InterlinkElectronics
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Nintendo sued over Wiimote design
In the Nintendo playground, California company Interlink Electronics isn't playing nice. They claim that the Wiimote design belongs to them and that they patented it first. According to the patent, Interlink Electronic describes an electronic device with the button/trigger layout similar to the Wiimote, but not the actual use of the device. Amidst all the lawyer-speak, we see no traces of their remote using movement in a 3D environment to operate their "electronic pointing device" like the Wiimote. Their pointing device talks of using the buttons and trigger on the remote to cause movement on screen, acting more like an infra-red mouse than a gaming controller. Interlink filed the patent in 1997 having it granted eight years later in February of 2005. They want a restraining order against the selling of such devices, a trial by jury, three times the assessed damages to their company plus interest and reimbursement of legal fees. Sure the layout is similar, right down the the batteries in back, but we don't see this reaching a jury seeing as how Interlink's device calls for no actual physical movement of it. We can see Nintendo having to pay these guys a lot of money just to make them go away and drop all accusations. No doubt, Nintendo fans stand tall behind their favorite company. [Via Game Life]
Nintendo gets sued over Wiimote [update 1]
Poor Nintendo, just when it looks like they have a sure-fire hit on their hands, someone has to go and sue them. It would appear that someone claims they came up with the technology in the Wiimote and is now taking Nintendo to court; no, it isn't Sony. Interlink Electronics, a California company most of us never heard of, thought that the good ol' Wiimote has infringed on one of their patents. From what the suit entails, they're not suing over the full-range motion, but over a trigger. Our best translation of the patent abstract is the trigger is pressure sensitive and transmits using infrared. From what we can discern, this would appear to be a shot in the dark lawsuit. Pressure sensitive triggers have been around for a long while now and patent law does state that the patent needs to be novel; since the N64 [update: bad author memory, N64 simulated pressure sensitivity, not actual] PS2 featured pressure sensitivity -- the technology also most likely existed prior to that -- and the complete lack of infrared transmission (the remote senses the IR from the sensor bar to acclimate itself) from the Wiimote (it uses Bluetooth to transmit) makes this suit suspect. There seems to be too many key differences -- and irregularities -- to make this a winnable case for Interlink. [Thanks, dark54555]
Interlink's new ONYX presentation remote
Last time we spotted Interlink, it was busy shoving a Bluetooth Media Remote into our ExpressCard slot, and while its new ONYX remote doesn't quite have the stashability of its sibling, there's plenty to love here for the Stevenote-wannabe PowerPoint junkies out there. The RemotePoint ONYX presentation remote carries its own USB Auto RF receiver, which operates at up to 100-feet, and automatically switches between 64k unique addresses to keep make sure nobody else starts running your presentation. The unit also has a built-in laser pointer, the requisite buttons, and a nifty clock to keep you on schedule. No word on price of availability, but a CES 2007 launch would be a good guess. Keep reading for a couple live shots.
Interlink Electronics unveils Bluetooth ExpressCard Media Remote
If your fresh new laptop has an ExpressCard slot that's not already preoccupied with a TV tuner, external SATA adapter, or EV-DO card, you might be interested in a little something that maximizes your ability to become the ultimate couch potato. Interlink Electronics has released its Bluetooth-enabled Media Remote that just so happens to fit snuggly inside your machine's ExpressCard slot for storage and recharging. The device works with pretty much every media suite out there, including Windows Media Center, Dell Media Experience, Windows Media Player, iTunes, RealPlayer and presumably anything else with track / volume controls. Sporting a 30 foot range, a full week of battery life, and weighing only 1.1 ounces, this $49.95 media controller should make good use of that open ExpressCard slot -- unless, of course, it's reserved for more critical tasks.[Via MobileWhack]
