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IBM Granted "Paper-or-Plastic?" Patent
theodp writes "On Tuesday, IBM was granted US Patent No. 7,407,089 for storing a preference for paper or plastic grocery bags on customer cards and displaying a picture of said preference after a card is scanned. The invention, Big Blue explains, eliminates the 'unnecessary inconvenience for both the customer and the cashier' that results when 'Paper or Plastic?' must be asked. The patent claims also cover affixing a cute sticker of a paper or plastic bag to a customer card to indicate packaging preferences. So does this pass the 'significant technical content' test, IBM'ers?"
Q: does this pass the 'significant technical content' test?
First the long answer: Nope.
Now the short answer: No.
Man, I'd stock up on the -$1 bags!
Would you like to kill a tree or a turtle?
How we know is more important than what we know.
So you show the cashier a card to show them which card you prefer to show them?
Huh?
How about we also solve the "debit or credit" problem I have to deal with each time I visit the mini-mart?
Let me guess: I'll have to put a "credit" sticker on my credit cards, and a "debit" one on my debit cards.
If only there was a way to store this bit of data electronically, and somehow attach it to the card itself...
Would you like to kill a tree or a turtle?
If I can chop down a tree so it lands on a turtle can I have both?
And you can work around IBM's patent by tattooing your preference for paper or plastic on your forehead!
No they'll still have you "A computational device indicating preference". You'll have to pay royalties or forfeit your head.
I'd rather just have turtle soup in a paper cup.
With chives.
How we know is more important than what we know.
I'd like a card that says;
"I do not have a customer 'loyalty' card. No, I do not want a customer 'loyalty' card."
Would save me hours of wasted time in the average year. Can I patent this idea?
Can I have one that says: "No, I do not want a customer 'loyalty' card. I'd love a customer 'loyalty' blowjob though."?
People replying to my sig annoy me. That's why I change it all the time.
Killing the turtle won't make any difference, there's another one right underneath it.
Confucius say, "Find worm in apple - bad. Find half a worm - worse."
haha, Budweiser is Belgium beer.
It's also the number one beer sold in the world.
The Kruger Dunning explains most post on