Apple patent filing details possible "remote wand" for Apple TV, again
By Donald Melanson 
posted March 12th 2009 1:54PM
posted March 12th 2009 1:54PM
We've already seen some patent evidence that Apple has at least been considering a Wiimote-like controller for the Apple TV, and a newly published patent filing has now thrown yet more fuel onto the fire, although, as with all Apple patents, that's hardly a guarantee of anything. Still, this latest filing is nothing if not detailed, and it clearly shows the so-called "remote wand" being used to control just about every aspect of the Apple TV, with the wand being twisted and turned to flip through a music library, rotate pictures, and simply control a cursor on the screen -- there's even a glimpse of it being used with a paint application. So, it's certainly possible, perhaps even likely given Apple's increasing distaste for buttons, but just keep all those Apple patents for head-mounted displays in the back of your mind lest you get too excited.
PS: If you support Apple, you support APARTHEID!!!!11one
The ideal interface would be would to have one button with 'Do whatever I want, 100% accurately and when I want you to'
Unfortunately we aren't there yet.
"What if Apple had designed the typewriter..."
Yeah because the qwerty layout is just so awesome. It was designed to SLOW DOWN typing so keys would not jam.
Reverse evolution......
Lets see, today I sit on the couch and touch a button, tomorrow I have to point and shake the whole remote, whats next.....
How about a touchscreen tv where I get up and walk to the tv to make things happen....and then to make things even better we can go from the touchscreen to a round knob you turn....wait I am getting the feeling I am like the guy in the movie that ages backwards.
Dont get me wrong, i love my wii remote when playing games, but when navigating the screen it is a pain.
You can do this now with the Kodak Theatre HD Player. It has a pointer remote with all of 3 buttons. The remote is way more precise and easy to use than the Wiimote so the on-screen keyboards are a breeze to use. Being Kodak it's simple to browse 100s or 1,000s of photos, and the result is that everything is better. Not surprising for Mac users since adding a mouse to computers did the same thing once upon a time. This is the same for TVs.
The best example might be YouTube. It's on AppleTV and Kodak Theatre, but the Theatre version is easier to use and search because of the remote. The WIRED review thought it was great.
The problem with almost all of these devices is not so much the system itself or its interface but rather a lack of content. The assumption is that the user will provide the content but unless you want to spend time ripping DVDs or downloading illegal content via BitTorrent, your choices are very limited. Given this I am only interested in players that are backed up with some sort of movie store (NetFlix, AmazonOnDemand, etc.), which is what the Kodak seems to lack. Presently the AppleTV is the only option since I live outside the US.
Personally, I'd love to try out the Vudu system but the bastards have no plans to offer an international service.
All the fundamental patents here are owned by Hillcrest Labs, who are suing Nintendo as we speak. Apple, you are about to get bitch-slapped on this one.
Wand = New ipod shuffle?
Apple new ideas are increasingly seeming like solutions looking for a problem.
It's not Nintendo they need to be worried about, it's Hillcrest Labs. Nintendo has no patent protection on the Wii that I know of -- that's why Hillcrest is suing them to stop shipments into the U.S. There's no way this patent can get around those are well, they're too fundamental. This is interesting for sure, but I bet ZillionTV has theirs in the market sooner, and with patent protection (they use the Hillcrest stuff). Although I've seen some interesting hacks lately on the Apple gear that could make this a reality with no thanks to Apple. We'll see.
And when this comes out, it will be hailed by the media as "innovative". What a POS society we live in.
Well, it sounds nice but it isn't my first choice concern when it comes to the Apple TV. Rather, I'm looking for something at a more reasonable price given that it's going to spend its time buying content from the iTunes Store. Further, I want them to sort out their movie rental service so that movies are available to rent when the likes of Blockbusters gets them, and movies should always be available to rent rather than disappearing from the library.