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IBM Patents Tweeting Remote Control

Posted by CmdrTaco on from the just-put-a-clock-in-something dept.

Fluffeh writes "IBM has applied for a patent on a network-enabled smart remote control that sends out a message to Twitter, Facebook or a blog when you start watching a TV show." Hopefully this launches an exciting patent landgrab of devices that are socially enabled. Your car can tweet when you leave your garage. Your dishwasher can tweet when the load is done. Your skillet can tweet when your eggs are burnt. And they say innovation is dead.

6 of 282 comments (clear)

  1. Yes! by MyLongNickName · · Score: 5, Informative

    Now when I go to a friend's Twitter, I can know when his toilet has finished filling up after a flush.

    I LOVE THE TWENTY FIRST CENTURY!!!!!!111!!!!

    --
    See my journal for slashdot ID's by year. Mine created in 2005. http://slashdot.org/journal/289875/slashdot-ids-by-year
  2. Re:Guys, I don't get it by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Informative

    It's like an RSS feed, but you don't need any measure of competence to use it.

  3. Re:this should be easy by Richard_at_work · · Score: 4, Informative

    I really wish people would stop saying the equivilent of 'oooh oooh prior art' without ever reading the actual patent.

    The primary reason why AutoProfile is not prior art is because the IBM patent specifically refers to a:

    remote controller, suitable for use while viewing media programming and content

    and:

    The enhanced remote controller allows the viewer to both communicate with a blogging server, and thus to a blogging service, as well as to display responses to and from other bloggers with whom the viewer is communicating. These blog communications may be accomplished without the viewer having to leave the broadcast receiver of the television.

    which AutoProfile is not and has no functionality for.

    Read the patent before jumping to conclusions.

  4. Re:Wow. by palegray.net · · Score: 2, Informative

    Mine's at home learning Perl right now... on her Linux laptop... of course, she is pregnant, so the moodiness does balance out the cool factor a little ;).

    --
    512 MB RAM, 20 GB disk, 200 GB transfer, five datacenters. $19.95/month.
  5. Re:this should be easy by duguk · · Score: 2, Informative

    According to this logic no invention in the history of computing has ever been novel because it can all just be broken down to "interacting with a computer".

    To me that seems more fair than the current Patent system.

  6. Re:Wow. by SoupGuru · · Score: 5, Informative

    "Only around 15% of all the Twitter users are less than 25 years old.

    20% for people over 55 years and 16% for those under 25. Yeap, you read it right, 20% of Twitter users are over 55 years."

    http://crenk.com/twitter-is-for-old-people/

    Kind of scary, isn't it?

    --
    What doesn't kill you only delays the inevitable