Apple has been granted a patent (number 8239688) by the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office for securely recovering a computing device. It involves the Find my Mac and Find my iPhone features on its various devices.
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Connected TV penetration in North America and Western Europe will surge from just over 10% in 2011 to over 50% by 2017, according to ABI Research (http://www.abirsearch.coim). Blu-ray penetration is expected to have a similar progression, increasing from about 25% in Western Europe and North America in 2011 to over 76% by 2017 (standalone and game consoles included).
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A patent (number 8,239,784) for “mode-based graphical user interfaces for touch sensitive input devices” shows Apple is working on an alternative input method for iOS devices.
A user interface method is disclosed. The method includes detecting a touch and then determining a user interface mode when a touch is detected. The method further includes activating one or more GUI elements based on the user interface mode and in response to the detected touch.
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Apple has been granted a patent (number 8,239,276 ) for an “On-the-go Shopping List” that hints at an NFC-capable barcode-reading shopping assistant.
NFC (Near Field Communication) is a short-range wireless connection technology that could turn the iPhone into an electronic wallet or security passkey. NFC is already in use in Asia and is expected to explode here in the next three to five years, especially if Apple adopts the technology.
Read MoreSmart set-top boxes such as the Apple TV often garner less attention than other connected CE [consumer electronic] devices like TVs and game consoles; Apple has referred to its Apple TV as a “hobby” although it leads the market with around 4 million units shipped through 2011.
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