PC Tech World: application

Showing posts with label application. Show all posts

Friday, April 12, 2013

Nokia patent application outs Surface-esque 'apparatus cover with keyboard'

Apparently Nokia's interested in Microsoft's tablet cover slash keyboard market, filing a patent application today with the US Patent and Trade Organization for an "apparatus cover with keyboard." The description is what gives us that distinctly Surface feeling, which calls the "apparatus" a "cover" with two sections, one of which "has a keyboard thereon." Said cover is "pivotally connected" to a "display" (read: tablet device).

The concept is a bit different visually -- at least in drawings, as seen above -- than where your brain may be going. It seems to be more of a stand device than just a cover, and it apparently includes a stylus as well. Of course, all of this is still very much in concept-ville, as it's just a patent application and not even the granting thereof. So keep your salt shakers nearby and all that -- this could end up never materializing.

Source: USPTO

Thursday, March 28, 2013

BBC details iPlayer's open source TV Application Layer

The modern challenge for any content distributor is maximizing its reach. That means doing everything -- within reason -- to get your content in front of those who might want it. That's easier said than done, no doubt, and the BBC's plan is to do whatever it takes to get iPlayer on every connected device you own. To that end it's created the TV Application Layer (TAL), which uses the latest web technologies, like HTML5, to do as much of the heavy lifting as possible for would-be hardware makers. The TAL provides a layer of abstraction that takes care of any difference in devices capabilities or controls, so that software built using it will continue to run on anything added to the BBC's certified list without the need for a new version.

This in and of itself is admirable, but the BBC has taken it one step further and put the source code out there for all to see and use. The hope is that this will motivate others to contribute to the Layer, help other content owners reach their viewers, and increase the return on investment of all those TV taxes. The BBC currently uses the TAL for its iPlayer, BBC News and BBC Sport apps, as well as new connected Red Button experiences. The code is live at the source link below if you'd like to take a look.

Source: BBC Blog

Thursday, February 14, 2013

BlackBerry files patent application for 180-degree hinge, redefines 'flip-phone'

Before you get too excited, lets remember two things: one, companies file patent applications for things all the time that never see the light of day. Two, the application is for the hinge specifically, so don't get your hopes up for a BlackBerry 10 laptop. That being said, this glimpse at a potential future form factor has us intrigued. Even when the company formerly known as RIM has experimented with design in the past, it's been conservative. The Pearl squished the keyboard and split the keys, the Storm went with a touchscreen that was also a giant button and the Torch opted for a sliding mechanism that was old hat for most other manufacturers. This is a little different, however. It's a hinge, not terribly dissimilar to that on HTC's ancient Tilt2, that lets you adjust the position of a screen in relation to a base. This version offers a lot more freedom than the HTC creation however, seemingly allowing the screen to flip 180-degrees on the arm. This design could be used for a future phone, and would be a great fit for a larger device -- say five-inches or more. Alternately, it could wind up as part of a keyboard dock for a future tablet, which would be closer to the filings illustrations. Then again, it could just end up collecting dust in a corner at Waterloo. If you'd like to check out the patents for yourself hit up the source links.

Source: USPTO 1, 2

Friday, February 1, 2013

Google files patent application for touch-based, full-finger keyboard layout

Tapping on glass... it's not the future -- it's the present
. Except software-based touch typing solutions haven't really extended beyond the cramped confines of mobile phones and tablets. But what if there were a touch type experience that mapped to the full extent of your digital reach? Something more akin to a typical two-handed physical keyboard? Well, that's just what Google's proposing in a patent application that's surfaced today. Filed back in September of 2011, the USPTO doc outlines a method for displaying "geometric shapes on a touch-screen display... [that correspond] to a respective finger of a user" and allow for text entry via a "sliding movement." So in layman's terms, if this ever comes to pass, you'd be able to type on glass with all ten fingers by, presumably, flicking upwards. Not sure how we feel about that just yet -- it certainly would require some extra screen real estate. Maybe even something as accommodating as this, but Nexus-flavored.when.eng("eng.perm.init")

By: Dilusha On 10:19 PM

Saturday, January 12, 2013

Sony patent application reimagines PlayStation Move with ultrasonic capabilities, IR emitters

A redesigned PlayStation Move? Sony's taken a stab at it before -- but this time around, it's imagining a controller with ultrasonic location analysis and Wiimote-like IR tracking. A new patent application details a "method for determining location of a controller," which proposes tracking controller depth by measuring the travel time of sound emitted from the device to the television. Two-dimensional tracking would be managed via the existing Move's visual spectrum camera, or by using a display-mounted IR emitter in conjunction with a remote mounted sensor (again, just like the Wii controller).

Although not technically part of the patent, the application's attached visual aids are pretty creative too -- showcasing a completely redesigned Move wand with swappable button faceplates. One embodiment shows two Move controllers attached end-to-end, mimicking a sword, while another shows a pair side by side, linked by a full gamepad sized faceplate. One bold image shows a player with two devices strapped to his ankles, performing a backwards flip to kick a digital soccer ball -- Sony is apparently very confident about the patent's potential tracking accuracy. We'll reserve judgment until we see the technology in practice, but feel free to read the claims for yourself at the source link below, or simply mosey on past the break to see the aforementioned athlete trying to break his neck.

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