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Apple Patents 'Chameleon' Computer Case
Dave B writes "The Register
has been fishing at the patent office again and found that Apple has a new patent for "a computing device [which] includes a housing having an illuminable portion. The computing device also includes a light device disposed inside the housing. The light device is configured to illuminate the illuminable portion".
While this gives us the exciting prospect of an iMac that is all five fruit flavors at once surely the original iMac with its glowing power button, or indeed a-thousand-and-one other electronic gizmos represent prior art?" Update a couple of users noticed this Slashdot Story from 2002 which looks familiar.
There ...
are
four LIGHTS!!!!!!!!!
It certainly is a patent issue
The term prior art is mainly used in the patent field.
I guess it now make sense to call them iLamps ! Damn it was my favorite joke.
Gimme my 699$ or suffer the litigatious consequnceses.
-- "I'm not a religious man, but if you're up there, save me Superman..."
Good thing no one has a patent on hyperbole -- you'd be in some serious trouble with the above post.
Cretin - a powerful and flexible CD reencoder
Just what I need a computer that hides from me by becoming the same colour as the desk.
Not to mention that Apple would really have to smoke some bad crack to claim prior art against their own patent.
Wait - computers don't actually do that? I guess I'm going to have to re-watch all those movies that I learned about computers from.
This is obviously the first hack anyone is going to write for it. The color and pattern is software-controlled, and therefore application-agnostic.
Second, someone (it could be me) will figure out how to goatse your case.
Cretin - a powerful and flexible CD reencoder
I don't know about "Lasers". You might open the case and shoot your eye out.
Evolution or ID?
Yeah, and if someone gets Goatse'd, a little fluorescent man holding his anus pops up on the case.
And more importantly: STOP dropping acid!
Escape Pod Films: Sketch Comedy and Web Series
How do you think you come up with a patent for a colour changing "chameleon" computer case?
-- james
It looks like Apple is extending the "illuminated case" theme by making it more interactive. The patent is purposely vague about what the illumination is, taking (what seems to be) pains to avoid calling the illumination static. I think they're looking at displaying color bars, logos, icons, etc. on the case from the inside. It would be cool to see an entire case shaded (for example) from blue to red to indicate processor activity. Imagine a rack full of server systems with that capability, in a dark server room....
I wonder what will happen if it ever works out that it can behave like a chameleon and then it suddenly disappears....?
ACHTUNG! Alles touristen und non-technischen peepers!
Das machine control is nicht fur gerfinger-poken und mittengrabben. Oderwise is easy schnappen der springenwerk, blowen fuse, und poppencorken mit spitzensparken.
Der machine is diggen by experten only. Is nicht fur geverken by das dummkopfen. Das rubbernecken sightseenen keepen das cotten picken hands in das pockets, so relaxen und watchen das blinkenlights.
Cress, cress, lovely lovely cress
I think the Mood Stone guy is gonna have a little something to say about this...
"If my answers frighten you, then you should cease asking scary questions." -Jules Winnfield
Instead of the Blue Screen Of Death, you now get a Blue Case Of Death?
The Tao of math: The numbers you can count are not the real numbers.
UV? Is that for tanning purposes? Lord knows geeks need it more than anyone else...
Ahhh! Slashdot is being invaded by Multics users!
Heh, your entire case will turn into the swirling beach ball of doom!!
(yes, I know it's not quite analogous to the BSOD)
"[Regarding the 'cloud,'] ownership was what made America different than Russia." -- Woz