Apple's "smart pen".
Link: http://news.discovery.com/tech/gear-and-gadgets/apple-smart-pen-patent-130328.htm
Friday, March 29, 2013
Week 9 - Post 1: Apple Patents the Smart Pen
Today I read an interesting article that Apple just received a patent on a "smart pen" device. The device will supposedly resemble a standard pen, except that it will have the capabilities of a computer embedded within it. It will have a small LCD screen for sending and receiving both e-mails and text messages directly from the pen itself. The pen would include a microphone, speaker, and rechargeable battery, in addition to cellular or GPS technology to allow the pen to communicate wirelessly. However the most interesting feature about this pen seems to be its potential to write without a surface. Apple's smart pen would be able to write in air, and due to the pen's accelerometer and handwriting recognition technology, the pen would be able to record what was written.
Apple's smart pen seems like an interesting concept, and now that they have the patent on the technology to create such a pen, it will be interesting to see if they actually launch such a device. In a world of touchscreen smartphones and tablets, is there truly a need for an electronic pen nowadays? Regardless, I can say that it would personally be very nice to have a pen that allows me to write anywhere, however I wonder how Apple would solve the problem of erasing any writing. Moreover, how would one be able to see what they had written and then erase it? It seems like Apple would have several problems to thresh out with this product; is Apple grasping for straws at this point in an attempt to stay ahead within the technology sector? I would be interested in hearing if anyone thinks this technology has any potential, because such a device seems questionable at this point.
Link: http://news.discovery.com/tech/gear-and-gadgets/apple-smart-pen-patent-130328.htm
Link: http://news.discovery.com/tech/gear-and-gadgets/apple-smart-pen-patent-130328.htm
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That's a very interesting patent. And I hadn't even thought of the problems of erasing writing. However, I also think patents are often written to cover technology as broadly as possible. Maybe it could be that the pen would probably be used on paper, but the patent was written in that manner just to be as broad as possible.
ReplyDeleteI think the idea is great, I wonder if the name of the pen would be iPen. I wonder if the pen could have the preview so that you can edit and delete anything before you release or send to anyone. I guess the first generation would not be perfect if Apple release it in the future. But Apple fans will collect it anyway.
ReplyDeleteInteresting! Writing in air...I feel like that could be difficult for people at first, since we are so used to writing on surface. I think you make a very good point when questioning whether this product is something that we will need.
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