Apple patent reveals 'iPhone gloves' for warmer hands-on experience

A new Apple patent has been found that will assuredly warms the hearts (and hands) of many iPhone users currently enduring a cold winter. Originally filed a day before the iPhone's June 28, 2007 launch, it details a glove with a thin, electrically conductive, "anti-sticky" inner layer that is able to function with a capacitive touchscreen. It also suggests the glove could have apertures on the fingertips for opening and closing the more protective outer layer. Of course, the concept is far from new -- just do a quick Google search for "iPhone gloves" to see a wide variety of choices -- and Apple doesn't really dabble in this sort of iPhone / iPod accessory, but if Phil keeps his hands in his pockets for the first half of the Macworld keynote, we're gonna start to get ideas.

[Via Apple Insider; thanks, Shawn]

[explosivo2k2 Posted Jan 2nd 2009 4:11PM]

I swear, some one always beats me to this stuff. Anyway, here's the YouTube link to Ali G's Ice Cream Glove:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nkuOuxRD1Bc

[dbossnirvana Posted Jan 2nd 2009 3:42PM]

[insert winter/sex joke]

[(Unverified) Posted Jan 2nd 2009 3:53PM]

u gotta be kiddin me, this is brilliant! apple has done it again! (jk)

[(Unverified) Posted Jan 2nd 2009 4:34PM]

The North Face already makes these gloves
they are awesome, and are I LOVE my pair I have.

got them at sports authority, and they are awesometastic to say the least.

why patent what is already on the market?
is that even legal?


wait, do these gloves give me free hand jobs?

[rav97 Posted Jan 2nd 2009 5:20PM]

Ah, but the North Face ones have only the thumb and index finger with electro-conductive tips. These have also the middle finger. Apple's innovation here consists in giving you the middle finger :D.

[(Unverified) Posted Jan 2nd 2009 4:31PM]

I love my iPhone glove. It's so bad.

[BigD145 Posted Jan 2nd 2009 4:24PM]

Fingerless gloves were invented a long time ago. They still work.

[DBrim Posted Jan 2nd 2009 5:04PM]

They still don't keep your fingers warm.

[BigD145 Posted Jan 3rd 2009 1:21AM]

The ones with the mitten cover do.

[(Unverified) Posted Jan 2nd 2009 4:53PM]

"warmer hands-on experience" I see what you did there.

[UnixSystemsEngineer Posted Jan 2nd 2009 5:00PM]

Macworld SF 2009: Oh, and there's one more thing... INSANELY GREAT GLOVES!

[TIMMAH Posted Jan 2nd 2009 5:02PM]

What's function 224 extended by itself do?

[(Unverified) Posted Jan 3rd 2009 6:59PM]

it already exists http://www.dotsgloves.com/

[4ndr3W Posted Jan 3rd 2009 3:31PM]

I got it..How about adding some REAL bottons to the iphone...common could they design their phone different from their ipod touch? Who wants (since the 2g Ipod Touch) a half-ass ipod touch and a half-ass phone??

[(Unverified) Posted Jan 2nd 2009 7:42PM]

So, I'm guessing as long as I keep making them as projects for my friends and family, I don't have to worry about offending any patents? I mean, c'mon. I was the coolest gift-giver this year after throwing together one for my fiancee... Must be fun to create a necessity and then patent the ability to develop a product to fill that necessity.

[(Unverified) Posted Jan 2nd 2009 7:29PM]

The iphone was released on the 29th not the 28th

[dcoaster Posted Jan 2nd 2009 7:06PM]

Oh boy! An electric glove! Nothing new, and it should be rejected like MS' application was. Shame on you Apple.

[StemSell Posted Jan 2nd 2009 7:35PM]

To quote Apple (channeling OJ through Johnnie Cochrane): "If it doesn't fit, you *still* remit!"

[(Unverified) Posted Jan 3rd 2009 4:33AM]

It sorta looks like Dr. Seuss's gruvulous glove. "Then he hides what you paid him away in his snuvv, his secret strange hole in his gruvulous glove." - The Lorax, Dr. Seuss

[(Unverified) Posted Jan 3rd 2009 6:07PM]

Lulz

[(Unverified) Posted Jan 6th 2009 7:34PM]

i can't wait to spend $100 on those!

[(Unverified) Posted Jan 5th 2009 9:00AM]

First, this is just a patent APPLICATION (stop calling them patents when they aren't... this has the legal effect of someone shouting "dibs!").

Second, this is hardly new, especially as of 2007 when this application was filed. I don't think Apple has a chance of actually getting this patent.

[(Unverified) Posted Jan 9th 2009 8:27PM]

Great, now price the glove at $150 and you have your typical apple product.

http://iPodTouchScene.com

[(Unverified) Posted Jan 23rd 2009 1:08PM]

Or you could knit up a pair of these:
http://knittingjuju.wordpress.com/2009/01/18/iphone-mitts/

Free pattern..