Apple wants to light up your iPod touchpad?

Apple's been known to cover all its bases in the patent department, meaning this is certainly no guarantee we'll be seeing light-up iPods in the near future, but all the same we can't ignore the fact that a patent just popped up that has Apple postulating on backlit click wheels. While having a comet of light following your finger around the wheel is certainly interesting -- if potentially annoying -- things get more intriguing with the possibility of multitouch, but the patent isn't clear enough to tell if that's exactly what Apple is driving at. It's all well and good, but in these heady touchscreen days, are clickwheels slowly going the way of the dinosaur button?

[AJ in the East Bay @ Jan 24th 2008 7:18PM]

Follow the finger, now...Pretty, pretty...

[aguiluz @ Jan 24th 2008 9:14PM]

Pretty pretty with color-changing, rainbow color cycling trails... Love that... Mmm hmm...

[onetruebill @ Jan 25th 2008 2:50AM]

You should CLEAN that finger first

[Tom @ Jan 25th 2008 6:09AM]

Apple's click wheel is done. It looks hideous on the new nano and it probably won't be on the next generation of ipods.

[fred @ Jan 24th 2008 7:19PM]

". Microsoft's profits were up a huge 79 percent against last year to hit $6.48 billion (on record revenues of $16.37 billion),"

http://gizmodo.com/348731/earnings-report-go-ahead-call-microsoft-m

Yet after 3 hours, Engadget still hasn't got around to posting it.

[gfunk @ Jan 24th 2008 7:37PM]

Oh my God shut up. This website is free, you have NO right to complain for it's contents. If you don't like it, don't read it.

Anyways, I find it funny how they have to patent incredibly simple ideas.

[Eddie @ Jan 24th 2008 8:02PM]

Oh please, do you know by fact that they are not posting because they don't want to?
SHUT YOUR PEE HOLE!!

[fred @ Jan 24th 2008 8:18PM]

You tell me.

Apple's numbers were posted the minute they were released.

Microsoft's are being suppressed until late tonight like they did during the last quarter.

If you want to pretend that this is just by chance, then you are nuts.

The site may be free, but it does not mean they are free from criticism.

[thethirdmoose @ Jan 24th 2008 8:44PM]

Look's like fred here's got it figured out. Be careful at night, buddy, now that you know the secret blog-tech company mafia deals that go around here.

/sarcasm

[AlexP @ Jan 24th 2008 9:12PM]

If by free you mean that I have to download adverts from AOL's server that take some of my erm, "download credit away" in order to pay for the content I'm presently viewing, yeah sure it's free.

It gets even better when we claim that the site is biased because it generates a shovel-load of hits, filling Warner's pockets.

But as Fred cleverly pointed out: nobody's free (I feel redundant) from criticism.

[katakata @ Jan 24th 2008 10:25PM]

maybe because no one really cares about microsoft and you fanboys??

[CUBSWILLWIN @ Jan 24th 2008 10:47PM]

@ eddie
um,... I dunno if someone could shut their pee hole easily especially if you were a boy...

[Blaktornado @ Jan 25th 2008 11:50AM]

@gfunk "Anyways, I find it funny how they have to patent incredibly simple ideas."

Because even if Apple doesn't use it, the company that comes along and does will owe Apple money, duh :P

[eM @ Jan 24th 2008 7:21PM]

Patent *APPLICATION*.

[TRAFFICBLOWS @ Jan 25th 2008 8:20AM]

I hope it gets denied!

[zunecard @ Jan 24th 2008 7:22PM]

who needs that when you have a big screen on your zune 80.

[darx23 @ Jan 25th 2008 1:02AM]

kill yourself fanboy

[zunecard @ Jan 24th 2008 11:27PM]

Sorry I have things to live for. I think you are taking the apple vs Ms too seriously, telling someone to take their life, sad, besides I’m waiting on my red zune80 to show up.
... I’ll post a pic with my own custom design on the back.

www.zunecards.net

[Quentyn @ Jan 24th 2008 7:23PM]

This is Engadget, not Software-Salez-LOLERCAKEZ2000

[massive_98 @ Jan 24th 2008 7:23PM]

I'm the last person at the gym who is still using a walkman. But this isn't enough to get me to buy an ipod. If apple hires some half decent customer service I'll bite. I'm an idiot when it comes to computers so I need all the help I can get.

[matthew @ Jan 24th 2008 7:44PM]

you might be the last person on the PLANET using a walkman.. you mean actual tapes?

[hackman @ Jan 24th 2008 8:04PM]

lol, your old school

[ClaMs @ Jan 24th 2008 9:03PM]

Are you serious? You mean you actually still rewind?

Do you actually still find things to play on it?

[kaelb @ Jan 24th 2008 9:12PM]

do u want some of my mix tapes?

[nick @ Jan 24th 2008 9:37PM]

Apple has some really good customer support, i would say one of the best.

[Elevator @ Jan 24th 2008 10:57PM]

I could care less about customer support.

I am glad I am not a complete idiot. I don't EVER call customer support. If something goes wrong and I don't know how to fix it, I look it up on the internet-tubes and figure it out. If it's mechanical, all I have to do is return it or replace it (depending on warranty).

It's not difficult.

[Tony2X @ Jan 25th 2008 12:17AM]

An idiot when it comes to computers yet you still manage to post to Engadget! Props to the luddite I say!

[shakes2 @ Jan 25th 2008 4:20AM]

Apple actually has one of the best ranked customer service available. The only thing they wont do is appease people who demand insane or irresponsible requests. You throw your laptop/ipod/first-born-child from a moving train and want it replaced sans restocking fee? Sorry buddy. They do what they can as long as it is both reasonable. [br][br]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hHbrQqrgVgg

[thomas @ Jan 24th 2008 7:26PM]

already done,
http://www.ces-show.com/2006/review/sandisk/sandisk_sansa_e260_mp3_player.jpg

[hackman @ Jan 24th 2008 8:03PM]

um ya... not exactly touch sensitive

[Alex @ Apr 13th 2008 3:00PM]

I had an E270 once, but it broke in four charges. Returned it, got a new one and it also broke again, but this time on the 'Refresh Database' screen. Returned that and reluctantly bought a 30GB iPod Video.

[Reader @ Jan 24th 2008 7:28PM]

Finally. Now LSD users won't need another item to experience full-fledged psychedelia, just use the click wheel.

[mike @ Jan 24th 2008 7:30PM]

News Flash: Apple patents another idea anyone could have came up with!

[Josh @ Jan 24th 2008 7:54PM]

You're complaining because they're patenting an idea nobody has tried yet, which has the potential to become a selling point of a new iPod, thus making the patent-holder money over its competition.

Congratulations! You've discovered the purpose of a patent!

[mike @ Jan 24th 2008 7:56PM]

Do I care if my Creative Zen Vision:M has a light up scroll pad? No it ads no useful function!

[sk8rpro @ Jan 24th 2008 8:07PM]

you know, someone was right about you on another news thread. You complain about every Apple posting here on Engadget.

I take it your an anti-Apple fanboy. So the question is are you jealous because you don't have one and want to lash out on Apple?

[mike @ Jan 24th 2008 8:31PM]

Forgot: I don't WANT anything Apple makes.

When are we going to have an edit button?

[ClaMs @ Jan 24th 2008 9:04PM]

Can't you just ignore the Apple posts??

[finnith @ Jan 24th 2008 9:09PM]

Mike. Get out. Now.

All you do is complain on the Apple topics, "OHHHH, WHY CAN'T WE HAVE A MICROSOFT POST, WHY DOESN'T ENGADGET LOVE MICROSOFT,". Engadget is a blog and hence has not obligation to fulfill the needs of everybody, especially a person like you who does nothing but kill the day of other readers.

[porker @ Jan 24th 2008 10:51PM]

So didnt they then?....Probably because no one else has thought of it. So many haters!

[JT @ Jan 25th 2008 12:52AM]

There are seemingly endless posts about Apple on this site if that is all one looks for.

As for me, I come here for the pretty pictures.

On a side note, why are there so damn pictures...

[Kizorblade @ Jan 25th 2008 6:14AM]

From the Engadget FAQ:
"That said, please keep the discussions civil, polite, and on-topic. Any comment that is off-topic, rude, offensive, or that could be construed as spam will most certainly be deleted. We reserve the right to delete any comment for any reason."

Just for reference *Cough*

[Alex @ Apr 13th 2008 3:03PM]

@ your second comment about the Zen Vision M,

I don't like them. They're even fatter than Zunes for the 30GB model.

[StephenD @ Jan 24th 2008 7:31PM]

I'd love a return to the click-wheen on the Touch. It's a nightmare trying to fast forward or rewind podcasts / audiobooks by just a few short minutes. It either takes AGES to find the spot you want witht he >> and

[StephenD @ Jan 24th 2008 7:33PM]

I'd love a return to the click-wheen on the Touch. It's a nightmare trying to fast forward or rewind podcasts / audiobooks by just a few short minutes. It either takes AGES to find the spot you want witht he FF and REW buttons, or it takes huge leaps as I drag the little green dot along the tiny 1 inch bar with my fat half-inch finger.

The click-wheel motion was so much more accurate.

[John @ Jan 24th 2008 7:41PM]

maybe someone will make an app to emulate the regular iPod interface on the touchscreen.

[Richard Lai @ Jan 24th 2008 7:33PM]

I can see this iPod featured in a revamped E.T. film.

[emjoi @ Jan 24th 2008 7:33PM]

I own a Touch, my daughter has a Nano.
When I use the Nano, I sometimes touch the menus on the screen. The wheel thingie is so indirect an interface now.

Even if future Nanos don't get the full Touch UI, simple menus on a touchable screen is the way to go.

[hackman @ Jan 24th 2008 8:01PM]

I know eh? it's weird

[Shadowcast @ Jan 25th 2008 7:32AM]

Some of us like being able to operate a device without having to look at it though.