Apple
patent applications are usually pretty dry, but it looks like a new one turned up by
Patently Apple has a bit more user-focused meat to it -- it describes a location-based social networking app called "iGroups," which lets groups of people share data amongst themselves using a service like MobileMe. Once group members are identified and linked up, they can securely share information and users carrying devices without GPS-abilities will be able to triangulate their position using the positions of other GPS-enabled devices in the group. Of course, the actual patent itself is focused on the cryptographic key system that protects all the data, and we're pretty sure the "iGroups" name is just a placeholder for now -- we'd guess the developer of the iGroups app currently in the App Store hopes so too -- so how this winds up in a shipping product is totally up in the air, but our interest in what iPhone OS 4.0 may hold has certainly been piqued once again.
posted March 19th 2010 1:02AM
All cloud computing now belong to apple.
@SmilinGoat If, by "all", you mean "the most embarrassing excuses for", then yes.
@SmilinGoat Apple's too late to the party, me thinks!
@who said what
lol, people said that about multi-touch ;)
Wow...useful app for once..that pretty clever..
that's..sorry
@CHICHIgetdaYAYO yeah this a pretty awesome idea. I wish I had an iphone :(
I don't :)
@Kaitou KID iphones fricken suck man. just got my nexus one. it's 10x better.
You mean iDont, right? That's all anyone says around the comments anymore
ohh look, they patented something else that they may or may not even use. dont sue me in 15 yrs
@HighestRanked2
Contrary to your beliefs we're entitled to a troll free Engadget. I don't think we'll be seeing you for long, son.
@HighestRanked2
It seems he wasn't banned, you dolt. Who's the troll now?
The fact that Apple patents every possibly usable idea, even though this (and other) ideas have already been thought of. What about that one app, can't remember the name, something like "Find a Friend"? Used GPS to find friends who were close.
I get that this focuses more on the cryptographic algorithms, and I hope this won't develop into the more mundane "we invented this app idea, nobody else can have it".
@Engadget
I really wish you guys would stop putting blood in the water.
@eyerot MOAR LAWSUIT POSTS
@Kaitou KID
LOL
Did Apple just patent Google's Latitude and Buzz in one fell swoop?
@etwashoo I was wondering the exact same thing...
@etwashoo Hypocrisy at its finest.
@etwashoo "Of course, the actual patent itself is focused on the cryptographic key system that protects all the data..."
@dandy1117
They didn't make it that far before trolling
@dandy1117
yeah, not like google does have any encryption on my data either, but hey, apple, if you got something better...good for you.
@etwashoo
*does = doesn't
@etwashoo
"Did Apple just patent Google's Latitude and Buzz in one fell swoop?"
Nope, this is a Patent from September 2008 - long before Google showed Buzz.
Maybe the final name will be iLattitude.
XD
@HighestRanked2
Try not trolling. It's not in the final stage yet, so iGroups may not be the final name.
etwashoo, stole my words. Literally.
@HighestRanked2 yup. Good job Google.
Hmm sounds like the now discontinued "squirting" feature from Microsoft for the Zune
@AlienSix That would be "iCame", not "iGroups".
Obviously, the most important things here are those two "buttons" on the right side of the iPhone. Is this a sketch of the new model? Is one of those perforated circles a front-facing camera?
I don't know why Andgadget continues to report on Apple patents.
It incites the same 3 comments over and over again.
"don't sue me Apple"
"this is gay" and of course
"Google can do it better"
@HighestRanked2 Advertising! Of course. It's like an infomercial. They tell you a bunch of bullshit just so you'll buy something.
Apple stole that, Google stole this, Nokia stole... whatever. I mean patents should exist in some form, but what do we care. The more they steal from each other the more we, end users, benefit.
The idea is ok, but I think the world has moved on from the whole i(place any name here) conspiracy..
Then again, apple is one to reinvent the already reinvented, right?
I'm sure I'll get downranked for complaining but...really, guys?
Must you make an article every time Apple patents something? Most of this crap never ends up being integrated into a product and you know it. You never do this for other companies either. I just don't understand why a gadget blog can't at least try to be subjective.
@Atkins
Oops you're right
*objective
@Steve B
You're just begging for 100,000 posts on IBM terminal interface techniques... Thanks
@Steve B Subjective?
You don't have to be Einstein to work in a Patents office.
@Defcon zero
You don't even need to be Forest Gump.
Is Apple even paying attention to what other competitors are doing? iGroups? Really? Isn''t there something else worth focusing on? I understand it's just a patent and just an idea but this is ridiculous!
Is it just me, or does that patent seem to show a possible iPhone 4G?? There seems to be circles in place that the 3Gs doesn't have. Could that be a front facing camera top left? And a kind of scroll on the top right?
Maybe it's just me.
@andyschar
It's from September 2008, I think that was to early to show exact details of the iPhone 4.
I'm pretty sure this existed before.
@TareG
Then by all means send the relevant prior art, that reads specifically on the claims at issue, to the patent office.
@HighestRanked2
Why the 2 in your name? Did the original get permab&?
@Edobe
Has Google done this before September 2008? :P
The car manufacturer Toyota already has a similar concept working in Japan.
BOOOO software patents!!!
We need patent reform badly.