The US Patent and Trademark Office has handed Apple’s legal team what may turn out to be a powerful weapon in their ongoing battles against anyone with the temerity to launch products competitive with the iPhone and iPad: a patent on soft keyboards that modify their keys with the tap of an on-screen button.

Granted on Tuesday, US Patent 8,179,731, “Method, system, and graphical user interface for selecting a soft keyboard”, describes the soft keyboard familiar to any iOS or Android tablet or smartphone user, in which letter keys are replaced by number keys or symbol keys when the appropriate layout-changing button is tapped.

There is, however, a subtle but important distinction between this newly granted patent and the tablet or smartphone keyboards that users have come to love or loathe: Apple’s patent describes a system in which a user chooses his or her desired keyboard by tapping either buttons with such identifiers as “A B C” or “1 2 3″, or buttons in the form of what the patent describes as “demagnified” images of the various soft keyboards from which the user can choose.

The buttons described in the patent, however, are separate from the keyboards themselves, and can even “float” above the keyboard or text area being displayed. As anyone who has used current iOS or Android soft keyboards knows, their soft keyboards are accessed by tapping keys with letter number or symbol identifiers that are part of the displayed keyboard.

One example provided in Apple’s patent shows ‘demagnified’ keyboard images floating above the display
From our wrestling with the 5,600 words of convoluted patentese that comprises US Patent 8,179,731, it would appear to our layman’s eye that the “embodiments” described therein are sufficiently different from current soft-keyboard designs and layouts, and that there should be little for Cupertino’s competitors to worry about.

We hasten to admit, however, that we are not patent lawyers.

After all, Apple’s legal team found it perfectly reasonable to go after Samsung in a look-and-feel lawsuit based on an Apple design patent that included, among other assertions, the complaint that Samsung’s Galaxy S smart phone used icons that had “rounded corners”. Head-of-pin choreography is a highly prized specialty in the intellectual property professions.

There may not be enough in Monday’s patent for Apple to claim full ownership of the concept of “making operational … the plurality of soft keyboards”, but we’re willing to bet that there are sufficient inferences of implied ownership to keep legal teams busy far into the future, should Apple find that doing so might be in its interest.

SOURCE via The Register

Lately talk of an Apple-branded HDTV and the iPhone 5 has dominated as far as Apple rumors are concerned. However, today brings us an Apple rumor of a different breed, one that speaks of an Apple MacBook Pro with a 15-inch retina display.

9to5Mac cites ‘trusted sources’ from Apple’s supply chain in reporting that contrary to previous rumors, Apple’s next 15-inch MacBook Pro will not feature a MacBook Air-like design. According to the site, Apple is instead opting for a slimmed down, more robust version of the current MacBook Pro. Aside from a slimmed down design, this new MacBook Pro will feature a dedicated power button key on the keyboard (similar to the MacBook Air), USB 3.0, a distinct lack of optical drive, two USB 2.0 ports, two Thunderbolt-sized ports, and an SD card slot. However, the most interesting feature is the rumored presence of a Retina display.

Already present on Apple’s iPhone 4 and iPad 3, the 15-inch MacBook Pro Retina Display is said to boast multiple resolution modes that allow the user to adjust the sharpness and image sizes to their liking via presets with names such as ‘big,’ ‘small’ or ‘optimal.’ This represents a huge departure from the usual numbered resolution modes that computers users are used to seeing but will no doubt make changing the resolution a lot more user-friendly for the less tech-savvy of users.

Along with the Retina display and support for USB 3.0, expect Intel’s newest line of Core processors under the hood. Apple’s OS X Mountain Line is scheduled for this coming summer, and, considering the iPhone 5 likely won’t launch ’til September, we’re wondering if Apple is going to have a MacBook Pro announcement fill the gap at WWDC. If that’s the case, we don’t have long to wait until we see this new MacBook Pro make a debut.

SOURCE via 9to5mac

The Lenovo ThinkPad has always been quite a sturdy, dependable notebook. We have already seen one of their best, the X1 last year, but since Ivy Bridge has rolled into town, the X1 has gotten quite a kick ass refresh. First of all, the new X1 has grown 1inch into a 14inch ultraportable laptop and is being marketed as an Ultrabook. Even though it’s gained an inch, it hasn’t beome thicker, instead it has been trimmed down. What’s the secret you may ask? Carbon Fibre.

Lenovo have gone all out with the new Thinkpad X1 Carbon, bumping up the resolution to 1600 x 900, tweaked the backlit, spill-resistant keyboard and added 3G connectivity as an optional extra. Under the hood you will also get Intel’s new ivy Bridge processor with the new vPro management technology and integrated graphics.

What do you think? While the specs are still quite up in the air, we can’t wait to actually try one out!

SOURCE via Engadget

It seems that ever since humankind grew legs and climbed out of the ocean, we’ve been trying to figure out ways to avoid using said appendages. While many of these efforts have been wildly successful – think Roman chariots, Pony Express, and the Ford Model T – the recent spate of personal mobility devices hasn’t quite taken off.

The poster child for this failure is, of course, the Segway. Though completely awesome, its greatest success has come in comedic appearances on television (Arrested Development) and in the movies (Paul Blart: Mall Cop). But manufacturers have forged ahead, undaunted in their desire to bring human-like mobility to humans. The latest: The Honda Uni-Cub.

Read more…

Windows 8 is widely believed to be coming this October and apparently the first Intel-powered Windows 8 tablets are going to be hitting stores the following month. CNet cites a source familiar with device makers’ plans in reporting that we should see Wintel tablets running Windows 8 in November.

CNet’s source says the schedule is tight, with Windows 8 needing to support four or five architectures, but a slew of 32nm Clover Trail devices are expected in time for the holiday season. This person says we can expect more than a dozen devices, with half of them being convertible or hybrid devices.

We heard earlier this year that Lenovo is hoping to beat everyone to the punch by launching the first ever Windows 8 slate in late 2012. Back in March, the Verge cited a source that said Lenovo was internally planning to launch the first Windows 8 tablet and this source said that it would be an Intel device.

Though Lenovo showed off the IdeaPad Yoga at CES 2012, which won one of our CES 2012 awards, but it’s unlikely that this Windows 8 tablet/convertible is among the designs CNet’s source was talking about. While the IdeaPad Yoga is powered by an Intel CPU, Lenovo has mentioned Intel’s Core family of processors for this Windows 8 machine and CNet’s source didn’t touch on that market segment, just devices based on Clover Trail (Atom).

SOURCE via CNET

Over the last few months, most headlines regarding Kodak have focused on the company’s financial struggles. Early this year, Kodak filed for Chapter 11 Bankruptcy Protection, and, not too long after, announced plans to step away from the digital camera market and move more towards home photo printers and high-speed commercial inkjet presses. Today brings something totally different: News that, up until 2006, Eastman Kodak had its very own nuclear reactor in New York.

According to a recent report in Democrat and Chronicle, Kodak kept a small nuclear reactor underground at Kodak Park, the company’s Rochester, NY headquarters. The reactor was apparently for research purposes and was contained insider a bunker with two-foot-thick concrete walls. Albert Filo, a former Kodak research scientists, is quoted as saying the reactor was used to check the purity of materials as well as for tests related to neutron radiography. According to D&C, “only key personnel” could go into the chamber where it was stored, and never while it was running.

Now, the fact that Kodak had a nuclear reactor, no matter how small, is surprising, but the fact that it was there for nearly 30 years and so few people knew about it is that much more surprising. Apparently Kodak never made a public announcement regarding the facility and a spokesperson for the company told the Democrat and Chronicle that he wasn’t sure whether police, fire, or hazardous-material officials were ever notified. Word of the reactor only got out a few months back, when a former employer mentioned it to a reporter.

When the reactor was dismantled in 2006, federal regulators ensured Kodak provided detailed plans of how it planned to remove the reported 3.5 pounds of highly enriched uranium it had been keeping in the basement for nearly 30 years.

Click through to read the full story on Kodak’s very own nuclear reactor.

Just recently a silly little rumor surfaced that GameStop would ditch its Impulse gaming platform and sell Steam vouchers instead. Given the amount of time and money the company has invested in the platform, the rumor didn’t make sense.

What also didn’t make sense was GameStop selling Steam vouchers after complaining about — and even outright discontinuing — products with integrated Steam features. But as the popular saying goes, keep your friends close and your enemies closer.

GameStop said on Monday that it has indeed partnered with Valve to offer Steam Wallet at all U.S. GameStop locations. Steam Wallet codes will be available in $20 and $50 denominations giving PC and Mac gamers immediate access to Steam’s more than 1,800 titles. This is ideal for gamers who can only purchase titles using cash — just scoot on down to GameStop and grab $20 or $50 in Steam credits.

“We are thrilled to be partnering with Valve on this new initiative,” said Steve Nix, GameStop’s GM of Digital Distribution. “This gives even more options to customers now that they can put money in their Steam Wallet using cash, gift cards or trade credits through our convenient neighborhood locations.”

So what does this mean for Impulse? After all, wouldn’t it be a conflict of interest to sell the same product that consumers will likely purchase using their Steam Wallet credits? Steve Nix, manager of PC digital distribution for GameStop, said the deal won’t have any effect on the company’s plans for Impulse. Even more, GameStop is already offering Origin points and is working to set up a similar deal with Good Old Games.

“Really, this doesn’t affect anything we’re doing with Impulse,” Nix told Joystiq. “We doubled the PC download business with the Impulse technology we acquired. We’re happy with that. We’re now online over 1600 SKUs, we’ll continue to grow that and continue to invest in that. We’re just offering options for customers. This in no way changes our investment or what we’re doing with that business.”

Nix was the former CEO of Ritual Entertainment (SiN Episodes) and director of business development and digital platforms at id Software. Selling vouchers for Steam via GameStop was actually his idea, and he initially pitched an offer to Valve months back. He also said that GameStop’s proprietary tech for selling DLC directly from digital distribution holders helped make the deal possible.

“GameStop is the most recognized game retailer in the world and a leader in providing a state-of-the-art shopping experience for its customers,” said Jason Holtman, Valve’s Director of Business Development. “Offering Steam Wallet codes at GameStop extends more options and convenience to gamers around to the world.”

Ultimately selling Steam credits is just another avenue of revenue for a retail chain that at one time relied on brick-and-mortar sales. One day there may be a conflict of interest, but for now Steam is pumping an extra load of cash into GameStop’s own wallet.

SOURCE via Phoenix Corporate