Apple Patent Application Reveals Integrated Charging Contacts in iPod Nano Clip

[alexgowers]

that's something microsoft would do, not apple.

This is just a way of adding more bits that don't need to be there! Pointless patent.

I can see apple playing about with the smaller nano as a concept even more.

I would predict the nano might get a new clip, maybe a new aspect ratio but as usual is more of an experiment than it's best seller now.

I'm more looking forward to retina displays across the range next year and better designs from the iphone and desktop computers.

The ipad is nigh on perfect, the retina macbook is a thing right out of the future but needs a cycle or so before it's perfect. The nano is almost an after thought at this point as it's more of an apple starter product for kids, i don't know what they could do to make it better at this point.

 

[Kludge420]

Oh look, something else that shouldn't be patented is being patented.

 

[Piggie]

I'm just glad Apple was not around when the Wheel was being invented.

Then all the legal issues with everyone else who was tempted to use Apple's patented "Round" design of wheel.

 

[lifeinhd]

IMO, I like only up voting.

My qualm with upvote-only is in today's world, we've decided that telling someone they're wrong is politically incorrect. Sometimes people need to understand they've made a mistake, or at least the rest of us disagree with their opinion. The downvote button was a quick and easy way of doing this.

I highly recommend this video to understand where I'm coming from.

With both up and down, I think it turns into a popularity contest.

I'm not sure how retaining the upvote changes this? Only difference is the disparity between highest comment/lowest comment is lower.

On a typical bi-polar topic, something very interesting could be relegated to obscurity if nearly equal numbers of people vote opposite of one another.

Unlike some forums, this forum never moved high-ranked comments to the top/low comments to the bottom, so this was never an issue.

 

[Sackvillenb]

This is an interesting idea, but I doubt they would implement this. Just seems too... clunky... and inelegant. I can see the advantages though, like saving internal space. I'd be a little worried about the contacts getting dirty though...?

 

[mrxak]

Seems like a clever way to go about it. I worry about the long-term strain on the spring though. If you leave your iPod Nano charging for long enough, presumably you might not be able to use the clip to grasp your shirt sleeve as well, in the long run.


About the downvote thing, I can't imagine it being a good idea to have upvotes without downvotes. Now all the trolls will upvote each other, and all the fanatics will upvote each other, and all the lazy people will continue doing nothing. So the highest rated comments will look like "Apple is good" or "Apple is bad". All the informative/interesting posts will fall somewhere in the middle, and the boring/useless posts will end up at 0. Just get rid of the upvotes if you're going to get rid of the downvotes. Better yet, scrap the whole system and let us upvote/downvote just the MacRumors stories. That way it's a feedback system on how well you're doing.

 

[blackhand1001]

Wow, a genuine patent that solves a genuine technical problem.

Apple, I'm impressed.

There's still prior art to apple. They are still patenting things that already exist.

 

[npro1464]

Somehow Apple will manage to ban the Nexus 7 using this patent.

 

[mbh]

Why is this dangerous? You don't have to worry about voltage until it nears 40V. This is no more dangerous than picking up a AAA battery with your bare hands.

Would you carry a 9V battery in the same pants pocket as your car keys? Do devices like this have safeguards against rapid discharge by shorting exposed charging contacts?

 

[ade2bee]

Can we please, please have the "downvote" button back? Even if just to stop the spread of misinformation like this?

This is no different than the Magsafe charger. Try plugging it in and pressing the notebook end to your palm and see if anything happens. Answer: nothing does.

But your not carrying/using/clipping the magsafe in the rain or on damp/wet clothing... try swilling the magsafe around in your mouth for a bit

 

[hstewart]

Interesting concept. I am curious to see if this concept or something similar makes its way to the iPhone.

I would like to MagSafe like charging for iPhone that is still compatible with Apple's port. That is what I like best of this concept - that it can be magnetic and also compatible with existing iOS device ports.

I see one day completely wireless connections and charging, even with connected to be compatible with existing Apple Port devices.

 

[lifeinhd]

But your not carrying/using/clipping the magsafe in the rain or on damp/wet clothing... try swilling the magsafe around in your mouth for a bit

It's a low amount of DC voltage with a low amount of current. An iPod Nano would a) not be outputting current from its contacts, so only the charger itself would be an issue and b) require so little voltage and current that shock would be a non-issue.

 

[twoodcc]

but you'd still need some sort of dock. i'd prefer to just have the same connector cable, since i already have plenty laying around

 

[Zaqfalcon]

I'd just like to see Apple put a bluetooth receiver chip in a nano so it can be used to connect to iphone or ipad as wireless headphones.

 

[sransari]

Oh look, something else that shouldn't be patented is being patented.

Firstly, it's just a patent application and not a patent grant. Secondly, why do you say it shouldn't be patented? Is it because you think it's a bad idea or that it's already out there, or what? If it's a bad idea, that's subjective and not a grounds to reject a patent application. After all, there is a patent on a self butt-kicking machine. If there is prior art, then theoretically, this application will not turn into a patent unless there's some true novelty claimed over the prior art. And if the patent is granted and prior art is later discovered, then that's what we've got re-exam proceedings and court hearings for.

----------

There's still prior art to apple. They are still patenting things that already exist.

Sometimes it might seem like that's true but in reality, there is something that is different than the prior. Even a slight modification can be patentable if the patent applicant can convince the all-mighty patent examiner that the modification is non-obvious.

 

[JHankwitz]

Would you carry a 9V battery in the same pants pocket as your car keys? Do devices like this have safeguards against rapid discharge by shorting exposed charging contacts?

They do if they expect to get UL listed or meet the most basic government requlations.

 

[Kludge420]

...why do you say it shouldn't be patented?

Patents are killing commerce and creativity. They don't cover innovative ideas they cover common-sense ideas that most everyone has already had. For instance there is a patent for holes in cloths. Seriously. There is a patent for running wires for portable devices through holes in your cloths. That is idiotic.

Patents aren't used to protect innovative ideas they are used to bludgeon your competitors and make people who create nothing, i.e. lawyers, rich. The only patents I see as valid are for medicines since pharmaceutical companies are actually creating useful things no one has created before... that make your penis harder.

 

[sransari]

Patents are killing commerce and creativity. They don't cover innovative ideas they cover common-sense ideas that most everyone has already had. For instance there is a patent for holes in cloths. Seriously. There is a patent for running wires for portable devices through holes in your cloths. That is idiotic.

Patents aren't used to protect innovative ideas they are used to bludgeon your competitors and make people who create nothing, i.e. lawyers, rich. The only patents I see as valid are for medicines since pharmaceutical companies are actually creating useful things no one has created before... that make your penis harder.

So you say that patents cover "common-sense ideas that most everyone has already had" and give the example of a patent for running wires through holes in your clothes. I don't think I've ever owned something like that or thought of anything like that. You then call that idea, "idiotic." The fact that an idea is idiotic actually increases the chance of someone getting a patent for that idea since it's less likely that it's been done before...like in the case of the self butt-kicking machine.

I'm not saying that Apple isn't taking advantage of the patent system at times (because they clearly do), but overall, the patent system encourages inventors to disclose their ideas so that others can learn, and improve on their ideas. In exchange, the inventor gets a set period of time where they can prevent others from making or using their invention.

 

[Kludge420]

[You] give the example of a patent for running wires through holes in your clothes. I don't think I've ever owned something like that or thought of anything like that.

I did that in high school. I cut a hole in the lining of my coat from my outer pocket so I could put my Sony walkman in that pocket and have the wires on the inside. I used a male to female wire so I could leave it in the coat and put my headphone speakers in my helmet cutting the wire and reattaching the end to make it shorter.

You then call that idea, "idiotic."

I didn't call the idea idiotic; I called giving someone a patent for it idiotic. I can see how it would be easy to read it either way.

...the patent system encourages inventors to disclose their ideas so that others can learn, and improve on their ideas. In exchange, the inventor gets a set period of time where they can prevent others from making or using their invention.

That may have been the original intent, and it may have been true in the past, but no longer. In reality lawyers have become very good at gaming the system and the mere threat of a lawsuit is enough to stifle a similar but unique invention unless the inventor is backed by a multi-billion dollar corporation. Patents no longer reward innovation they destroy it.