The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office today granted Apple a patent that describes a wrist-worn device containing sensors and wireless radios that allow it to communicate with other devices such as the iPhone, iPad or Mac (Via AppleInsider). It is a comprehensive patent that describes some of the core features of Apple's rumored iWatch device.
Front view of a device similar to a sixth-generation iPod nano docked into wristband
The invention details a modular device, identified in the patent as the "iTime", that features a wrist-worn, sensor-laden strap and potentially removable modules. The modules, such as a media player, can snap into a wristband, which contains add-ons like GPS and a Wi-Fi radio that increase the functionality of the device. The system is reminiscent of the sixth-generation iPod nano, which fits a wristband to become a wearable media player.
The invention pertains to an electronic wristwatch. According to one embodiment, an electronic wristband can provide additional electrical circuitry or devices that can be made available for use as or with an electronic device. In one embodiment, the electronic device can be a mobile electronic device that can be removably coupled to the electronic wristband which provides the additional circuitry or devices. Advantageously, the electronic device can utilize the additional electrical circuitry or devices provided within the electronic wristband to augment the capabilities of the electronic device. In another embodiment, the electronic device can be integrally formed with the electronic wristband which provides the additional circuitry or devices.
Side view showing wristband with docking connector (314)
Apple also describes a method of connecting the smartwatch to a mobile device that allows for the display of incoming calls, text messages and other alerts on the wrist-worn display. In another embodiment, the device can alert the user when it is out of range and thus at risk of being lost or stolen. The patent also contains provisions for movement-based controls of the wristwatch device.
Apple is rumored to be working on the iWatch, a smartwatch device that could debut later this year. Rumors suggests the wristband may include sensors to monitor activity levels, heart rate and other vital health functions. The device likely will share its data with iOS via the new Health app in iOS 8.
Monday December 16, 2024 8:55 am PST by Tim Hardwick
Apple released iOS 18.2 in the second week of December, bringing the second round of Apple Intelligence features to iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 16 models. This update brings several major advancements to Apple's AI integration, including completely new image generation tools and a range of Visual Intelligence-based enhancements. Apple has added a handful of new non-AI related feature controls as...
Wednesday December 18, 2024 11:39 am PST by Juli Clover
Apple is no longer planning to launch a hardware subscription service that would let customers "subscribe" to get a new iPhone each year, reports Bloomberg's Mark Gurman.
Gurman first shared rumors about Apple's work on a hardware subscription service back in 2022, and at the time, he said that Apple wanted to develop a simple system that would allow customers to pay a monthly fee to gain...
Contrary to recent reports, the iPhone 17 Pro will not feature a horizontal camera layout, according to the leaker known as "Instant Digital."
In a new post on Weibo, the leaker said that a source has confirmed that while the appearance of the back of the iPhone 17 Pro has indeed changed, the layout of the three cameras is "still triangular," rather than the "horizontal bar spread on the...
Wednesday December 18, 2024 10:05 am PST by Juli Clover
Elevation Lab today announced the launch of TimeCapsule, an innovative and simple solution for increasing the battery life of Apple's AirTag.
Priced at $20, TimeCapsule is an AirTag enclosure that houses two AA batteries that offer 14x more battery capacity than the CR2032 battery that the AirTag runs on. It works by attaching the AirTag's upper housing to the built-in custom contact in the...
Tuesday December 17, 2024 9:02 am PST by Joe Rossignol
The current Apple TV 4K was released more than two years ago, so the streaming device is becoming due for a hardware upgrade soon. Fortunately, it was recently rumored that a new Apple TV will launch at some point next year.
Below, we recap rumors about the next-generation Apple TV.
Bloomberg's Mark Gurman last week reported that Apple has been working on its own combined Wi-Fi and...
Monday December 16, 2024 4:17 pm PST by Juli Clover
Blackmagic today announced that its URSA Cine Immersive camera is now available for pre-order, with deliveries set to start late in the first quarter of 2025. Blackmagic says that this is the world's first commercial camera system designed to capture 3D content for the Vision Pro.
The URSA Cine Immersive camera was first introduced in June, but it has not been available for purchase until...
Apple launched the controversial "trashcan" Mac Pro eleven years ago today, introducing one of its most criticized designs that persisted through a period of widespread discontentment with the Mac lineup.
The redesign took the Mac Pro in an entirely new direction, spearheaded by a polished aluminum cylindrical design that became unofficially dubbed the "trashcan" in the Mac community. All of ...
Sunday December 15, 2024 9:47 am PST by Joe Rossignol
Apple is planning a series of "major design" and "format changes" for iPhones over the next few years, according to The Wall Street Journal's Aaron Tilley and Yang Jie.
The paywalled report published today corroborated the widely-rumored "iPhone 17 Air" with an "ultrathin" design that is thinner than current iPhone models. The report did not mention a specific measurement, but previous...
It may not necessarily, but any old person (not age-wise, just random) walking down the street could look at your wrist and say "that's a smart watch". They'd immediately think that it's a regular watch if it were square. And anyways, iOS could be formatted to work on circular watches if that's what Apple plans to do.
What? "Dumb" watches are overwhelmingly circular. How would releasing a square smart watch make people think its a regular watch anymore than a circular one would?
I actually like the square look i think it is more functional and looks more modern.
But therein lies the problem with the whole iWatch rumor. Watches are jewelry. They've had 100+ years in "the wild" and people have come to appreciate them in every shape, depth, style, width, height, color, etc. We've got heavy duty metal vs. dress w/strap. We've got divers, pilots, everyday, mickey mouse, et all too. There's Rolex & Omega vs. Timex & Swatch and everything in between.
As jewelry, there is such diverse tastes in watch designs. Go to bing or google images and type in "watch designs" and then scroll through the pages of thumbnails. Where you feel as you do about the square look, others will want round, landscape vs. portrait rectangles, octagons, hexagons, and all kinds of other shapes, designs, colors, faces, etc. Should the metal be gold, silver, black, white, <other>? Should there be metal? Should the strap be metal, plastic, leather, alligator, et all and wide, thin or something in between?
In the last week I traveled a LOT and was thinking about this concept as part of those travels. So I paid a bit more attention to what was on people's arms. The variety was endless. I can't even make a case that a particular shape or type or color was obviously more popular. There is no "99.9% of people want a..." argument here. And thus, I find it hard to imagine Apple rolling out a singular design that can appeal to the masses.
When I was in college, I worked in retail jewelry. The stores in which I worked would dedicate 2-5 cases to a wide range of watch designs. There was no favorite… no one design that most people would buy. Instead, every buyer bought on what their own subjective sense of watch design favored. A Seiko, Wittnauer, Tag, Gucci, Longines, Bulova, Movado, etc could not come up with a singular design that would appeal to everyone. Instead, what appealed to everyone was design diversity. NOT complying with a mainstream design seemed to be the better play.
But what about iPhone and iPad? Prior to iPhone, smart phones were not that common. Tablets had been around but were also fringe. There was not 100+ years of endlessly diverse designs already well established in those markets. While the crowd here (and then some) will jump on anything from Apple, it's the much larger crowd beyond here that needs to buy to make an iWatch the next iPhone & iPad. While I won't completely dismiss the possibility, I find it hard to imagine that the masses would give up on the diversity of design of this particular piece of jewelry to comply with a singular "best" design. Especially for men, the watch is usually the ONE piece of jewelry they want to wear. Do they really want to blend in with all other men if the masses would adopt it?
If a singular design of this can roar, I think the iUniform must be right on it's heels. And I only half joke there. Like watch design, we've got thousands of years of clothing fashion diversity. Just as I can't hardly imagine everyone adopting a singular uniform, I find it hard to imagine everyone adopting a singular watch design.
