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Apple Patent Application Details Temporary Location-Specific iPhone Applications
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This is pretty cool....as long as you always have the option to activate this location-specific service or not.
No worries. I'm fairly confident that Apple will continue manufacture computers for centuries to come. If traditional style computers continue to exist, Apple will continue to make them.
No worries. I'm fairly confident that Apple will continue manufacture computers for centuries to come. If traditional style computers continue to exist, Apple will continue to make them.
So... Do Apple still sells Macs then?
Keep in mind that you can't really do much more with PC's. The laptops are pretty much top spec and all updates you can do to a PC are being done. (Upgrade processors, graphics cards, HDD's and memory etc.) It's not hard for them to make updates like that and they can't patent anything to do with it.
iPhones, iPads and iPods still have so much potential with so much undiscovered technology so they need patents etc.
Plus, it's not as interesting to find out a week before that the MBP will have i7's etc as it's easy to predict.
This update is a great idea for hand held devices and I certainly never seen it coming.
Worse than "1984"
It's more like, "Brave New World," and that ain't good.
I realize most posters here are excited about the "new" technology, but it comes with all the "old" problems. How can you seriously be in favor of having your location, choices, and conclusions tracked minute by minute for the rest of your life?
Yes, "You don't have to buy it. You don't have to use it."
But, like "security cameras," "store memberships, "convenience passes" and everything that asks you to "only take a minute to register" it will all diminish your personal life until you actually have none.
Last week, I unplugged the house phone forever. No amount of "do not call" lists would keep strangers from ringing me up three and four times a day to say, "How are you... I'm calling today about..." Today, I had to email a charity to ask them to take down an "automatic fund raising web page" they created "for me" with my name and personal information as an unasked for "thank you" just because I was a donor. Tomorrow, I have to figure out how to keep the police department from "temporarily" installing two 15 camera "traffic monitor" towers in my neighborhood.
I have a life. I do not want to share it with EVERYBODY on the planet.
If I do that, it's as much their life as mine.
No thanks.
No, really, get your "frigging" hands off me....
It's more like, "Brave New World," and that ain't good.
I realize most posters here are excited about the "new" technology, but it comes with all the "old" problems. How can you seriously be in favor of having your location, choices, and conclusions tracked minute by minute for the rest of your life?
Yes, "You don't have to buy it. You don't have to use it."
But, like "security cameras," "store memberships, "convenience passes" and everything that asks you to "only take a minute to register" it will all diminish your personal life until you actually have none.
Last week, I unplugged the house phone forever. No amount of "do not call" lists would keep strangers from ringing me up three and four times a day to say, "How are you... I'm calling today about..." Today, I had to email a charity to ask them to take down an "automatic fund raising web page" they created "for me" with my name and personal information as an unasked for "thank you" just because I was a donor. Tomorrow, I have to figure out how to keep the police department from "temporarily" installing two 15 camera "traffic monitor" towers in my neighborhood.
I have a life. I do not want to share it with EVERYBODY on the planet.
If I do that, it's as much their life as mine.
No thanks.
No, really, get your "frigging" hands off me....
I am I crazy to think I just dont give a $#@ if apple knows what resturants I go to or what kind of books I like? As a matter of fact I WANT them to know. I dont care about ads for baby stuff or picture frames but a new Ken Follett book or tickets to a football game will get my attention.
I want them to know what I want because its only spam if I dont care about it. I already trust apple to keep the stupid viagra and Amay adds away from me but the more it "gets to know" me the more it can even filter out ads that are legit but not something I care about.
Do I want a spy cam in the bathroom or a barcode on my head....no. Do I care if the programs that I have the option to shut off if I wanted to (I'm sure this feature will have an opt out) but choose to use gather information about me,, no,, why would I?
I want them to know what I want because its only spam if I dont care about it. I already trust apple to keep the stupid viagra and Amay adds away from me but the more it "gets to know" me the more it can even filter out ads that are legit but not something I care about.
Do I want a spy cam in the bathroom or a barcode on my head....no. Do I care if the programs that I have the option to shut off if I wanted to (I'm sure this feature will have an opt out) but choose to use gather information about me,, no,, why would I?
Not really similar at all... Apps would be loaded automatically, you would basically have contextual apps on your phone. Pictochat's wireless was more like wireless multiplayer than anything else. The DS can do wireless software download, but that's deliberate and not contextual. This is more trying to patent the intent of the apps, in which case the DS's ad hoc download service's intention is pretty much the opposite.
So... Do Apple still sells Macs then?
My prediction:
If your current mac cost more than $3,000 then you will still be using some kind of a Mac 5 years from now.
If your current Mac costs less than $2,000 that then you'll probably be using some kind of iPad descendent as your primary computer in 2015.
If it's in between those numbers...eh, 50/50 chance either way.
It would make the most sense to deploy this through the existing network connection (either 3G or WiFi). Based on what I've seen with location-aware apps (foursquare, Brightkite, etc.), pinpointing an individual to a particular restaurant shouldn't be too challenging.
It makes less sense to deploy this through Bluetooth (lower connectivity speed, shorter range, many people have Bluetooth turned off by default).
It makes even less sense for Apple to ask a retailer to deploy some sort of odd networking device. This has to be easy as possible on the retailer if there is to be any adoption.
Home Depot? Wall Mart?
Next time I'm in a monster sized box store, I don't need to find a 18 year old dropout to tell me where what I'm looking for is!
Technology should make things simpler.
Next time I'm in a monster sized box store, I don't need to find a 18 year old dropout to tell me where what I'm looking for is!
Technology should make things simpler.
No they didn't. Read the claims in the patent application. All that MR ever posts is the abstract, which tells you nothing.
......and imagine how they will use this to add to the data pool of what you do, how you do it and what you like.
This is downright scary.
What...you can't walk up to the menu posted outside the restaurant? Or walk into the library?
These systems are not being invented for your benefit. They are being used to collect your data.
Oh Apple....what's happening to you
Imagine how much the Reynolds family knows about your habits.
I guess by not going through life doing things I am ashamed of, or feel guilty about, I don't really have any issues with those things. I can see the real tangible benefits and improvements that can be had from such technology, and not just be worried about someone caring what I do, because I don't go around doing things that anyone would care about.
Expand to device settings
I would love for this to expand to device specific settings, such as when it connects to my home network, then switch Call Forwarding ON to my home phone (since AT&T has no reception in my home... Verizon is 5 bars - no problems). Likewise when you get to work and connect to your office network, it could auto-switch the ringer to silent/vibrate. Likewise, when you leave or disconnect from that network, the settings would revert to their Normal setting.
That would be really useful!!
I would love for this to expand to device specific settings, such as when it connects to my home network, then switch Call Forwarding ON to my home phone (since AT&T has no reception in my home... Verizon is 5 bars - no problems). Likewise when you get to work and connect to your office network, it could auto-switch the ringer to silent/vibrate. Likewise, when you leave or disconnect from that network, the settings would revert to their Normal setting.
That would be really useful!!
......and imagine how they will use this to add to the data pool of what you do, how you do it and what you like.
This is downright scary.
What...you can't walk up to the menu posted outside the restaurant? Or walk into the library?
These systems are not being invented for your benefit. They are being used to collect your data.
Oh Apple....what's happening to you
Geez man! if you live thinking like this... you must also believe the aliens are coming to get you! Do you have foil on year head?
If you think the best in people they will give you the best! I don't think Apple cares about our personal data. I think if anything it would be used to push iAds to you. If your in Bestbuy maybe the next iAd you see is of a CD sale at BestBuy. That's it. Apple does not care about making a profile you.
Calm down, this would be an opt-in feature, for sure.......and imagine how they will use this to add to the data pool of what you do, how you do it and what you like.
This is downright scary.
What...you can't walk up to the menu posted outside the restaurant? Or walk into the library?
These systems are not being invented for your benefit. They are being used to collect your data.
Oh Apple....what's happening to you
You can already turn off Location Services on your iPhone/iPod touch.
Not a big deal.
So... Do Apple still sells Macs then?
Oh God I hope they do. They took my 3 grand last week but my imac still is "not yet shipped". Maybe its a big conspiracy...
eekon't touch me there! You're not my daddy). Sorry. The smiley's are funny. It's been a long day.I'd also want the ability to keep an app if I found it particularly useful. A app for searching my college library catalog appeals to me more than using their web interface to search when i"m not there.
One flaw to this otherwise minority report style idea is that you have to be in front/near the resturant/library. What if you want to browse these before you get there?
For people that criticize google so much I am puzzled why you praise this idea.
It's incredibly invasive.
It's incredibly invasive.
Data mining is here. Doesn't mean that you should not be careful and mindful of what data is collected and how it is going to be used. Apple is collecting data to use for profitable reasons and when profit is involved there is almost always corruption.
Maybe theaters could use this type of technology to silence everyone's phones remotely.
Sure, no one here is suggesting that you hand out your social security number to random schmucks on the street.
If you are that worried about data mining and privacy, get a prepaid dumbphone.
FYI, Apple makes a profit selling hardware. I don't see any data mining sales revenue in their SEC filings. I'm a longtime shareholder, I read 'em. If profit = corruption, you might as well lock yourself in a padded room and throw away the key. Pay cash for everything; the banks know far more about what you're doing than Apple.
You sound a little paranoid. The recent Facebook uproar get you frightened?