Apple Researching Methods of Simplified Content Transfer Between Devices

[MacRumors]

AppleInsider details a patent application from Apple published today describing a method offering simplified transfer of data between devices. The method would allow users to easily or automatically transfer certain types of such as files or even content within applications such as online maps or other web pages between devices, addressing the often complex mechanics and decision-making involved in syncing only limited amounts of data between devices.

Though a user may have access to two similarly capable electronic devices, sharing data between the two devices may involve a number of steps, each of which may vary in difficulty. The process of transferring data between the devices may include many user decisions, such as which data to save, where the data is saved, which formats each device may be capable of processing, how to interconnect the devices for a most effective data transfer, etc. Such complexity may increase the difficulty or time spent transferring data between two electronic devices.

In one embodiment of the invention, a "Grab & Go" iPhone application could be used to allow users to transfer such content as files and open browser windows from a desktop Mac or other device.




The patent application also describes user-definable categories that could enable users to automatically grab only certain types of data from another device.

. . .a user may be sitting at their desk at work with an important spreadsheet open on their computer 58 when the user is called into an unexpected meeting. The user may have a number of other personal applications running. The preferences described above may allow the user to "grab" only files related to work from the user's work computer, such as only user data associated with productivity applications. In this way, the user may transfer only the important spreadsheet in the simplified data transfer 114, showing up to the meeting with only those files pertinent to work.

Additionally, the system permits users to define preferred methods of connection between devices, and security settings, as well as options to automatically convert files and content that would be unreadable on target devices to PDF format.







The patent application was filed on September 30th, 2008 and is credited to a total of seven inventors, including former Apple executive and "Father of the iPod" Tony Fadell.

Article Link: Apple Researching Methods of Simplified Content Transfer Between Devices

[leandromp]

what about customizing our damn home screen/unlock screen, etc?

[macfan881]

so does this mean possible bluetooth/wifi syncing if so that is gonna be great will really lookforward to that.

[bondsbw]

How about iTunes syncing across Wi-Fi? Don't tell me that Apple is planning to do this with other apps, but not with iTunes.

I sync maybe once every couple of months because I don't feel like unplugging my charger cable, in another room and underneath and behind a bunch of stuff, plugging the phone into the Macbook, waiting while it does the backup/sync, and unplugging it and putting the charger cable back. Wi-Fi sync fixes this problem... seems like an easy thing to do.

[mspy]

"Grab & Go" home would be pretty sweet. I like to work right up till the time I have to go home. It would be great if it this allowed me to "capture" my work onto my iPhone and take it home. Once home I could bring it up and continue where I left off. You could jump between computers in the middle of your work.

It kind of reminds me of the home on your iPod feature that never saw the light of day.

[WhySoSerious]

Originally Posted by bondsbw

How about iTunes syncing across Wi-Fi? Don't tell me that Apple is planning to do this with other apps, but not with iTunes.

I sync maybe once every couple of months because I don't feel like unplugging my charger cable, in another room and underneath and behind a bunch of stuff, plugging the phone into the Macbook, waiting while it does the backup/sync, and unplugging it and putting the charger cable back. Wi-Fi sync fixes this problem... seems like an easy thing to do.

yeah, i agree. i have 1password on my mac and iphone and this application syncs all my passwords via wifi. so, let's get itunes in on it as well!

[happydude]

awesome. the iphone really needs some expanded connectivity features.

[rorschach]

Originally Posted by bondsbw

How about iTunes syncing across Wi-Fi? Don't tell me that Apple is planning to do this with other apps, but not with iTunes.

I sync maybe once every couple of months because I don't feel like unplugging my charger cable, in another room and underneath and behind a bunch of stuff, plugging the phone into the Macbook, waiting while it does the backup/sync, and unplugging it and putting the charger cable back. Wi-Fi sync fixes this problem... seems like an easy thing to do.

I'd love for Apple to have something where you can see your entire iTunes library over Wi-Fi similar to the iPod and Remote apps and then sync stuff (either a full sync or with individual songs/movies) back and forth that way from the iPhone/iPod touch itself.

[nickXedge]

Originally Posted by bondsbw

How about iTunes syncing across Wi-Fi? Don't tell me that Apple is planning to do this with other apps, but not with iTunes.

I sync maybe once every couple of months because I don't feel like unplugging my charger cable, in another room and underneath and behind a bunch of stuff, plugging the phone into the Macbook, waiting while it does the backup/sync, and unplugging it and putting the charger cable back. Wi-Fi sync fixes this problem... seems like an easy thing to do.

Syncing many GBs of media and ~250mb OS updates via wifi is ridiculously slow. Even worse over bluetooth. They will never allow this because any end user that does it once will never want to do it again and it will have been a waste of time and money on Apple's part.

[Cougarcat]

Originally Posted by nickXedge

Syncing many GBs of media and ~250mb OS updates via wifi is ridiculously slow. Even worse over bluetooth. They will never allow this because any end user that does it once will never want to do it again and it will have been a waste of time and money on Apple's part.

But most of the time, the user is not syncing gigabytes of media or OS updates. It's just to update iCal and maybe a song or two. I have a feeling they might enable this when the iPod/iPhone have n wireless.

This patent sounds fantastic. Something like this is desperately needed.

[walnuts]

Sorry to be a curmudgeon, but Back to My Mac hasn't worked for me at all since Snow Leopard and has been buggy since the beginning. I can't say that I have all that much faith in this new potential service working all that much better.

[atomic.flip]

Originally Posted by leandromp

what about customizing our damn home screen/unlock screen, etc?

Jailbreak

How-ever I wholeheartedly agree with you... and to add to that list:

Unified inbox

Wireless iTunes Sync

[MattInOz]

Originally Posted by mspy

"Grab & Go" home would be pretty sweet. I like to work right up till the time I have to go home. It would be great if it this allowed me to "capture" my work onto my iPhone and take it home. Once home I could bring it up and continue where I left off. You could jump between computers in the middle of your work.

It kind of reminds me of the home on your iPod feature that never saw the light of day.

It looks like device level version of cut and paste, that can transfer the information by any means at it's disposal. Hope they make mobileMe clipboard, but using your iPhone as your clipboard would be very cool as well.

[rwilliams]

Originally Posted by Cougarcat

But most of the time, the user is not syncing gigabytes of media or OS updates. It's just to update iCal and maybe a song or two. I have a feeling they might enable this when the iPod/iPhone have n wireless.

Aren't they already capable of Wireless-N, but Apple just hasn't activated it yet? And this wireless transfer idea does sound great, but come on Apple, just about every other phone of this nature has been able to transfer files via Bluetooth for years. How about just giving us basic file transfer capability in the meantime while you work on perfecting this new idea of yours??

[firestarter]

Hey, Apple - Bluetooth already allows file transfer between phones, it's just that you never implemented that feature.

How about supporting an established standard first, before inventing a new one?

[Peace]

Why does this remind me of the Zune "squirt" ?

[juanm]

Originally Posted by MacRumors

Office "ralated"?

[ajbrehm]

"Researching Methods of Simplified Content Transfer Between Devices"

I wonder if "fix the iPhone sync so that it doesn't hang for two minutes" is one such method.

[scottness]

not holding my breath on this one.

[Mal]

Originally Posted by walnuts

Sorry to be a curmudgeon, but Back to My Mac hasn't worked for me at all since Snow Leopard and has been buggy since the beginning. I can't say that I have all that much faith in this new potential service working all that much better.

Sorry, but at this point, it's probably something you're doing wrong (router configuration, etc) or your ISP, because it's working for a number of other people without fail. I use it all the time, but I did have to configure both ends of my connection properly (no way around that fact).

jW

[me-mac]

"The method would allow users to easily or automatically transfer certain types of such as files or even content within applications such as online maps or other web pages between devices...."

When I was 9 years old I used to write like that too.

[Stately]

Tablet, here I come!

[NT1440]

Originally Posted by WhySoSerious

yeah, i agree. i have 1password on my mac and iphone and this application syncs all my passwords via wifi. so, let's get itunes in on it as well!

Have fun sitting around waiting to move that much data wirelessly.

Perhaps instead it should do an initial transfer via the cable and then when you add a song or two those are pushed to the device?

Originally Posted by me-mac

"The method would allow users to easily or automatically transfer certain types of such as files or even content within applications such as online maps or other web pages between devices...."

When I was 9 years old I used to write like that too.

You spoke legalese at 9?!

[Compile 'em all]

Originally Posted by juanm

Office "ralated"?

wow, that is some major fail!

[NT1440]

Originally Posted by Peace

Why does this remind me of the Zune "squirt" ?

I highly doubt apple will make it so you can only use the content 3 times. That said, I bet there will a block on transferring music.