Apple Researching Methods to Offer Customized Control of Browser-Based Audio Content

[s8film40]

Why would Apple even bother trying to patent this? Other people have already created tools that allow you to do it.

This patent is moot.

I think it's a great idea. But If there are other tools out there that do the same I would be interested. Would you be kind enough to point me in the direction of a tool that allows me to selectively mute individual sites. There are several sites I would like to mute but don't want to un mute each time I go to YouTube or hulu.

 

[timothyjoelwrig]

...If it IS obvious, then a patent would not be issued. Those are the rules, so the constant remarks about "it's so obvious" and "ridiculous" are fairly oblivious of patent requirements. If there are no patents, then perhaps it's not so obvious after all.

If only that were actually the case. The Patent office has such a ridiculous backlog that it's not realistic for (expert??) patent officers to check for obviousness. It's easier to approve the patent and have it thrown out later in court. Doesn't cost the patent office anything, and they can keep the application fees. (Seems like their incentive is in the wrong place, doesn't it?)

Meanwhile Joe Programmer who agrees this is obvious can't use it because he can't afford a big patent attorney to dispute it. Which means this "idea" and all the others Apple has recently patented can just sit on a shelf and collect dust should they choose not to implement them. At least no one else can use them either.

And now we see how software patents are the cause of global worming and starving children.

 

[emt1]

Our patent system is so messed up. This shouldn't even be patentable.

 

[Pugpuppydude]

this would be awesome!

 

[twoodcc]

this sounds like a great feature.

 

[Jayomat]

neat

 

[inkswamp]

Please add more mixer controls. I'm loving volume on a per application basis in Vista.

I haven't read the patent, but it looks to me like this is a per-site volume control which would offer more granularity than per-application.

I'm not sure how Vista implements a per-application volume control, but to me that sounds like a hassle. How easy is it to adjust volume on a given app on-the-fly? Do you have to dig through a bunch of windows/controls to get to it? It would have to be integrated very closely into the OS (i.e., right click any window to get a volume control) for that to be worthwhile.

I hate when I'm using iTunes to "DJ" an event and every time that I get a notification window (ie: are you sure you want to delete this song from this playlist), I get that "thud" noise resonating throughout the party.

I have to admit, I'm amused by the mental image of a room full of party-goers having a simultaneous, Pavlovian reaction to a computer alert sound.

You do know that you can add your own system sounds, right? Just find or create a sound file that is silence, add it and then select that as your alert sound. Problem solved.

 

[inkswamp]

Why would Apple even bother trying to patent this? Other people have already created tools that allow you to do it.

Because, as we've seen repeatedly, people will come out of the woodwork with their lawyers to get a piece of Apple's fortunes for these kinds of things. That's the reality of the situation and companies as big as Apple have to file preemptive patents for obvious things in order to protect themselves. People always want to spin this as "Apple patenting the obvious... what a bunch of greedy, evil bastards," but they have a responsibility to their shareholders and the company to make sure they are not vulnerable to frivolous lawsuits.

Want to be angry at someone for these kinds of patents? Look to those who would sue companies like Apple and Microsoft for implementing features like this. That's the source of it.

 

[Eidorian]

I haven't read the patent, but it looks to me like this is a per-site volume control which would offer more granularity than per-application.

I'm not sure how Vista implements a per-application volume control, but to me that sounds like a hassle. How easy is it to adjust volume on a given app on-the-fly? Do you have to dig through a bunch of windows/controls to get to it? It would have to be integrated very closely into the OS (i.e., right click any window to get a volume control) for that to be worthwhile.

All applications that are currently active are listed in the mixer.

If Apple's is per-site control it's worthless to me.

 

[scottness]

Great. I could use this daily. Curious to know why the patent, unless it's way better than everything else out there. Maybe we'll see it in SnowL.

 

[scottness]

For me, this would be most useful to mute that incredibly annoying alert sound when chatting on Facebook.

+1 or Skype or iChat. I like my alert sounds for different things, but not while I'm talking.

 

[scottness]

Because, as we've seen repeatedly, people will come out of the woodwork with their lawyers to get a piece of Apple's fortunes for these kinds of things. That's the reality of the situation and companies as big as Apple have to file preemptive patents for obvious things in order to protect themselves. People always want to spin this as "Apple patenting the obvious... what a bunch of greedy, evil bastards," but they have a responsibility to their shareholders and the company to make sure they are not vulnerable to frivolous lawsuits.

Want to be angry at someone for these kinds of patents? Look to those who would sue companies like Apple and Microsoft for implementing features like this. That's the source of it.

Absolutely. Sue-happy bastards make everything more expensive for the rest of us also.

 

[Abstract]

I hope this gets implemented, and I hope Apple doesn't receive a patent.

 

[Juo100]

Like many others in this thread I think they should just implement a system wide adaptation of this, exactly like Vista has.

 

[bobbleheadbob]

Please, please, please be in Snow Leopard!

 

[ChrisA]

This is patentable? Adding a volume control to each source of sound is a very old idea. Even in the 1940's each radio radio had it's own volume knob. Oh but do a 100 year old idea on a computer and it's new?

Back when cars were new people had been going to work or the market for a long time but no one even though about patenting the idea of "use car to travel to and from work" and "use car to travel to market". But now we get "add volume control to each gadget that makes sound".

 

[s8film40]

This is patentable? Adding a volume control to each source of sound is a very old idea. Even in the 1940's each radio radio had it's own volume knob. Oh but do a 100 year old idea on a computer and it's new?

Did radios have the ability to adjust volume depending on what station you were listening to? I agree that this seems to be a simple thing but I have never seen a similar implementation of volume control. It seems to be a nice little feature, I know I would use it. You can't blame Apple for protecting their ideas, if they didn't patent this someone else would have and then they would sue apple.

 

[Beric]

It's about time. I've wanted this feature for the past two years. It's absolutely incredible no one has come up with it until now, and that it took Apple, of all companies, to do it.

 

[Furrybeagle]

What I really want is an option for iTunes to automatically lower its volume when some other application plays audio. For instance, if Safari starts playing a YouTube video, iTunes would fade its volume... much like the iPhone fades music out when there's an incoming call or alert.

 

[EGOvoruhk]

How about an "anything but" option?

That way, the sound comes from one program (or Safari tab) only

You could start playing some music, and know that not matter what you do, or open, nothing will interrupt it

 

[sushi]

I hope this gets implemented, and I hope Apple doesn't receive a patent.

Agree. I hope all browsers get this functionality.

 

[juststranded]

It's absolutely ridiculous - it's just a table of URLs / IP addresses and their audio settings. Maybe they could add "block flash" for this site as another column? How about the default view zoom for that site? How about another column to disable javascript on a per-site basis?

Now that is more interesting to me, and although still simple, possibly worth a patent. Disable JavaSctipt, Flash, and other features on a per-site basis. AWESOME.

The 'Develop' menu in Safari has realllllly saved me a lot of time and made my life 10x easier as a developer, but doing this would be great for not just developers. There are certain sites that just piss me off so I disable JavaScript every time.

 

[juststranded]

How about an "anything but" option?

That way, the sound comes from one program (or Safari tab) only

You could start playing some music, and know that not matter what you do, or open, nothing will interrupt it

They'd have to build some kind of overlay notification system. I could easily see myself getting REALLLLLY mad and thinking my speakers are broken because I forgot that I turned audio to *that* tab only 2 hours ago to hear 20 minutes worth of music.

Say, when you open iTunes a little semi-transparent black bubble pops up for a few seconds and says "iTunes audio disabled - Change Settings" or something similar.

 

[jcostaman]

I found it interesting that they used the old Safari 3 interface instead of Safari 4. (Note the refresh and stop load button.)

 

[kdarling]

Now that is more interesting to me, and although still simple, possibly worth a patent. Disable JavaSctipt, Flash, and other features on a per-site basis. AWESOME.

What I've always said they needed, was a way to disable the iPhone User Agent string on a per-website basis... so you can avoid being sent to the iPhone version if you want.