Apple's doubleshot casting--and the Zune

Last week, the USPTO published an Apple patent for doubleshot casting. Doubleshot casting allows manufacturers to create housings using two color applications, like the clear-over-white and clear-over-black molding that makes the iPod so visually striking. It's the same process that creates the beautiful (at least it is beautiful in my opinion) brown-over-green Zune casing. As Ryan Block, over at our sister blog Engadget, points out, if this patent is granted, Microsoft may be paying Apple a tariff as well coughing up the dough to Universal. Which would be kind of cool.