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geekhack Community => Other Geeky Stuff => Topic started by: itlnstln on Fri, 30 April 2010, 08:35:01

Title: Apple
Post by: itlnstln on Fri, 30 April 2010, 08:35:01
I have no words to say about this (http://www.engadget.com/2010/04/30/apple-applies-for-disappearing-button-patent/).
Title: Apple
Post by: kishy on Fri, 30 April 2010, 09:41:09
Quote from: itlnstln;177505
I have no words to say about this (http://www.engadget.com/2010/04/30/apple-applies-for-disappearing-button-patent/).


You just KNOW that's the future of Apple keyboards.

A sad, sad future lies ahead...
Title: Apple
Post by: waperboy on Fri, 30 April 2010, 10:36:14
Ah, patents. Well, this is borderline patentable I give you that. (Clicked the link on MS 'Panoramic GUI' patent, and that's just disgusting, as software patenting in general is).

If Apple has a technology to do what they want, they should be able to patent that technology, but being able to patent the concept itself is just plain wrong.

Concerning the MS case, it's more like patenting an idea, and that such patents are granted is an abomination. I guess then that you can apply for a patent on the idea of putting a black pixel next to a white one on a screen?
Title: Apple
Post by: kishy on Fri, 30 April 2010, 10:39:15
I completely agree with the existence  of software patents, copyright laws and so forth.

As long as circumvention techniques exist, for those so inclined to use them.

Being serious, however:

If you make a device of some sort to accomplish some task, you can patent it.

Making a piece of software to accomplish some task is the same thing.

Despite sounding rude, I have to say it's idiotic to say you shouldn't be able to patent software or the concepts behind such a piece of software.
Title: Apple
Post by: itlnstln on Fri, 30 April 2010, 10:43:04
I guess the point isn't so much that this is something that will actually be coming up either now or in the distant future, but it's more of the vision of what people want keyboards to be.  That, to me, is the worrisome part.  Yeah, we might be a little old-school around here, but I think if people were to seriously consider what they want as far as input devices go, I think that they will find they align more with us than we see today.  That said, teh shinee tends to always win.
Title: Apple
Post by: kishy on Fri, 30 April 2010, 10:47:06
Black M13 and Industrial M logos are shiny. Good enough for me.
Title: Apple
Post by: Phaedrus2129 on Fri, 30 April 2010, 13:42:42
Give 'em all Filcos. It may not be shiny at first, but it will be! :P
Title: Apple
Post by: JBert on Fri, 30 April 2010, 14:53:59
Quote from: kishy;177537
I completely agree with the existence  of software patents, copyright laws and so forth.

As long as circumvention techniques exist, for those so inclined to use them.

Being serious, however:

If you make a device of some sort to accomplish some task, you can patent it.

Making a piece of software to accomplish some task is the same thing.

Despite sounding rude, I have to say it's idiotic to say you shouldn't be able to patent software or the concepts behind such a piece of software.
Now you're just trolling. They are related, but not the same at all.

Besides, seeing how it's currently hard to inspect software compared to inspecting mechanics or food, it's way too easy to patent dumb things which are pretty common - hence not a good idea for the time being.
Title: Apple
Post by: kishy on Fri, 30 April 2010, 15:09:09
Quote from: JBert;177578
Now you're just trolling. They are related, but not the same at all.

Besides, seeing how it's currently hard to inspect software compared to inspecting mechanics or food, it's way too easy to patent dumb things which are pretty common - hence not a good idea for the time being.

Related? Sure, by being the same thing.

I make an abacus to add numbers, and use some not-before-seen technique of moving the representative beads or whatever. I patent this creation not because it is an abacus, something that existed before, but rather the concept of how it operates.

I make a program to add numbers, but instead of just whatever + whatever, it runs both numbers through some fancy equation with ridiculous decimal numbers before adding negative versions of themselves then runs them through another equation to get back the answer.

Why shouldn't I be allowed to patent this (ridiculous, but still unique) creation?
Title: Apple
Post by: kishy on Fri, 30 April 2010, 15:20:03
Anyone ever told you that you're just a little crazy?
Title: Apple
Post by: EverythingIBM on Fri, 30 April 2010, 15:26:39
I'm not sure which is worse, terrible apple chiclets, HP rubber domes, or flat surface typing.
Title: Apple
Post by: ricercar on Fri, 30 April 2010, 15:41:12
Quote from: webwit;177586
If an alien would land today or Charles Manson would get released, they would think ... my proposal is the only sane one. So I have them on my side.

webwit's side is the side of imaginary creatures and sociopaths. I'm in!
Title: Apple
Post by: ricercar on Fri, 30 April 2010, 15:44:20
Quote from: waperboy;177536
If Apple has a technology to do what they want, they should be able to patent that technology, but being able to patent the concept itself is just plain wrong.


No one patents concepts, at least not in the US. In the US, you cannot patent an idea. You can patent only an EXPRESSION, ONE implementation of that idea.
Title: Apple
Post by: hyperlinked on Sat, 01 May 2010, 04:44:08
Quote from: kishy;177516
You just KNOW that's the future of Apple keyboards.

A sad, sad future lies ahead...


And it's a bad thing that we may have access to an additional form of input?

I think we're jumping to conclusions about the bleak future of keyboards here... not you necessarily Kishy... I mean a lot of folks in general.

About an hour ago I had to crunch some numbers on my MacBookPro. It took longer than usual because I'm used to having a 10-key. I kept hitting the wrong buttons. Now, if I had that ASUS keyboard/netbook with the small touchscreen at my disposal, I'd have access to a 10-key interface when I needed it. The keyboard doesn't have to go away. It's not an either or proposition.

MacBookPros have big open areas next to the glass trackpad and below the keyboard. It's enough space to have a ten-key, though for obvious reasons a real ten-key would be highly impractical there, but a virtual ten-key would be a huge convenience. It wouldn't exactly be the same as having the real thing, but it'd sure beat trying to peck my way through some accounting without a number pad.

Of course, mobile devices force a tradeoff to give you their portability. Improvements in technology have greatly closed the performance penalty, but nothing will ever change problems created by basic physics. You can't stuff a 52" Screen onto a 15" block of metal.

With laptops becoming more and more powerful and more and more people using them as their primary computer, there's increasing demand for more fully featured laptops and one of the things that power users need is more buttons. Where do you put them?

I seriously seriously doubt that Apple is alone in pursing this kind of thing. It is such a no-brainer approach to a common physical constraint of shrinking electronics. The only reason we're talking about this as an Apple effort is because they live under a bigger microscope these days.

Just look at the ASUS keyboard with a screen. Someone else already thought of it and got to market with a live product. It's not exactly the same thing as what the linked article describes, but it's the same type of idea.
Title: Apple
Post by: datamonger128 on Sun, 02 May 2010, 20:41:49
Apple = gay.  Any company run by a man that calls something a "magical device" is gay.
Title: Apple
Post by: trievalot on Sun, 02 May 2010, 20:48:03
YAYYYYYYYYYY

Apple Bashing....im in!
Title: Apple
Post by: EverythingIBM on Sun, 02 May 2010, 22:39:16
Quote from: trievalot;178325
YAYYYYYYYYYY

Apple Bashing....im in!


There's actually a lot of Appleites who smash old IBM ThinkPads (some individuals thought it would be amusing to send me such videos). I don't know, they think it makes them superior... or something.

MacBooks are complete ****, they overheat, the backlights are uneven, the keyboard is utter garbage (not even standard cylindrical key shape), they are glued together, and whatever else.

My teacher wanted me to replace her macbook's hard drive, I laughed because it's built in one piece (no hard drive caddy like thinkpads), and they used proprietary screws. Yes, everything is proprietary on apple's garbage, even their screws. Except the fans, they use delta fans.
Title: Apple
Post by: EverythingIBM on Sun, 02 May 2010, 22:41:55
Quote from: ripster;178340
Homophobe.
Show Image
(http://www.sliceofscifi.com/wp-content/uploads/2007/10/dumbledore3.jpg)

Kind of like gandalf the [strike]gay[/strike] gray:
(http://eroundlake.com/blog/uploaded_images/gandalf-775126.jpg)

Why are old wizards always somehow associated to homosexuality? Creepy.
Title: Apple
Post by: Mercen_505 on Sun, 02 May 2010, 23:29:37
Quote

Homophobe.


Dude, that word is so 2007. Totally gay, man.
Title: Apple
Post by: hyperlinked on Sun, 02 May 2010, 23:35:02
Quote from: EverythingIBM;178344
There's actually a lot of Appleites who smash old IBM ThinkPads (some individuals thought it would be amusing to send me such videos). I don't know, they think it makes them superior... or something.

How do you know that they're Apple heads and not your other sworn mortal enemy, HP Perverts?

Quote from: EverythingIBM;178345
Kind of like gandalf the [strike]gay[/strike]

Rather amusing words from a guy who gets excited by the color lavender.
Title: Apple
Post by: iMav on Sun, 02 May 2010, 23:40:48
Quote from: EverythingIBM;178344
MacBooks are complete ****, they overheat, the backlights are uneven, the keyboard is utter garbage (not even standard cylindrical key shape), they are glued together, and whatever else.

My teacher wanted me to replace her macbook's hard drive, I laughed because it's built in one piece (no hard drive caddy like thinkpads), and they used proprietary screws. Yes, everything is proprietary on apple's garbage, even their screws. Except the fans, they use delta fans.

This is completely false.  MacBook and (unibody) MBP's are extremely easy to upgrade (both ram and hard drive)...using a standard Phillips screwdriver.

I've had zero overheating issues with the six Apple laptops I've owned (1 x iBook, 3 x Macbooks, 2 x Macbook Pros).

I've also had great luck with the four Thinkpads I've owned.
Title: Apple
Post by: ch_123 on Mon, 03 May 2010, 02:58:39
Quote from: EverythingIBM;178344
There's actually a lot of Appleites who smash old IBM ThinkPads (some individuals thought it would be amusing to send me such videos). I don't know, they think it makes them superior... or something.


For some reason, this sentence reminds me of how members of the Knight's Templar were accused of, amongst other things, breaking into churches and defecating over the altar.

The rest of the post is wrong, as usual.

Quote
I've had zero overheating issues with the six Apple laptops I've owned (1 x iBook, 3 x Macbooks, 2 x Macbook Pros)


Supposedly the fist Intel iBook had some unreliability issues with over heating. Then again, every laptop company in history has churned out dud laptops, I'm sure even IBM has too.
Title: Apple
Post by: Rajagra on Mon, 03 May 2010, 03:38:04
Quote from: kishy;177537
Despite sounding rude, I have to say it's idiotic to say you shouldn't be able to patent software or the concepts behind such a piece of software.


Unless said concept is so brain-numbingly obvious that a three year old could work it out. Patent law is not supposed to grant patents on the obvious. But frequently it does.

Any solution that presents itself as soon as you analyze a problem in a methodical way should not be allowed a patent.
Title: Apple
Post by: kishy on Mon, 03 May 2010, 10:20:04
Quote from: Rajagra;178376
Unless said concept is so brain-numbingly obvious that a three year old could work it out. Patent law is not supposed to grant patents on the obvious. But frequently it does.

Any solution that presents itself as soon as you analyze a problem in a methodical way should not be allowed a patent.


Yeah, that's much more agreeable. Something that could be described as generic in nature...is exactly that.
Title: Apple
Post by: ch_123 on Mon, 03 May 2010, 11:00:24
Quote from: hyperlinked;178351
Rather amusing words from a guy who gets excited by the color lavender.


Touché, good sir.
Title: Apple
Post by: ironcoder on Mon, 03 May 2010, 12:36:45
Quote from: EverythingIBM;178344
There's actually a lot of Appleites who smash old IBM ThinkPads (some individuals thought it would be amusing to send me such videos).


Oh, I think somebody's going to burn in hell ;)
Title: Apple
Post by: wellington1869 on Mon, 03 May 2010, 13:06:37
Quote from: itlnstln;177505
I have no words to say about this (http://www.engadget.com/2010/04/30/apple-applies-for-disappearing-button-patent/).


what will happen to GH once all keyboards are touchscreens? What will we fight over? Maybe we'll fight over which sensitivity setting is better?

Or who makes the best haptic feedback?
Title: Apple
Post by: ironcoder on Mon, 03 May 2010, 13:09:01
There is no way all keyboards will ever be touch.
Title: Apple
Post by: kishy on Mon, 03 May 2010, 13:12:04
Careful...you never know...

Me, I'm preparing for the apocalypse. Model M forever!
Title: Apple
Post by: wellington1869 on Mon, 03 May 2010, 13:13:46
Quote from: ironcoder;178546
There is no way all keyboards will ever be touch.


my fear is, like itln said, over the long haul the shiny tends to win... (esp if its cheaper to make)
Title: Apple
Post by: wellington1869 on Mon, 03 May 2010, 13:15:49
Quote from: kishy;178548
Careful...you never know...

Me, I'm preparing for the apocalypse.


me too -- I've got pencil and paper taped to the underside of my desk ;)
Title: Apple
Post by: hyperlinked on Mon, 03 May 2010, 13:16:30
Quote from: ironcoder;178546
There is no way all keyboards will ever be touch.


I totally agree. We kinda like to overreact against the current hot trend around here. Touch screens are still relatively novel. After a while they'll become just another method of input and we'll see people raving about touch screens about as often as we see people flipping their lid over the latest mouse that came out.
Title: Apple
Post by: hyperlinked on Mon, 03 May 2010, 13:18:07
Quote from: wellington1869;178549
my fear is, like itln said, over the long haul the shiny tends to win... (esp if its cheaper to make)


Let's put it this way... Has the mouse rendered the command line obsolete?
Title: Apple
Post by: wellington1869 on Mon, 03 May 2010, 13:22:19
Quote from: hyperlinked;178553
Let's put it this way... Has the mouse rendered the command line obsolete?


i'm inclined to say yes! ;)  Going to the command line is usu seen as having been defeated in some way (among regular users anyway, as opposed to producers/programmers).

Regular boards may not vanish entirely, but they might become a 'deprecated' product (like the command line). Used daily not by the general public but by niche producers/programmers, like the command line is)

Regular users might be using a combination of voice recognition, gesture, haptic and multitouch screens, instead.  (btw that endangers the mouse as much as the keyboard)

isnt there definitely a really strong push in that direction right now? Not just by apple, but by the industry as a whole?
Title: Apple
Post by: datamonger128 on Mon, 03 May 2010, 13:24:11
Quote from: ripster;178340
Homophobe.


I take it you have never heard of anyone calling something gay because they don't like it?  Just because I call something gay doesn't make me a homophobe.  Now why don't you rephrase your previous statement?
Title: Apple
Post by: kishy on Mon, 03 May 2010, 13:31:58
Quote from: datamonger128;178555
I take it you have never heard of anyone calling something gay because they don't like it?  Just because I call something gay doesn't make me a homophobe.  Now why don't you rephrase your previous statement?


That particular usage implies that the state of being gay is in fact a bad thing, and that then a human who is gay has a flaw.

This does in fact make your statement rather anti-gay, though the term homophobic doesn't really apply.
Title: Apple
Post by: itlnstln on Mon, 03 May 2010, 13:34:31
Quote from: hyperlinked;178553
Let's put it this way... Has the mouse rendered the command line obsolete?

Yes.  In the same way USB has rendered the PS/2 port obsolete.  Just ask Ripster.
Title: Apple
Post by: ironcoder on Mon, 03 May 2010, 13:35:43
Quote from: datamonger128;178555
I take it you have never heard of anyone calling something gay because they don't like it?  Just because I call something gay doesn't make me a homophobe.  Now why don't you rephrase your previous statement?


If you don't have a (good) sense of humor you're going to need to put Ripster (and half the rest of us) on ignore pretty quick.
Title: Apple
Post by: itlnstln on Mon, 03 May 2010, 13:45:23
Ignore lists are gay.
Title: Apple
Post by: ironcoder on Mon, 03 May 2010, 13:45:40
You could ask iMav to add a button to ignore everybody on the forum and then just selectively unignore specific people later. Whitelisting would probably be more useful for this forum.
Title: Apple
Post by: wellington1869 on Mon, 03 May 2010, 13:54:04
Quote from: ripster;178559
Irony.  Americans need to study up.  Foreign speakers I  apologize to.
Show Image
(http://resources0.news.com.au/images/2007/10/20/va1237273103745/Dumbledore-Image-supplied-5711287.jpg)


I still don't like the term "gay" though.


i still refuse to bow to convention; i use "gay" to mean "very cheerful".
So as far as I'm concerned homosexual folks are implying that no one else is cheerful, which offends me.
Title: Apple
Post by: wellington1869 on Mon, 03 May 2010, 13:54:36
Quote from: itlnstln;178567
Ignore lists are gay.


why yes, they're very cheerful indeed!
Title: Apple
Post by: kishy on Mon, 03 May 2010, 13:57:58
I just did a snort-laugh.

So...SLOL?
Title: Apple
Post by: didjamatic on Mon, 03 May 2010, 14:55:24
(http://rlv.zcache.com/welcome_to_my_ignore_list_tshirt-p235573181180539472t5hl_400.jpg)
Title: Apple
Post by: wellington1869 on Mon, 03 May 2010, 14:59:18
Quote from: ripster;178583
Malfoy, Stop Calling Geekhack Gay
Show Image
(http://geekhack.org/attachment.php?attachmentid=9653&stc=1&d=1272914768)


I was going to use this for a NonMouse lavender font troll post but I hope all is forgiven.


Thats the most "cheerful" lego wizard i've ever seen.
Title: Apple
Post by: ricercar on Mon, 03 May 2010, 16:34:23
Quote from: wellington1869;178544
what will happen to GH once all keyboards are touchscreens?


Will argue boot what hardwriting algorithm is bitter then the Uther's.
Title: Apple
Post by: Input Nirvana on Mon, 03 May 2010, 17:56:21
Quote from: ripster;178561
French Canadians understand irony.  I've never met a more ironic bunch.
Quote from: webwit;178564
That's because French Canadians are all gay.

Drum rolllll...cymbal crash!!!

Silence

Silence

Silence

Sound of a very small mouse eating cheese crumbs under the stage. :)
Title: Apple
Post by: Input Nirvana on Mon, 03 May 2010, 18:04:45
Cutting edge keyboard info AND entertainment. Just one website. 24/7.  Geekhack.org.

THAT'S why I keep coming back...
Title: Apple
Post by: Rajagra on Mon, 03 May 2010, 18:28:59
Quote from: webwit;178564
That's because French Canadians are all gay.


You mean they've all been ooted?
Title: Apple
Post by: ricercar on Mon, 03 May 2010, 18:36:57
Quote from: Rajagra;178632
You mean they've all been ooted?



model M mini: $200
bolt mod: $10
Geekhack humor: priceless
Title: Apple
Post by: Mercen_505 on Mon, 03 May 2010, 19:32:06
Quote

This could grow to be one huge ignore list.


It could, but then that would be idiotic. It's just a word. It only has as much meaning as you ascribe to it.


(http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b81/_Sirocco/bloom_offensensitivity.jpg)
Title: Apple
Post by: wellington1869 on Mon, 03 May 2010, 20:57:05
slashdot: Apple may face antitrust inquiry. (http://apple.slashdot.org/story/10/05/03/1952258/Apple-May-Face-Antitrust-Inquiry?from=rss)

this was inevitable, I think; and probably more to come in the years ahead.
Title: Apple
Post by: wellington1869 on Mon, 03 May 2010, 20:59:10
Quote from: ricercar;178613
Will argue boot what hardwriting algorithm is bitter then the Uther's.


or whose handwriting is better for handwriting recognition. Or whose voice is better suited for voice recognition. Maybe we'll end up with singing contests.

"I can enunciate at 80 wpm!"
Title: Apple
Post by: hyperlinked on Mon, 03 May 2010, 21:12:43
Quote from: wellington1869;178554
i'm inclined to say yes! ;)  Going to the command line is usu seen as having been defeated in some way (among regular users anyway, as opposed to producers/programmers).
Ok. I think you're right in that regard. I forgot that I'm a coder. ;) To the general computing public, the command line doesn't exist.

Quote from: wellington1869;178554
Regular boards may not vanish entirely, but they might become a 'deprecated' product (like the command line). Used daily not by the general public but by niche producers/programmers, like the command line is)

Regular users might be using a combination of voice recognition, gesture, haptic and multitouch screens, instead.  (btw that endangers the mouse as much as the keyboard)
I think there's only one thing that can possibly render physical keyboards obsolete and that's killer nearly flawless voice recognition, which is a stretch, but probably not beyond question.

Even with killer voice recognition, there are things that will be very impractical to do by voice... like coding. When my hands hurt, I do everything via speech recognition except for coding... can't do that... waaaay to slow. Composing via speech recognition gives my hands enough rest to do what I make money doing.

We're certainly going to see a lot of things going away from keyboards, but a lot of things probably were never right for keyboards in the first place. Keyboards were all we had. Every form of input has its strengths and weaknesses and I think the more touch screens are crowned as the messiah, the more obvious it will be where the weaknesses lie.

Quote from: wellington1869;178554
isnt there definitely a really strong push in that direction right now? Not just by apple, but by the industry as a whole?
Title: Apple
Post by: wellington1869 on Mon, 03 May 2010, 21:26:08
Quote from: hyperlinked;178675


I think there's only one thing that can possibly render physical keyboards obsolete and that's killer nearly flawless voice recognition, which is a stretch, but probably not beyond question.

Even with killer voice recognition, there are things that will be very impractical to do by voice... like coding. When my hands hurt, I do everything via speech recognition except for coding... can't do that... waaaay to slow. Composing via speech recognition gives my hands enough rest to do what I make money doing.
.


"Hello, computer"

> type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="640" height="385">[/youtube]

I always thought a major hole in this scene was that scottie appears to know how to type 200 wpm despite not having keyboards in his century. (oh, and amazingly, he's intimately familiar with using a macplus :)