Hasta La Ideas

News: the highly anticipated Apple television is set to launch later this year and will be operated with a digital “iRing” worn on the finger, according to an industry insider.

After meeting with Apple suppliers in China and Taiwan, analyst Brian White told AppleInsider magazine that he expects a product promising to “revolutionise the TV experience forever” to be officially launched later this year.

The ring-shaped accessory is thought to operate as a “navigation pointer”, taking on some of the functionality of a standard remote control and featuring integrated motion detection. White also thinks it will be accompanied by a small iPad-sized screen, which will combine security, telephone and video-conferencing functions.

The news follows earlier rumours that Apple is developing a smart-watch, dubbed the “iWatch”, which would work in conjunction with an iPhone.

Other wearable technologies have also been crowding the news recently, with the relaunch of the UP wristband and the mounting anticipation for the Google Glass headset. In last week’s column, Dezeen editor-in-chief Marcus Fairs wrote how wearable technology is set to “transform our understanding of ourselves” and “make us better, healthier people”.

See more wearable technology »

Top image: concept iRing design by Victor Sot, 2007

The post Apple’s new television rumoured
to come with “iRing” controller appeared first on Dezeen.

1. 30 Under 30 at SXSW Buzzfeed counts down 30 of the hottest young bands to check out at SXSW 2013, starting with breakout band Wildcat! Wildcat! and ending with returning headliner Passion Pit. The focused list serves as a great guide for anyone setting out to navigate the…

Continue Reading…

News: Apple has applied for a patent for a slap bracelet with a video display that could be a blueprint for its much-anticipated “iWatch” concept.

The US Patent & Trademark Office today published details of the application for a “bi-stable spring with flexible display” together with images of a product that could be worn on the wrist or elsewhere on the body. The patent was filed on 17 August 2011.

The product, containing a strip of flexible steel, would wrap around the user’s wrist and feature a continuous digital display along its length.

“The wearable accessory device includes a flexible display coupled to a bi-stable spring,” says Apple’s patent description. “Coupling the display to the bi-stable spring allows the accessory device to be easily worn in a number of convenient locations.”

An “end detection mechanism” would allow digital information to be displayed seamlessly around the wrist, allowing video “to smoothly continue across a portion of the wearable video device where the flexible display overlaps itself.”

The device is designed to be used in conjunction with a “portable electronic device” – a rectangular object with its own video screen that could either be flexible or stiff. The two devices would communicate wirelessly.

Rumours have been circulating since last month that Apple plans to release a wearable smartwatch – dubbed the “iWatch” – that would work in conjunction with an iPhone.

Wearable technology is expected to become a huge industry as features contained in today’s smartphones migrate to devices worn on the wrist, face or skin.

Earlier today Google unveiled a video showcasing its Google Glass headset,  that will give users the ability to send and receive messages, take pictures and search the web without using their hands.

Last year John Hanke, head of Google Maps, told Dezeen that wearable gadgets may soon make phones redundant.

“I think the general idea is that the phone as an object kind of disappears,” said Hanke. “People are working on skin sensors and other ways of transmitting information to us in a way that’s passive and that doesn’t require us to divert our attention in the way that we do with the phone today.”

Last year the Pebble smart watch concept became the most-funded Kickstarter project of all time, raising $10,266,845 in one month. The product went into production last month.

Other wearable devices released recently include the Nike+ FuelBand, which is worn on the wrist and tracks the users’ physical activity, and the Jawbone Up, a similar device designed by Yves Behar.

See all our stories about Apple »

The post Apple files patent for
video “slap bracelet” appeared first on Dezeen.

News: Apple has trademarked the design and layout of its retail stores, nine years after the first Apple Store opened in Virginia, USA.

The U.S. Patent & Trademark Office this week published the tech giant’s latest trademark certificate, which covers the “distinctive design & layout” of the 400 stores worldwide, reports Patently Apple.

Above: Apple Store trademark image, via Patently Apple

The trademark consists of two designs, one in colour and one in black and white. Both present the typical Apple Store layout, with wide tables in the middle and benches around the sides where customers can try out the latest products, as well as the Genius Bar helpdesk at the back.

Steve Jobs, the firm’s late co-founder, and Ron Johnson, the company’s former head of retail, are credited with the design and layout of the store. The first was opened in May 2001 in Tysons Corner, Virginia, but its now trademarked look was first introduced in Pasadena, California.

Earlier this week we reported on proposals for a bookless library in Texas with a layout based on an Apple Store.

Apple has been caught up in numerous patent disputes, losing its long-running battle with Samsung last year when a high court ruled that the Korean manufacturer’s tablet computers were “not as cool” as the iPad. Another rival, HTC, also defeated Apple in a dispute over the use of swipe gestures in touchscreen phones.

Copying is an increasingly important issue in architecture and design, with developers in China recently accused of pirating a building by architect Zaha Hadid currently under construction in Beijing. Plans for Hadid’s Wangjing Soho complex were unveiled in August 2011, and the project is now racing to be completed before its copycat version.

See all stories about Apple »
See all stories about retail interiors »

The post Apple trademarks “distinctive design”
of its stores appeared first on Dezeen.

Resolutions can be hard to keep, especially when you aren’t equipped with the right tools. In the spirit of being productive in 2013, we’ve decided to share 11 of our favorite apps that we use to stay organized and get stuff done. Whether you are looking to streamline your inbox,…

Continue Reading…