Items tagged with Patent
In a move reminiscent of early personal computers like the Commodore 64, TRS-80, and countless others, Apple has filed a patent that could completely revamp the functionality of its Magic Keyboard. The patent reveals a keyboard device that would house a full computer inside, which could be connected to virtually any...
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Here's a processor primer for novices: classical computing workloads are largely "serial", meaning they go through problems A, to, B, to C, in a series. CPUs have historically been designed through the years to be better and better at this kind of workload. More and more, though, we're also doing parallel work, which...
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Microsoft's dual-screen Surface Duo didn’t exactly wow consumers. The Surface Duo 2 may be a bit more popular, but it’s still not really groundbreaking or record-setting in terms of unit sales. Now, it appears the Redmond-based company is working on a new design for the Surface handheld. Instead of two screens, it may...
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A image shared to Twitter yesterday by Gigabyte's Aorus France division is generating some buzz and excitement among PC builders, as the design has the potential to vastly improve cable management and, by extension, airflow of modern gaming PCs and workstations. While incredibly nifty, there's just one potential...
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In 2014, it was established that the U.S. Copyright Office would "not register works produced by nature, animals, plants, or through divine or supernatural spirits." This declaration stemmed from a monkey who took a selfie and a photographer who thought they had the rights to the image. We are now facing a similar...
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Fueling rumors that AMD is at least mulling, if not outright planning a hybrid future for Zen is a newly published patent outlining a "method of task transition between heterogeneous processors." AMD filed the patent in December 2019. It gets into some of the nitty-gritty details, but the general takeaways is that...
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A new patent has turned up from Sony Interactive Entertainment that appears to show new virtual reality motion controllers. The controllers look a lot like the Valve Index, leading to speculation that the Sony patent is highlighting a PSVR 2 controller. The patent is titled "Controller Device" and talks about an input...
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A new patent has turned up from Sony that shows the console maker is working on an AI assistant that could coach gamers. With the PlayStation 5 set to launch this holiday season, the technology that Sony outlines in this patent could possibly turn up in the next-generation game console. The title of the patent is...
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The problem for gamers who try and play VR games in their living room is that the immersion factor means furniture in the home becomes a hazard. Microsoft has a new patent application that has surfaced that shows what it is thinking about to help define the VR playing area to make play safer. The patent application is...
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Apple has a new patent application that has turned up at the USPTO that outlines a new system of haptic feedback that aims to make on-screen keyboards feel more like the real thing. The haptic tech described in the patent is called "Static Pattern Electrostatic Haptic Electrodes," and the goal is to to provide more...
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Microsoft files for a lot of patents, and some of the tech that is seen in the patent apps never ends up getting used in production products. A new patent has turned up, and this one is quite a bit different from some of the others we have seen. This patent appears to be for a Surface hinge and was filed by Microsoft...
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Nintendo has filed a patent that turned up in a patent database in Japan, for new Joy-Con controllers that might make it much more comfortable to game on the go or at home. The new controllers are hinged, and the front section can fold down to make the typically flat controllers more ergonomic and comfortable to grip...
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Some Apple patent applications have turned up that show what the folks in Cupertino are working that could be incorporated into future Apple Watch bands. One of the patents outlines a method that Apple is working on that would eliminate the need to enter a passcode on the Apple Watch or a paired iPhone to unlock the...
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A recently published patent application filed in the US by Microsoft describes a "multi-sided electromagnetic coil access assembly" that would be the crux of a folding PC display. Or in other words, think of Samsung's Galaxy Fold, only instead of a phone that opens up into a tablet, this could be a dual-display...
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LG has a new patent that was granted in China for a smartphone that goes beyond what the folding screen devices we have seen so far offer. The patent shows a device that has a folding screen in the middle with no seam, similar to what Samsung did with the Galaxy Fold. Things get quite different from there.
LG's...
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Back in late 2018, we first talked about the controller prototypes for Microsoft's Project xCloud game streaming service that were meant to make gaming on smartphones and tablets more enjoyable. Controls are a crucial part of allowing gamers to enjoy the games xCloud offers anywhere, and few are happy with touch...
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Foldable devices seemed like the way of the future as manufacturers like Samsung and Huawei rushed to get them into production. The high profile failure of the Samsung Galaxy Fold seems to have put a damper on that rush, however. IBM has filed a patent for a wearable that can be a smartwatch, a smartphone, and a...
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Sony has patented a technology that could reduce or even completely get rid of loading screens in games. Assuming the patent is something Sony chooses to follow through on, the technology could find its way into the company's upcoming PlayStation 5 console, which is making the switch from a slower mechanical hard...
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Microsoft files a lot of patent applications, and of course many of them won't result in products that actually arrive to market. One patent application seen last month that is expected to result in a new product, however, was for the Surface Pro 7. On occasion, the patents do tip some future devices and give us a...
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Samsung rushed to be the first to market with a folding smartphone, and the high-profile failure of the Galaxy Fold highlighted the perils of rushing to market. The device failed in the hands of reviewers, and it's still unclear when the Fold might launch.
Samsung is looking down the road and sees devices with...
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While we are likely a while away from a true replacement for the replacement for the Surface Pro 6, a patent application has surfaced that hints at one of the features of the next-gen device. The patent application describes fancy new hinges for the critical integrated kickstand that props the tablet portion of the...
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Microsoft unveiled the HoloLens 2 augmented reality headset at MWC 2019, and as cool as the hardware is, it is aimed at the commercial market and carries the price tag to go with it. Consumers aren't the market Microsoft's fancy new headset targets, but a new patent filing shows how the software giant plans to bring...
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