead or pair of headphones. The solution? A forced ejection when rapid movement is detected.
Well this all sounds very experimental, doesn’t it. But what about Google?
Following in the footsteps of Apple, Samsung and a subsidiary of its own company, Google Glass, Google’s Android unit has filed a patent for a smartwatch like device. Wearable technology is seriously on the up.
Details of Apple’s iWatch have come out through a series of leaks, with some reports suggesting it will be heading into production soon, and others in more than two years. While Executive Vice President of Samsung’s mobile business, Lee Young Hee has confirmed Samsung’s rival to the iWatch although he did not offer any information on design, price, features or release dates.
We know absolutely nothing about Google’s Android watch – unlike its sibling, Google Glass which we have even seen out and about on the subway. It hasn’t even been confirmed, we just know about the patent from a leak. Although one thing's for sure, we certainly hope it's sexier than the above mock up.
Things just get more mysterious, don’t they? Watch this space for all the latest news and rumours from the world of technology. In the meantime, if you want to sell your phone, or even sell your tablet, then check us out.
