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Walmart patents surveillance tool that can eavesdrop on workers
It looks like Amazon and Walmart, which have long been battling it out in the retail arena, both want to keep a very close eye on their workers. Earlier this year, Amazon patented smart wristbands that can make sure a warehouse worker's hands are always moving. Now, its rival has patented an audio surveillance system, which can be used to listen to conversations between employees and customers at checkout. Before you freak out and think that Walmart has been listening to all the juicy gossip you've been dropping at checkout lines, know that it's still just a patent. And, of course, the company has refused to confirm or deny whether it's planning to actually use the technology to spy on its workers.
Facebook patent turns phone mics on to record reactions to ads
Facebook has repeatedly denied tapping into phones microphones for targeted advertising, but just because it isn't doesn't mean it can't. According to Metro, Facebook has applied for a controversial patent for software that will allow smartphones to begin recording when they hear secret messages hidden in TV ads.
Apple and Samsung settle seven-year patent battle
It looks like Apple and Samsung are finally burying the hatchet over the long-standing US patent dispute they've been fighting for the past several years. According to Reuters, the settlement was filed at the US District Court for the Northern District of California on Wednesday. No terms were disclosed.
Blizzard is trying to patent ‘Overwatch’ highlight replays
The Play of the Game highlight at the end of Overwatch is arguably one of the best bits of the game. Now, nearly two years after starting the application process, Blizzard has finally confirmed it wants to patent it. Submitted in December 2016 and made public just two weeks ago, the patent describes the algorithm behind the feature, which lead designer Jeff Kaplan described last year as being "about 70 percent of where we want Play of the Game to be."
Uber could teach its AI to know when you're drunk
Problematic transportation outfit Uber is thinking about a way to use your phone to determine if you've been drinking. A patent application was uncovered by CNN, entitled "Predicting user state using machine learning," which outlines the general idea. Essentially, by watching how you behave day-to-day, the system can pick up when your behavior is normal (for you) or abnormal. That could be, for instance, how you use your phone, the angle at which you hold it, and even how you're walking.
Jury rules Samsung owes Apple $539 million in iPhone patent trial
In a patent case that has been running since 2011, today a jury ruled that Samsung owes Apple $539 million in total. In 2012 Apple was awarded $1 billion in damages, and Samsung agreed to pay as much as $548 million, but after the verdict was thrown out by the Supreme Court, we ended up in a retrial with hundreds of millions at stake. Samsung has already paid Apple some $399 million over these patents, and in a statement an Apple spokesperson said: We believe deeply in the value of design, and our teams work tirelessly to create innovative products that delight our customers. This case has always been about more than money. Apple ignited the smartphone revolution with iPhone and it is a fact that Samsung blatantly copied our design. It is important that we continue to protect the hard work and innovation of so many people at Apple. We're grateful to the jury for their service and pleased they agree that Samsung should pay for copying our products. Samsung has also issued an official response: Today's decision flies in the face of a unanimous Supreme Court ruling in favor of Samsung on the scope of design patent damages. We will consider all options to obtain an outcome that does not hinder creativity and fair competition for all companies and consumers. In case you've forgotten, all of this tracks back to devices like the iPhone 3GS, original iPad, early Galaxy S devices and the Galaxy Tab line. Apple accused Samsung of treading too closely to the appearance and packaging of its groundbreaking devices, as well as mimicking software behaviors like pull-to-refresh. Is this the end of the debate? Maybe not, given Samsung's response, but that's no surprise since the courthouse wrangling has already outlived the phones and tablets being disussed.
Nikola (Motors) is suing Tesla (updated)
Nikola Tesla invented alternating electrical current. Nikola Motors is a mobility company working on a hydrogen-powered semi truck. Tesla makes fully electric vehicles and last December unveiled its EV Semi. Nikola Motors is suing Tesla Motors over patent infringements, according to Electrek. Let the irony of that sink in for a moment before reading the rest of this post.
Samsung could use AR Emoji as stand-ins during video chats
Samsung's AR Emoji may be useful for considerably more than the occasional funny reaction GIF. The tech giant recently received a US patent for a "hybrid visual communication" system that would replace live video of a person with an augmented reality 3D model (basically, AR Emoji) that reflects their facial expressions in real time. This virtual self would stand-in for you during video chats when your connection is flaky, so you could hold a call without the stops and stutters that come with low bandwidth. We'd add that it could be helpful for those moments when you're less-than-presentable but still want to talk face to face. Just got out of bed? You won't look quite so groggy.
Apple ordered to pay $500 million in iMessage patent suit
A federal jury in Eastern Texas has just ordered Apple to pay VirnetX, a company widely regarded as a patent troll, $502.6 million in damages. It's the latest development in a legal battle that started way back in 2010 when VirnetX filed a lawsuit against the tech giant, accusing it of infringing on its intellectual properties. VirnetX claims that FaceTime, iMessage and VPN on Demand violate four of its patents related to secure communications. "The evidence was clear," VirnetX chief Kendall Larsen said after the court's decision was announced. "Tell the truth and you don't have to worry about anything."
Apple faces patent lawsuit over Watch's heart rate sensor
Apple Watch's heart rate sensor is built on stolen tech -- that's what a lawsuit filed against the company is claiming, at least. A Michigan-based health startup called Omni MedSci is accusing Cupertino of using technology on the Watch that infringes on four of its patents, all of which reference the use of a light source on a wearable device to take blood measurements. In his lawsuit, Omni founder Dr. Mohammed N. Islam said he met with Apple's medical technology specialist, hardware designer and even VP of product marketing Greg Joswiak several times from 2014 to 2016 to discuss what were then merely patent applications.
Microsoft vows to let partner companies keep their patents
Microsoft has launched a new policy that means its tech customers will keep hold of any patent rights that come out of its partnerships. In a blog post, Microsoft president Brad Smith explained that the Shared Innovation Initiative is designed to reassure customers that the company won't use the knowledge gleaned from joint ventures to "enter their customer's market and compete against them."
BlackBerry sues Snap over map and messaging patents
Facebook isn't the only company facing a patent lawsuit filed by BlackBerry: the Canadian mobilemaker has also sued Snap for patent infringement. BlackBerry is accusing Snap of infringing on six of its patents issued between 2012 and 2014, two of which are also in its complaint against Facebook. According to the court documents Mashable found, those infringement claims affect Snap Map and the ephemeral app's messaging technology, which BlackBerry says copies the tech it uses for BBM. In BlackBerry's complaint against Facebook, it said it invented the core aspects of modern messaging, so it's not surprising that that particular aspect is also part of its lawsuit against Snap.
Apple patent taps VR to ease motion sickness in self-driving cars
The US Patent and Trademark Office has published an Apple patent application that details a pretty neat VR system. Spotted by Patently Apple, it's meant to be used in vehicles -- including self-driving vehicles -- and Apple pitches it as a way to mitigate motion sickness. But the company also describes a lot of other interesting applications, many of which could be used to turn a standard ride in an autonomous car into a business meeting, a concert or an exciting, zombie-filled adventure.
Walmart's future could include drone assistants and smart carts
Walmart is envisioning a high-tech future for its stores, based on the patents it recently filed. In fact, the devices it's considering sound like they'd be perfect for use in cashier-less stores similar to Amazon's, including a smart cart that can help shoppers navigate Walmart's aisles and find specific products. Another patent is for a wearable that can track either shoppers or employees as they enter and leave the premises. Walmart is also thinking of developing a drone that shoppers can summon with their phones to guide them to the specific item they're looking for.
Amazon dreams up a drone that will understand your hand signals
Amazon was just issued a patent for a UAV that can interpret gesture and vocal commands, a device that could in theory be used to deliver packages. First spotted by GeekWire, the patent describes a drone-like device outfitted with various sensors, cameras and other equipment that could recognize gestures such as a person waving it towards them or someone shooing it away. In some very entertaining illustrations, the patent shows the UAV approaching a human who's waving at it wildly.
Apple's latest patent teases a Pencil that can draw in mid-air
Apple's next Pencil could eschew the iPad Pro entirely. The Cupertino company has filed a patent for a stylus that can be used on any flat surface, and maybe even in the air, as spotted by Dutch site TechTastic. The patent title being "Content Creation Using Electronic Input Device on Non-electronic Surfaces" gives us a few ideas of how Apple might pitch this. Which is great considering how light on details the rest of the patent, filed last July and made public in January, is.
Amazon patent details hand-tracking wristbands for warehouse workers
Companies are all about making sure you're working, and they're using increasingly high-tech solutions to do so. One firm in London uses AI to analyze your daily behavior, while the FreshTeam messaging app can track employee locations. Now, Amazon was just awarded a patent for a wristband that tracks warehouse workers' hand movements.
Amazon patent describes mirror for trying on virtual clothes
Amazon's next move in the fashion world could be a mirror that shows how outfits will look on you without you having to actually put them on. GeekWire reports that the company has been granted a patent describing just that sort of technology. Using mirrors, screens, displays, projectors and cameras, the system is able to combine a person's likeness with virtual images and present a blended-reality reflection that shows them in a variety of virtual background settings and wearing virtual outfits.
Apple wireless charging patent describes ability to prioritize devices
Two patent applications published today by the US Patent and Trademark Office give us a peek into what kind of mobile device charging options Apple may be giving us in the future. As VentureBeat reports, the two applications were both filed in June though neither have been approved yet.
Apple’s self-driving cars could use routes others have traveled
Apple has been working on some sort of autonomous car for a while now. The system — apparently an add-on to existing vehicles — has been seen in a research paper back in November. More plans appeared in a presentation by Carnegie Mellon professor of AI Ruslan Salakhutdinov this month. Now, according to a patent discovered by Autoblog, Apple's 2015 application for an autonomous navigation system has just been published.
