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Apple Patent Application Reveals Moldable Charging Dock for Media Devices
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Heh....
Actually, I believe Tesla's ideas were "canned" primarily because he didn't factor in or see a purpose behind metering electrical usage. His idea was completely workable, back then, from a technical standpoint -- but investors quit funding the project when they started asking "How do you propose we bill people for their usage with this business model?" and Tesla had no good answer for them.
That's essentially still the big issue. If you generate enough power out into the air so devices can capture it without first being "docked" to some sort of pad or electrical cable, you've got the ability for OTHER people to mooch off your power source too.
Actually, I believe Tesla's ideas were "canned" primarily because he didn't factor in or see a purpose behind metering electrical usage. His idea was completely workable, back then, from a technical standpoint -- but investors quit funding the project when they started asking "How do you propose we bill people for their usage with this business model?" and Tesla had no good answer for them.
That's essentially still the big issue. If you generate enough power out into the air so devices can capture it without first being "docked" to some sort of pad or electrical cable, you've got the ability for OTHER people to mooch off your power source too.
This patent is really weird but fascinating. But I do think it's old-school. Pretty soon Tesla's ideas will be made practical and devices will be able to capture electricity from the air. Then every piece of technology in our home will be shooting all sorts of invisible waves through our bodies, mutating us into gargantuan irradiated vegetables like some sort of Japanese B-movie.
Bring it on!
I'll bet you'll be able to use this base with phones, ipods, and even some new tablet device.
I think a stand to hold the device at a certain angle will basically provide "dock" capabilities for a new tablet, and make a good combo with a BT keyboard.
I think a stand to hold the device at a certain angle will basically provide "dock" capabilities for a new tablet, and make a good combo with a BT keyboard.
All Wrong
You wireless electricity nuts are nuts. We don't need wireless electricity. We need perpetual electric generators in every device we have. Skip the necessity of charging, make it power itself from a perpetual radioactive generator within or something. I'd rather have small amounts of radioactivity coming out of everything than hundreds to thousands of watts of energy flying through the air and going through me.
However, the more ideal situation would be if the devices didn't require any energy to run. Think of the possibilities!
You wireless electricity nuts are nuts. We don't need wireless electricity. We need perpetual electric generators in every device we have. Skip the necessity of charging, make it power itself from a perpetual radioactive generator within or something. I'd rather have small amounts of radioactivity coming out of everything than hundreds to thousands of watts of energy flying through the air and going through me.
However, the more ideal situation would be if the devices didn't require any energy to run. Think of the possibilities!
I just bought the DLO wall dock / charger for the ipod / iphone line. It has the connector and a soft rubber top that has mechanical springs or something under it under various positions that allow it to give to fit any ipod / iphone model. Sounds a lot like this patent except it goes back to normal as soon as the ipod is pulled out.
This patent is really weird but fascinating. But I do think it's old-school. Pretty soon Tesla's ideas will be made practical and devices will be able to capture electricity from the air. Then every piece of technology in our home will be shooting all sorts of invisible waves through our bodies, mutating us into gargantuan irradiated vegetables like some sort of Japanese B-movie.
Bring it on!
AMEN!!!
I for one thing this patent is an awkward idea. It seems like a particularly useless way to charge more for a dock. You know what? My $20 universal dock works just fine, and so does the iPhone dock that came with my iPhone.
Do we really NEED a dock that can conform to any device we plug in to it? Honestly, how many devices with a 30-pin do we use every day that need charging? I know no one with more than 4 iDevices, all of which have a little plastic adapter with my charger. Are we so lethargic that we can no longer swap out that little plastic part in our docks, that we need some rubbermaid thing to do it for us? This seems just over-the-top look-what-iCan-do Apple nonsense to me. Just stick with the current docks. There's nothing wrong with them, and no reason to advance them yet. At all.
I'm still waiting on my iTablet with accompanying iMacDock, thank you.
You wireless electricity nuts are nuts. We don't need wireless electricity. We need perpetual electric generators in every device we have. Skip the necessity of charging, make it power itself from a perpetual radioactive generator within or something. I'd rather have small amounts of radioactivity coming out of everything than hundreds to thousands of watts of energy flying through the air and going through me.
However, the more ideal situation would be if the devices didn't require any energy to run. Think of the possibilities!
BEHOLD, THE SPACE AGE, 8TH WONDER, MYTHICAL ANSWER TO YOUR PRAYERS!
Bizarre! I don't really see this being a goer.
I guess a dock "focus group" at Apple hand to come up with something to keep their jobs.
I guess a dock "focus group" at Apple hand to come up with something to keep their jobs.
This may seem a little weird but I think people would get used to the idea. What if instead of the 30-pin dock connector apple made a piece of metal there (and also made an adaptor to drop into old 30-pin devices and another adaptor to place on your old 30pin accessories). The metal piece would take over the charging and synching responsibility of the current dock connector. Then this moldable dock would just allow you to dock your iphone/ipod into the slot in any location, mold to it and the slide a charging metal piece (via magnetism or a motor or simple machine). The drawing of this dock seems quite big so maybe it would allow for wireless synching, thus no more wires at all (except the one that charges the dock). Thoughts?
idea
what about using a counterweighted pin bed - like that thing we use to play with at the mall - its a whole bunch of nails held in place in a box and when you put your hand into it some of the nails push in and so you see your hand on the other side. so in this case the pins would stand up and when you put the device down the weight of the device pushes the pins down.
what about using a counterweighted pin bed - like that thing we use to play with at the mall - its a whole bunch of nails held in place in a box and when you put your hand into it some of the nails push in and so you see your hand on the other side. so in this case the pins would stand up and when you put the device down the weight of the device pushes the pins down.
Totally fake. You know Apple submits these bogus ideas and patent applications just to trip up their "competition". There's no way in hell they'd ever make something like this. I call bluff.
No kidding, eh?
I wonder if patenting their own docking station, they'll ban all other productions of 3rd party dock makers. I wouldn't put it past them. "You want to be able recharge your iPod, you use our device or just keep rebuying iPods (like disposable batteries or cameras)."Can't Tempur-pedic sue or something? I know they're the grand daddies of memory foam making.
What was that thing about being called a "patent troll"?
Whoops! Not when it's Apple! what about using a counterweighted pin bed - like that thing we use to play with at the mall - its a whole bunch of nails held in place in a box and when you put your hand into it some of the nails push in and so you see your hand on the other side. so in this case the pins would stand up and when you put the device down the weight of the device pushes the pins down.
Thank you!! That was exactly what I was thinking when I read this article.
You wireless electricity nuts are nuts. We don't need wireless electricity. We need perpetual electric generators in every device we have. Skip the necessity of charging, make it power itself from a perpetual radioactive generator within or something. I'd rather have small amounts of radioactivity coming out of everything than hundreds to thousands of watts of energy flying through the air and going through me.
However, the more ideal situation would be if the devices didn't require any energy to run. Think of the possibilities!
I remember some prototypes of such devices in my childhood. there were different form factors. some even looking like tablets.
at that time they even had multi touch, multi stylus support, was lightweight, and good readable in brightest sunlight even.
just the capacity was limited and it was a WORM media.
i think they called it paper that days, ...
No kidding, eh?
Can't Tempur-pedic sue or something? I know they're the grand daddies of memory foam making.
What was that thing about being called a "patent troll"?
Lol to some people Apple can never do wrong.
Wow, what's w/ the high level of positives and low level of negatives for this story?
It's a docking station that has memory foam. Who cares???
Here, I'll invent one right now. Now take note... this is MY invention right now (nobody steal this, okay?). Are you ready? Let's begin: I'll take a part an El Cheapo docking station part. I'll surround Legos all around. Oh, wait. That's a trademark. Okay. Plastic building blocks that snap together. Glue the docking station part w/ it's prongs and call it "Build-A-Dock"! *trumpet fanfare* Okay. Now who will buy it???
Or is it because it was patented by Apple? My god, if crappy Coby (Electronics) had made it dot-dot-dot.
It's a docking station that has memory foam. Who cares???
Here, I'll invent one right now. Now take note... this is MY invention right now (nobody steal this, okay?). Are you ready? Let's begin: I'll take a part an El Cheapo docking station part. I'll surround Legos all around. Oh, wait. That's a trademark. Okay. Plastic building blocks that snap together. Glue the docking station part w/ it's prongs and call it "Build-A-Dock"! *trumpet fanfare* Okay. Now who will buy it???
Or is it because it was patented by Apple? My god, if crappy Coby (Electronics) had made it dot-dot-dot.
Ehhh, seems cool. Being able to charge multiple Apple products with one dock without adapters is a good idea.
I see the future of charging and docking as wireless, so I think they could successfully make an induction charger and dock out of this.
I see the future of charging and docking as wireless, so I think they could successfully make an induction charger and dock out of this.