Apple Patents iPad Cover with its own Display

Apple’s Patent – iPad Smart Cover with Flexible Display

Apple has been awarded a patent for iPad Smart cover having its own `flexible display’ built-in. Based on a patent that has been granted by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, the latest version of Apple of its Smart Cover comprises of a flexible display, solar panels to collect energy, inductive charging together with a smart keyboard and its smart connector. The prevailing cover tends to fold over the screen, awakening the iPad from sleep mode but besides that it does not seem to live up to its smart branding. However a notion sketched out by the company foresees an accessory which would be providing `significant expansion in functionality’. For instance it could roll out in front of the device in order to provide extra screen space or display the name of a song or a movie that has been playing on the tablet when rolled up. It could also be used as a full second display or utilised as an input device wherein a stylus or finger could be used in controlling the screen of the tablet. The patent application has also mentioned that the solar cells could be added to the cover which would soak up the rays of the sun to power the iPad. A variety of patents have been held by technology firms that have never seen the daylight and hence there is no guarantee that this would go into production in the future.

Extending Usability/Functionality of Tablet Device

Apple had noted in the filing that this was a way of extending the usability as well as the functionality of a tablet device without the need of making it larger. Though there is no sign that Apple has been working on making this a reality, patent blog Patently Apple which has reported the news first, records that permitting this patent also comprises of a smart connector for the cover something that is used in its latest device, the iPad Pro that comes with a smart keyboard which tends to connect in a similar manner. The patent had been filed initially in 2011 a year after the launch of the iPad and had been approved recently.The patent officially granted, for a cover attachment with flexible display, envisages a futuristic iPad cover with its own display spread over the folding panels which could be utilised for anything as per the drawings of Apple. Different notification or reminder can be displayed on the panels or transform into media controls when a movie is being played on the tablet.

Serves as Wacom-Style Drawing Pad

Its patent application notes that AMOLED screens would be perfect here as they can light up single pixels, leaving the rest turned off, thus saving battery life. Another image portrays the cover that serves as a Wacom-style drawing pad which seems a bit laid off with the refined precision which has been permitted by the Apple Pencil and the screen technology in iPads recently though it is yet a neat idea. The patent illustrates various ways in which the Smart Cover display can be used from simply extending the iPad’s own display through text only displays of things like reminders to a joint display and the touchpad. Selected options tend to show the display as a full input device, enabling both handwritten notes as well as drawings.

India Claims to Have Tool to Defeat iPhone Encryption

Tool for Mobile Forensics

According to the New Indian Express, communication and IT minister, Ravi Shankar Prasad had mentioned recently that as part of a program, a tool for mobile forensics has been created which could handle smartphones, inclusive of Apple’s iPhone. India apparently has a secret technology to decrypt iPhones.This is not to say that a tool has been developed which would bypass encryption, instead a process to get past the lock screen has been created.

 Prasad had stated that the tool had come about, as a part of a continuous process of research and development instead of being a case of singling out iPhone for specific attention. Prasad has not revealed which other handsets and devices the government is capable of accessing, though smartphone users would be pleased at his admission that a universal encryption key has not been developed.The iPhone was in the midst of a legal battle between Apple and the FBI, earlier this year, when the FBI had sought the help of Apple in accessing a locked iPhone 5C that had been utilised by one of the two terrorist involved in the December attack in San Bernardino, California which had left 14 people dead.

Endanger Security & Privacy of Users

While the company had initially complied, it refused a court order demanding that it build a tool providing backdoor access into the iPhone. Apple together with most of the tech industry, believe that building such a tool would endanger the security and privacy of users. The conflict had ended towards late March when the feds had paid for a technique which had successfully unlocked the iPhone. The FBI had persevered that it needed the help of Apple for another case but relented after it had successfully hacked into the second iPhone.

As per tech firms, weakening encryption that seems to scramble data in order to be read only by the intended person tends to violate the privacy of device owners. Law enforcement officials state that encryption obstructs their ability to access data in criminal investigations. BlackBerry had faced trouble in India as well as other countries that had insisted on gaining access to encrypted customer data stored on the company’s server, in 2010. BlackBerry debated that it did not possess the encryption key and hence could not provide access to the data.

India On-going in its Research & Development

Apple had refrained from commenting immediately in response to writers request. India has a forensic tool for mobile which can apparently break into iPhone of Apple and maybe FBI should make a note of it. It is not known precisely what the tool is, which devices it is capable of cracking into and what operating system version they tend to run on.

However the confirmation of the tool comes from Ravi Shankar Prasad. The LAPD recently, had been successful in hacking into an iPhone, which raised doubts as to whether the FBI legally could break into the iPhone. If what the Indian communication minister says is true regarding the tool, then it would mean that India has a more sophisticated tool than the FBI. The minister allegedly said that India is on-going in its research and development in order to upgrade its tools and technologies in harmony with its ever-changing software and devices.

How Rose Gold became the new Black

Gadget have become Blushing Hue of Rose Gold

Gadget which has been black and white these days have now become hot colour of blushing hue of rose gold. This is an option for gadgets of Apple from iPhone to MacBook to Beat headphone and phones from a number of Android device makers. Rose gold began with a glowing start last September with the launch of iPhone 6S line. It was reported by CNET staffers around the world that people had been queuing up specially to get hold of the shimmery, sugary shade and iPhone shoppers in China have been swept up in a pre-order state for the rose gold tint. Apple has not released the breakup of sales figures by colour and has not responded to the request of it for comment, but around 40% of pre-orders during the opening weekend of iPhone 6S, were for rose old models as per an estimate by KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo. What the sensation of rose gold has to prove is whether it can withstand. Maria Killam, an interior designer and colour expert has said that it is definitely a trend and not a classic look. Presently it is almost everywhere.

Difference Between Samples Apparent

Since the launch of iPhone in September, rose gold had arrived on Sony’s new Xperia X Performance, Huawei’s Mate S and P9 and the latest flagships of Samsung, the Galaxy S7 and S7Edge, though Samsung tried to distinguish itself by calling the colour pink gold. An inside look at the process was obtained during a visit to the Sony Mobile headquarters in Tokyo wherein design pro Jeanna Kimbre had laid out an array of 15 or so colour samples which has been considered for the Xperia X. It was not as simple as looking at a Dulux colour chart and each colour had been printed on the material the phone will be crafted to precisely represent the final product. Difference between the samples had been apparent though dizzying. The designer’s job is to work out which shade would produce a favourable response with regards to the final product proposed to appeal to consumers all together.

General Material Trend Moving Towards Metal

According to Kimbre, general manager of the Sony Creative Centre, which brings together all the designers of the company under one roof, has commented that the general material trend is moving towards metal and rose gold seems to be high-class with that. Earlier to that, she was the design lead on the Xperia X phone project. The design team at Sony tends to have a strong brand heritage to take into consideration, though Kimbre is of the belief that designers should look beyond their own companies as well as industries for a sense of direction. She states that what are the needs and wants, one is going to have in two years’ time. When it comes to colour, looking to trends beyond the tech world is mainly important and fashionable hues seems to be well known in industry lines. Rose gold is not just the go-to colour for tech designers presently but is also the hot thing in the world of hair styling as per multiple celebrities, Cosmo and the arbiter of cutting edge style – Instagram.

Bitdefender Antivirus for Mac

This is something every computer owner dreads. No one wants to leave their PC vulnerable to viruses, malware, or theft of personal information. Unfortunately, this is all too common, not just for Windows users but for Mac users as well. With more and more tech lovers choosing to purchase Apple products, it is essential that your computer is protected. But don’t worry, there are many antivirus programs to choose from these days, and some are more effective than others. Not sure which to choose? Then we might have the suggestion for you. This review of Bitdefender Antivirus for Mac will help you narrow down the search.

You want your computer to be fast, efficient, and protected, and Bitdefender Antivirus for Mac delivers on all three. Not only does it work to block and remove adware, detect malware, and scan your computer effectively, but also it does not slow down your computer. Many of us put off that important computer scan for one simple reason. We have work to do and need our computer running quickly, but most antivirus programs slow down absolutely everything. Even something as simple as opening up your web browser can feel like a time-consuming task. Not with Bitdefender. It does not negatively affect the speed of your computer, which means you can get your work done and keep your computer safe and protected.

It doesn’t end there, however. There are many other positive aspects of this antivirus program, such as accuracy. Independent tests have shown that Bitdefender Antivirus for Mac detected 100% of on-demand malware and 96.5% of on-access malware. Why is this significant? Both of these scores are well above the industry average (which is 91.3% and 91.2%, respectively). This antivirus program does not perform a quick surface scan. It goes above and beyond. What does that mean exactly? You can feel good knowing that the program is giving you an in-depth, complete, and accurate virus scan. That will lead to some much deserved peace of mind.

Perhaps one of the best features of this antivirus program is the Autopilot. You just turn on Autopilot and that’s it; the Bitdefender program automatically monitors your computer throughout the day. It pays attention to any and all changes, and this ensures that your computer is always protected. Just like the rest of this streamlined design, the Autopilot feature is simple and easy to use. All you need to do is click on a button. From that point on, you won’t have to deal with any irritating pop up windows and reminders. Plus your computer will continue to run at its normal speed, no slowing down and no hassle.

So what is the verdict? Is Bitdefender Antivirus a good choice? If you are looking for a solid antivirus program, then this is it. Bitdefender Antivirus is simple, easy to use, fast, effective, and it has handy additional features like Autopilot. You will never have to worry again! Keeping your computer - and all of your private information - safe has never been easier. This antivirus program allows you to stop, scan, and move on with your day.

Apple Granted Patent for System With Wireless Messages To Enhance Location Accuracy

Apple Address Weakness Characteristic in GPS Based Navigation System

In a patent granted to Apple, the company imagines complete cities outfitted with low-power wireless transmitters capable of sending pinpoint precise location data as well as dynamic environmental alerts, to iPhones and in-car navigation systems. As issued by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, the U.S. Patent of Apple, tends to continue the investigation into beacon-based navigation of the company though on a grand scale. Rather than aiding iPhone owners in locating car that may be parked in an underground lot or locate their position utilising advanced geo-fencing algorithms, the latest invention of Apple tends to address weakness characteristic in all GPS –based navigation systems.

The present patent endeavours to resolve reception issue which come up in thickly inhabited cities, at times referred as urban canyon environments for their elevated buildings while simultaneously increasing the granularity of positioning data. Essentially, the solution of Apple tends to consume less power than A-GPS, Wi-Fi positioning as well as cellular tower triangulation procedures, all present augmentation to vanilla GPS.The plan calls for a multitude of stationary transmitters to be installed at strategic locations next in the vicinity of the city roads, like adjacent building, within pre-existing traffic lights, guard rails, roadside signs together with other structures.

Transmitter – A Smart Wireless Hub

Every transmitter is mostly a smart wireless hub rising with radio transceivers, which is a perfect configuration support cellular, Bluetooth Low Energy, Wi-Fi and GPS data transfer proprieties and the equipment can be fed by AC line power or solar system.A stationary waypoint device, in operation broadcasts its location data, plotted on a Cartesian plane through wireless Bluetooth LE message.

Each message is sent at known signal strength enabling the receiving device such as iPhone or car to induce relative location built on received signal strength indicator – RSS value. The receiving device could utilise various techniques in determining its total position based on the number as well as quality of the messages received, with two choices comprising of triangulation together with time-of-flight computations. In some examples, an iPhone could utilise location data provided by static devices in performance with GPS details though the invention of Apple has the capability of operating as a locked system.

Apple’s Invention – A Role in Autonomous Vehicle Logic

As an addition, the transmitters could also send out z-axis data to be used on multi-level highways for instance, a measurement which is regularly available from commercial GPS system. With regards to navigation, the system can be organised in tracking vehicle movement with great degree of precision. A series of transmitters for instance, could be installed along off-ramps and on-ramps, forks in a road, freeway exits as well as other locations where the traditional GPS system tends to fail in resolving user position with sufficient accuracy.

Though it has not been mentioned in the recent document, the invention of Apple could play a role in autonomous vehicle logic and the described transmitters in particular could be shaped to broadcast rich data comprising of information with regards to traffic, road as well as other driving conditions. User for instance could be informed of an upcoming speed limit change, rough weather, and risky road condition while driving past a connected transmitter.

With the prevailing car equipment, these messages could present an audible alert and an onscreen dialogue. In future, nevertheless, the same roadside beacon could inform an on-board AI of the neighbouring atmosphere warning it to take action when necessary.

The Rise of the Robots — Friend or Foe?

Robots – Friends or Foe

Advancement in technology would mean that robots tend to look and behave like humans and also seem to behave like their human counterparts. Financial Times’ Richard Waters and Kana Inagaki have learned the latest humanoid robots and debate whether these machines could really bring about a change in the society. FT has put forth this question whether robots could be Friend or Foe in their very 21st century YouTube series `Living with Robots', all about man and machine.

Japan seems to have a thing for robots right from aiding the elderly in Japan to humanoid robots being created and the series going ahead in the role of these man-made machines, in our home to our workplace and to the world that surround us.

The series, ‘Man or Machine? Building Robots Like Us takes us to Japan wherein the researcher are making use of the prevailing technological advances by creating robots which look like humans. In the documentary – Man or Machine, Building Robots Like Us, there are two examples and Japanese one tends to focus on creating robots with faces and bodies like human beings. They are android and Kana Inagaki of Financial Times speaks to one of them, Matsukoroid, a popular late-night TV host.

Technology – Interesting Less Machine-Like

Chief executive of A-Lab, co-creator of Matsukoroid, Takeshi Mita had commented that people would find it creepy or scary on seeing an android at first sight, However, human seem to be malleable and hence they can accept the presence of androids with passage of time an occurrence which does not tend to happen with other robots. The Japanese method is to make the technology very interesting to the common people as well as less machine-like.

Senior Manager of Toshiba, Hideo Aruga, state that there are people who are not good with machines such as the elderly, people with disabilities as well as children and for them it is essential to have android who can transmit information for them. The Japanese tend to see android robot as the solution to the altering demographics in their nation and with the biggest rate of elderly on the earth together with a decline in birth-rate, it envisages androids as an appropriate replacement for less human workers. Androids can look after the elderly, work in childcare and can help the disabled. The designer is of the belief that the public feels the link due to the characteristic of human in these machines.

Interesting Prospective, Not Shared by Robotic Researchers

Richard Waters of Financial Times state that it seems to be an interesting perspective which is not shared by robotic researchers in the United States. He goes on to describe that the approach of North America’s Silicon Valley is aimed on emerging technology which is definitely not human but focused on learning to expect what we humans need to do. Robot that has also contested in DARPA’s robotic challenge should not be mistaken for human inspite of being most bipedal and in possession of two upper limbs.

Silvio Savarese, assistant professor at Stanford University has described the kind of androids that are developed in Japan as robots which according to him could create fear in people and debates that robot need to be practical and cute and not anthropomorphic. He together with his colleagues are the creators of the Jackrabbot in the Computational Vision and Geometry Lab at Stanford, which is a self-navigating automated electric delivery cart which tends to operate in the attendance of human without colliding in them.

New Immersion lawsuit adds Apple's iPhone 6s, MacBook to patent infringement row

Immersion Corporation – Prolonged Legal Battle Against Apple

A leader in haptic feedback technology, Immersion Corporation, has prolonged its legal battle against Apple on Thursday with new patent infringement suit directing technology built into iPhone 6s together with numerous MacBook models. The lawsuit that was filed with the United States District Court for the District of Delaware states that Apple had significantly infringed on four owned patents linking to haptic technology defined as physical feedback to user action or UI dealings. Apple had first debuted an accurate haptic engine in Apple Watch and since then had incorporated same technology all through its device line-up. The latest declaration of Immersion comes on the heels of an U.S.

International Trade Commission complaint and the lawsuit that is filed in the same Delaware court in February and all these three case have named AT&T as a co-defendant. In present day’s complaint, Immersion mentions owned U.S. Patent Nos. 8,749,507, 7,808,488, 8,581,710 and 7.336,260, each of which tend to cover a feature of the in-house developed haptic technologies of the company. Three claims seems to go after 3D Touch tech of Apple that combines a force-sensitive display as well as a linear vibratory motor that has been dubbed as the Taptic Engine offering contextual vibratory feedback of z-axis user gestures.

Peek and Pop

Immersion’s 507 and 488 patents, specially covering timing intervals and variable input pressure in haptic systems are being declared against `Peek and Pop’ generation on iPhone 6s and 6s Plus. The most recent flagship smartphone introduced in Apple, `Peep and Pop’, is a function of 3D Touch pressure-sensitive gesture input which tends to permit users to preview cross-linked content without the need of opening a standalone app. For instance, user can start a light press in order to `peek’ a hyperlink included within an email, while a deeper press tends to `pop’ the content into Safari.

The Quick Actions feature of Apple that portrays a list of app shortcuts on the iOS home screen on a deep press event is said to be in infringement of Immersion’s 710 patent for Systems and Methods for Haptic Confirmation of Commands. `Quick Actions tend to enable a main function of 3D Touch. Lastly, Immersion is leveraging its `260 patent for a Method and Apparatus for Providing Tactile Sensations’ against the Force Touch track-pad technology of Apple as included in the 12-inch MacBook, 13-inch MacBook Pro and 15-inch MacBook Pro.

Jury Trial to Resolve the Lawsuit

Force Touch has also been included in the Magic Track-pad 2 that is equally open to examination in the case of Immersion who is in search of compensatory as well as supplemental damages which could be tripled if Apple is found to have deliberately infringed the declared intellectual property. Immersion states that as to why AT&T has been included in the lawsuit, is because the carrier sells Apple products and is thereby encouraging and facilitating infringing use by others.

By that logic, Sprint, T-Mobile and Verizon, together with the other carriers should be included also in the lawsuit. Immersion has stated that it would like a jury trial in an attempt of resolving the lawsuit against Apple and AT&T and would like to receive compensatory damages for the same. In its earnings released recently, the company has also asked that progress be made with regards to United States International Trade Commission Complaint over the same problem which seeks a U.S. sales addition on the aforementioned products.