http://www.engadget.com/2010/01/14/apple-tries-for-adding-a-contact-to-a-home-screen-patent-but/ Engadget Comments for Apple tries for 'adding a contact to a home screen' patent, but Android beat them to the punch http://www.engadget.com/media/feedlogo.gif http://www.engadget.com en-us Copyright 2012 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/http://www.engadget.com/2010/01/14/apple-tries-for-adding-a-contact-to-a-home-screen-patent-but/http://www.engadget.com/2010/01/14/apple-tries-for-adding-a-contact-to-a-home-screen-patent-but/Jan 14th 2010 2:56PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/01/14/apple-tries-for-adding-a-contact-to-a-home-screen-patent-but/http://www.engadget.com/2010/01/14/apple-tries-for-adding-a-contact-to-a-home-screen-patent-but/Exactly... I've used the exact feature on Nokia N97, Nokia 5800 XpressMusic. Whats going on here???]]>Jan 14th 2010 3:05PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/01/14/apple-tries-for-adding-a-contact-to-a-home-screen-patent-but/http://www.engadget.com/2010/01/14/apple-tries-for-adding-a-contact-to-a-home-screen-patent-but/Jan 14th 2010 3:06PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/01/14/apple-tries-for-adding-a-contact-to-a-home-screen-patent-but/http://www.engadget.com/2010/01/14/apple-tries-for-adding-a-contact-to-a-home-screen-patent-but/
lol! If Engadget had to mention Nokia in the headlines it would have been more on the lines of "Nokia has 'add a contact to a home screen' in S60/Maemo5 but Apple beat them to the patent".]]>Jan 14th 2010 3:07PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/01/14/apple-tries-for-adding-a-contact-to-a-home-screen-patent-but/http://www.engadget.com/2010/01/14/apple-tries-for-adding-a-contact-to-a-home-screen-patent-but/Yes we did read the post.]]>Jan 14th 2010 3:09PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/01/14/apple-tries-for-adding-a-contact-to-a-home-screen-patent-but/http://www.engadget.com/2010/01/14/apple-tries-for-adding-a-contact-to-a-home-screen-patent-but/Jan 14th 2010 3:10PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/01/14/apple-tries-for-adding-a-contact-to-a-home-screen-patent-but/http://www.engadget.com/2010/01/14/apple-tries-for-adding-a-contact-to-a-home-screen-patent-but/]]>Jan 14th 2010 3:11PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/01/14/apple-tries-for-adding-a-contact-to-a-home-screen-patent-but/http://www.engadget.com/2010/01/14/apple-tries-for-adding-a-contact-to-a-home-screen-patent-but/And how would you know.]]>Jan 14th 2010 3:13PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/01/14/apple-tries-for-adding-a-contact-to-a-home-screen-patent-but/http://www.engadget.com/2010/01/14/apple-tries-for-adding-a-contact-to-a-home-screen-patent-but/Jan 14th 2010 3:14PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/01/14/apple-tries-for-adding-a-contact-to-a-home-screen-patent-but/http://www.engadget.com/2010/01/14/apple-tries-for-adding-a-contact-to-a-home-screen-patent-but/
People are not just complaining that S60v5 has this feature, what everyone is trying to say that the comparison Engadget used was faulty since S60v5 had the Android feature since the beginning and not only that, S60v5 displays relevant recent communication with that contact like sms,email, mms, etc. So Android is even lacking that i believe.

I agree, Apple patent may be regarding that it pops up when some contact is nearby. Sure, it may be a different idea on paper for which someone might have filed patent first time, but i am sure, this idea has been thought over by other companies too. But Apple just files patents for everything that they think has not been implemented in the market by anyone so far.
I know that the above idea has been already under development by Nokia. (can't give more details). ]]>Jan 14th 2010 4:07PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/01/14/apple-tries-for-adding-a-contact-to-a-home-screen-patent-but/http://www.engadget.com/2010/01/14/apple-tries-for-adding-a-contact-to-a-home-screen-patent-but/
On the 27-28th of January. Expect the technews garnering around the Apple Tablet (curiosity wins again to say the least) http://bit.ly/apple-tablet-details-compiled

Apple today is starting to get so hype of having one patent from another -- Didn't they receive another lawsuit from Kodak now.. Hmm]]>Jan 14th 2010 4:16PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/01/14/apple-tries-for-adding-a-contact-to-a-home-screen-patent-but/http://www.engadget.com/2010/01/14/apple-tries-for-adding-a-contact-to-a-home-screen-patent-but/
That said, having a photo of nearby contacts has been a feature of some of the GPS-enabled WM Home Plugins since like...2007? I'll see if I can track down the one I'm thinking of in particular.]]>Jan 14th 2010 4:18PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/01/14/apple-tries-for-adding-a-contact-to-a-home-screen-patent-but/http://www.engadget.com/2010/01/14/apple-tries-for-adding-a-contact-to-a-home-screen-patent-but/
The most IMPORTANT thing here I think...is that you're looking at the next gen iPhone...look at the dimensions, sensors and other stuff that is pictured...don't you think so??? It's not the same as the current iPhones...

If that's what coming out - it's what I've always wanted it to look! Unless it's gong to be bigger than the current iPhone, then that's what i dreaded...:)]]>Jan 14th 2010 4:39PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/01/14/apple-tries-for-adding-a-contact-to-a-home-screen-patent-but/http://www.engadget.com/2010/01/14/apple-tries-for-adding-a-contact-to-a-home-screen-patent-but/
I'm pretty sure that RIM announced that some future version of BBM would ping you or something if you were within a certain distance of a BBM contact. And I'm pretty sure they announced this a good while ago.

So Apple's patent would merely be a combination of Nokia's/Google's contact on screen and RIM's ping when a contact is nearby. INNOVATION!!!]]>Jan 14th 2010 4:43PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/01/14/apple-tries-for-adding-a-contact-to-a-home-screen-patent-but/http://www.engadget.com/2010/01/14/apple-tries-for-adding-a-contact-to-a-home-screen-patent-but/
How come did they even grant Google this patent? My phone from 2005 can display pictures for the contacts

People created airplanes/cars/phones/tvs yet everyone else copied them even though these are things that have changed our lives yet in the corner you see apple crying like a baby over something they claim they created "multitouch" with their patents "tip: they did not create Multitouch first, same with touch phones"

Patent system is backward and stupid as hell.]]>Jan 14th 2010 5:55PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/01/14/apple-tries-for-adding-a-contact-to-a-home-screen-patent-but/http://www.engadget.com/2010/01/14/apple-tries-for-adding-a-contact-to-a-home-screen-patent-but/Jan 14th 2010 6:06PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/01/14/apple-tries-for-adding-a-contact-to-a-home-screen-patent-but/http://www.engadget.com/2010/01/14/apple-tries-for-adding-a-contact-to-a-home-screen-patent-but/"an icon associated with an entity can be temporarily displayed on the mobile device based on the proximity of the mobile device to the entity."
CAN is a key word here.
READ THE POST.
]]>Jan 14th 2010 7:56PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/01/14/apple-tries-for-adding-a-contact-to-a-home-screen-patent-but/http://www.engadget.com/2010/01/14/apple-tries-for-adding-a-contact-to-a-home-screen-patent-but/The article did not say that Google has a PATENT on this, only that they have implemented it.
True, they forgot WinMo and S60v5.
]]>Jan 14th 2010 8:26PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/01/14/apple-tries-for-adding-a-contact-to-a-home-screen-patent-but/http://www.engadget.com/2010/01/14/apple-tries-for-adding-a-contact-to-a-home-screen-patent-but/Nokia doesn't generate any traffic or revenue in United States of Engadget. ]]>Jan 14th 2010 8:45PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/01/14/apple-tries-for-adding-a-contact-to-a-home-screen-patent-but/http://www.engadget.com/2010/01/14/apple-tries-for-adding-a-contact-to-a-home-screen-patent-but/
No harm? It is extremely harmful with this abusive use of the patent system. It hinders competition and innovation to have patents for bogus 'inventions' like this.]]>Jan 14th 2010 8:55PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/01/14/apple-tries-for-adding-a-contact-to-a-home-screen-patent-but/http://www.engadget.com/2010/01/14/apple-tries-for-adding-a-contact-to-a-home-screen-patent-but/it's not really different, basically sense ui with an icon or shortcut or lack of apple inventiveness]]>Jan 14th 2010 11:29PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/01/14/apple-tries-for-adding-a-contact-to-a-home-screen-patent-but/http://www.engadget.com/2010/01/14/apple-tries-for-adding-a-contact-to-a-home-screen-patent-but/
Yes, I agree on the sensor layouts - they do seem different. However, I don't think the dimensions are changed - the picture is just stretched a little (look at circles like the home button - in the picture they're ovals).]]>Jan 15th 2010 1:14AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/01/14/apple-tries-for-adding-a-contact-to-a-home-screen-patent-but/http://www.engadget.com/2010/01/14/apple-tries-for-adding-a-contact-to-a-home-screen-patent-but/http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZriospNZJfQ]]>Jan 14th 2010 2:56PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/01/14/apple-tries-for-adding-a-contact-to-a-home-screen-patent-but/http://www.engadget.com/2010/01/14/apple-tries-for-adding-a-contact-to-a-home-screen-patent-but/my comment has nothing to do with yours, but I just want it to be seen.

The palm pre ALSO allows you to put contact short cuts in the launcher. Like individual contacts you can press to bring up the contact info so you can choose to send e-mail/call/text/etc. Why the limited comparison engadget? Just android vs iphone? C'mon now]]>Jan 14th 2010 4:43PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/01/14/apple-tries-for-adding-a-contact-to-a-home-screen-patent-but/http://www.engadget.com/2010/01/14/apple-tries-for-adding-a-contact-to-a-home-screen-patent-but/Jan 14th 2010 2:56PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/01/14/apple-tries-for-adding-a-contact-to-a-home-screen-patent-but/http://www.engadget.com/2010/01/14/apple-tries-for-adding-a-contact-to-a-home-screen-patent-but/Jan 14th 2010 3:02PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/01/14/apple-tries-for-adding-a-contact-to-a-home-screen-patent-but/http://www.engadget.com/2010/01/14/apple-tries-for-adding-a-contact-to-a-home-screen-patent-but/
Actually today is the best day for such irony. On macrumors, this story has 21 positives and 16 negatives while the kodak sue story has 30 +ves and 46 -ves. Gotta love mac fanboys.]]>Jan 14th 2010 5:12PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/01/14/apple-tries-for-adding-a-contact-to-a-home-screen-patent-but/http://www.engadget.com/2010/01/14/apple-tries-for-adding-a-contact-to-a-home-screen-patent-but/Jan 14th 2010 2:57PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/01/14/apple-tries-for-adding-a-contact-to-a-home-screen-patent-but/http://www.engadget.com/2010/01/14/apple-tries-for-adding-a-contact-to-a-home-screen-patent-but/Exactly what I was about to say. Software patents hurt the consumer, and in general, suck ass.

Patenting something this absurdly trivial seems the equivalent of patenting the ability to, say, adding a certain type of shortcut to an operating systems desktop.]]>Jan 14th 2010 3:05PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/01/14/apple-tries-for-adding-a-contact-to-a-home-screen-patent-but/http://www.engadget.com/2010/01/14/apple-tries-for-adding-a-contact-to-a-home-screen-patent-but/
Cause God forbid someone get paid for something they created. Remember this is back in 2008, Android was still a pile of primordial ooze.

But you invent something that could potentially sell millions and don't patent it, and tell us how that works out for you.]]>Jan 14th 2010 3:20PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/01/14/apple-tries-for-adding-a-contact-to-a-home-screen-patent-but/http://www.engadget.com/2010/01/14/apple-tries-for-adding-a-contact-to-a-home-screen-patent-but/
It is not an invention, So I should patent the Short cut I just drop on my desktop. Fools and their Lawyers... ]]>Jan 14th 2010 3:25PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/01/14/apple-tries-for-adding-a-contact-to-a-home-screen-patent-but/http://www.engadget.com/2010/01/14/apple-tries-for-adding-a-contact-to-a-home-screen-patent-but/
A method for performing a function is an "invention". It's obvious cause Microsoft just had to stop selling Office 2007 for it's violation of a patent on how XML was handled in the software.]]>Jan 14th 2010 3:27PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/01/14/apple-tries-for-adding-a-contact-to-a-home-screen-patent-but/http://www.engadget.com/2010/01/14/apple-tries-for-adding-a-contact-to-a-home-screen-patent-but/Jan 14th 2010 3:39PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/01/14/apple-tries-for-adding-a-contact-to-a-home-screen-patent-but/http://www.engadget.com/2010/01/14/apple-tries-for-adding-a-contact-to-a-home-screen-patent-but/
tl;dr: Intellectual property isn't property, and if you believe it is you're no intellectual. And yes, software patents harm consumers by stifling competition.]]>Jan 14th 2010 3:42PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/01/14/apple-tries-for-adding-a-contact-to-a-home-screen-patent-but/http://www.engadget.com/2010/01/14/apple-tries-for-adding-a-contact-to-a-home-screen-patent-but/
This is not an invention ! The lightbulb is an an invention.
This is a software path that only is coming to recognition being needed because a smart phone has the capabilities now.

The patent system is so broken, all it does is hurt progress and allows a company to charge higher prices due to lack of competition, but mostly is used to bury something to prevent others from using it, (oil, battery, car companies ect..) Where would we be today in technologies if the patent system didn't exist ? Probably a hell of a lot greener world. If anything patents need to have there life span reduced, 6 months to a year should be all one gets for holding said patent. If you cant capitalize on your patent within such a time frame then you didn't deserve the patent in the first place. ]]>Jan 14th 2010 3:48PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/01/14/apple-tries-for-adding-a-contact-to-a-home-screen-patent-but/http://www.engadget.com/2010/01/14/apple-tries-for-adding-a-contact-to-a-home-screen-patent-but/Jan 14th 2010 4:08PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/01/14/apple-tries-for-adding-a-contact-to-a-home-screen-patent-but/http://www.engadget.com/2010/01/14/apple-tries-for-adding-a-contact-to-a-home-screen-patent-but/
You are soooo correct.

I do defend patents, because they are legally granted, and thus legally theirs.

However, these things are now becoming the equivalent of those motorcycles in TRON. You have two people on a field racing to box the other in with patents on every minuscule thing, and one false move...BAM! Right into a wall or lawsuit.]]>Jan 14th 2010 4:10PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/01/14/apple-tries-for-adding-a-contact-to-a-home-screen-patent-but/http://www.engadget.com/2010/01/14/apple-tries-for-adding-a-contact-to-a-home-screen-patent-but/
Patents are not supposed to granted to concepts that are "obvious," but the USPTO doesn't generally enforce that too strictly, unfortunately. ]]>Jan 14th 2010 4:12PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/01/14/apple-tries-for-adding-a-contact-to-a-home-screen-patent-but/http://www.engadget.com/2010/01/14/apple-tries-for-adding-a-contact-to-a-home-screen-patent-but/Jan 14th 2010 4:36PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/01/14/apple-tries-for-adding-a-contact-to-a-home-screen-patent-but/http://www.engadget.com/2010/01/14/apple-tries-for-adding-a-contact-to-a-home-screen-patent-but/You my friend are very wrong. Most rejections are based on obviousness.

People, bear in mind 99% of the patent application rarely become a patent without at least a couple of prosecution histories (revisions of claims). So people, this is an APPLICATION. It hasn't been patented yet. And I bet if you actually see the claims, you'd be less angry. Cuz it won't be, "Claim 1. A method of a mobile computing system, where a user places an icon in the background"

FYI, as long as the examiner finds any document whether it be an obvious variation or not, which I guarantee the examiner will do so, Apple will not get the patent as is. And somewhere down the prosecution history, the claims will be revised enough to actually become something novel.

Now, how's trying and looking at the claims yourself and then judge.]]>Jan 14th 2010 4:41PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/01/14/apple-tries-for-adding-a-contact-to-a-home-screen-patent-but/http://www.engadget.com/2010/01/14/apple-tries-for-adding-a-contact-to-a-home-screen-patent-but/
Oh wait...]]>Jan 14th 2010 4:45PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/01/14/apple-tries-for-adding-a-contact-to-a-home-screen-patent-but/http://www.engadget.com/2010/01/14/apple-tries-for-adding-a-contact-to-a-home-screen-patent-but/
I believe Apple holds 11 patents on the letter A.]]>Jan 14th 2010 4:46PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/01/14/apple-tries-for-adding-a-contact-to-a-home-screen-patent-but/http://www.engadget.com/2010/01/14/apple-tries-for-adding-a-contact-to-a-home-screen-patent-but/Jan 14th 2010 7:39PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/01/14/apple-tries-for-adding-a-contact-to-a-home-screen-patent-but/http://www.engadget.com/2010/01/14/apple-tries-for-adding-a-contact-to-a-home-screen-patent-but/Jan 15th 2010 12:20PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/01/14/apple-tries-for-adding-a-contact-to-a-home-screen-patent-but/http://www.engadget.com/2010/01/14/apple-tries-for-adding-a-contact-to-a-home-screen-patent-but/
If so its' actually quite nice which surprises me. Aside from the htc phones I've yet to see a phone running android that has a decent UI...]]>Jan 14th 2010 2:58PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/01/14/apple-tries-for-adding-a-contact-to-a-home-screen-patent-but/http://www.engadget.com/2010/01/14/apple-tries-for-adding-a-contact-to-a-home-screen-patent-but/Yes, that's Android 2.0. Version 2.1 looks even better.]]>Jan 14th 2010 2:59PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/01/14/apple-tries-for-adding-a-contact-to-a-home-screen-patent-but/http://www.engadget.com/2010/01/14/apple-tries-for-adding-a-contact-to-a-home-screen-patent-but/
Android is pretty amazing overall, if you've never messed v2.0 or above i suggest you stop by a store and mess around with it]]>Jan 14th 2010 3:02PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/01/14/apple-tries-for-adding-a-contact-to-a-home-screen-patent-but/http://www.engadget.com/2010/01/14/apple-tries-for-adding-a-contact-to-a-home-screen-patent-but/
The UI I saw on the Droid looked quite ugly to be honest. And the Nexus One didn't look much better.

But perhaps they were running some old version.]]>Jan 14th 2010 3:03PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/01/14/apple-tries-for-adding-a-contact-to-a-home-screen-patent-but/http://www.engadget.com/2010/01/14/apple-tries-for-adding-a-contact-to-a-home-screen-patent-but/yeah, Android FINALLY looks crisp and beautiful, unlike the cartoony mess of 1.x.]]>Jan 14th 2010 3:05PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/01/14/apple-tries-for-adding-a-contact-to-a-home-screen-patent-but/http://www.engadget.com/2010/01/14/apple-tries-for-adding-a-contact-to-a-home-screen-patent-but/Jan 14th 2010 3:05PM