Mac patent iphone technology

Apple is laying claim to the navigation interface provided by the iPhone, a new patent application reveals. Published by the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), the filing is simply titled Touch Screen Device, Method, and Graphical User Interface for Providing Maps, Directions, and Location-Based Information. Apple begins its claim by noting that as the number of functions presented by handhelds grows, it becomes increasingly difficult to build a matching interface, and multiplying the number of buttons present may be useless when dealing with applications such as Google Maps.

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Apple Considering ‘At a Glance’ Notification on iPhone

A recent patent application from Apple reveals that the company is considering adding a proper "At a Glance" notification screen for the iPhone. The proposed screen would allow users to quickly jump to the desired notification simply by pressing on the corresponding notification.

Shozu iPhone Apps

LONDON — (BUSINESS WIRE) — ShoZu today announced a new edition of its free social media aggregator for iPhone and iPod touch, available immediately on the Apple App Store. This enhanced version further simplifies photo uploading, blogging and other mobile interaction with more than 50 Web 2.0 sites such as Facebook, Flickr, Google Blogger, Picasa Web Albums and Twitter.

Enhancements include the ability to take and upload high-resolution pictures from within the application, add geo-tags to any photo if desired, make text-only posts to blogging sites, and use ShoZu in five languages. ShoZu has also added new reliability features to ensure smoother photo uploads, easier addition of new Internet destinations, and faster application speed overall.

“This new release extends our mobile social media gateway to iPhone users in four new languages and adds some of the top feature requests we have received since our iPhone edition was launched,” said Mark Bole, ShoZu CEO. “Now it’s easier than ever to communicate with your favourite online communities, blogs and social networks from the iPhone or iPod touch, whether you’re uploading photos, blogging or using other social media features to keep up with your online social life on the go.”

The core ShoZu application for iPhone enables users to quickly and easily upload any photo captured with the device’s built-in camera or saved to the iPhone photo library to their choice of over 50 online communities from a single interface, eliminating the need to navigate to each site separately or manage a different iPhone application for each service. Pictures can be transmitted to any number of supported sites simultaneously with a tap, saving time by eliminating multiple consecutive uploads.

In addition, on many leading sites, ShoZu allows users to change their social network status, have friends’ photostreams and status changes sent to the iPhone, and read and reply to comments posted on their content — all from the ShoZu application.

The newest edition adds key capabilities and improvements including:

* Text-only posts to blogging sites from Google Blogger to Vox, Wordpress, Typepad and more. Photo blog uploads are still supported.
* Geo-tagging for any photo upload, allowing photos to automatically appear on maps in sites like Flickr and Picasa Web Albums. Users can now add geo-tags - even when using non-GPS iPhone/iPod touch devices - simply by tapping “Add geo-tag for current location” on the same ShoZu screen where they add titles, descriptions and tags.
* High-resolution (1600×1200) photo capture and upload, for users who want crisper images than the 640×480 resolution provided from the iPhone album. High-res photos can now be taken and uploaded directly from within the ShoZu application.
* Faster startup and new ease-of-use features, including an easy way to tell how many photos are still waiting to upload.
* Easier retrieval of new content feeds, including friends’ Flickr or Facebook photostreams, Facebook status updates, Facebook event listings, and more.
* Automatic time stamps by time zone, including Daylight Savings Time where applicable.
* Localized versions in French, German, Italian and Spanish, in addition to the original English-only release.

ShoZu for iPhone is available as a free download from Apple’s App Store on iPhone and iPod touch or at www.itunes.com/appstore/

InvisibleSheild Screen Protector No.1 Accessory

Zagg, a leading producer of patented transparent protective film coverings and accessories for mobile electronics, announced today that the company’s flagship product, the invisibleSHIELD, is now the top selling accessory for the Apple iPhone 3G. The invisibleSHIELD is made of an ultra-thin material originally used by the military to protect the leading edge of helicopter blades, and now comes custom cut to SHIELD today’s hottest gadgets.

Shortly after Apple announced the sale of its 1,000,000th second generation iPhone, ZAGG had sold over 100,000 invisibleSHIELDs for the iPhone 3G, covering a staggering 10 percent of the devices and placing ZAGG atop the crowded iPhone accessory market. The announcement comes on the heels of the company’s second quarter earnings report, which boasted a nearly 250% increase in year-over-year sales.

“The invisibleSHIELD has sparked a revolution in the way people think about their gadget protection,” says Robert Pedersen II, CEO of ZAGG Inc. “According to our research, the invisibleSHIELD is the top selling accessory for the iPhone 3G, and with good reason. As the first virtually invisible ‘case’ to protect for life, it truly is a must-have accessory for the iPhone, as well as other electronics. The invisibleSHIELD isn’t just a screen protector on steroids, but a full-body wrap, protecting the whole device. As sales of the iPhone 3G continue to skyrocket, sales for the invisibleSHIELD have grown stronger as well.”

Recent numbers show that Apple plans to build up to 45 million new iPhones in the 12 months through August 2009. And according to New York-based ABI Research, handset accessory sales are expected to top $40 billion in 2008. The explosion of this relatively new market was aided in no small part by the ubiquitous iPhone. While enjoying the benefits the iPhone 3G has invited, ZAGG will continue to be the first to provide precision designed and cut protective invisibleSHIELDs for new models from other innovative manufacturers such as LG, Samsung, Palm and BlackBerry, who are counting on the success of their own smartphones to challenge Apple’s dominance in the market. A major shift in the industry toward touch-screen capabilities makes the need for ZAGG’s invisibleSHIELD brand of protection all the more urgent. Traditional cases either cannot protect these screens without hindering usability, or they are made of a cheap disposable film that easily scratches. This is not the case with the invisibleSHIELD.

“We won’t rest until our revolutionary brand of protection is the top accessory for all mobile electronics,” says Pedersen. “We protect thousands of different devices, without concealing their intended design, and we guarantee that protection for life. That’s the kind of accessory everyone should know about.”

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