Google Has Bought BumpTop, But Apple Has A Patent for 3D Widgets

As Patently Apple reports, Apple has been granted a new patent and this time is all about making the next iteration of Mac OS X go 3D. Well, the patent is actually about three-dimensional widgets, and we’re just speculating that something like this will come to Mac OS X in the future, but from what we can see in the patent - it would be amazing.

Basically, you see these widgets with multiple surfaces (like, say, a cube) and each one has a different “view”: a weather widget, for example, would have one surface for forecasts in Cupertino and one for those in New York. You get the hang of it.

“In general, one aspect of the subject matter described in this specification could be embodied in methods that include defining a viewing surface; modeling a depth axis extending from the viewing surface; generating a plurality of three-dimensional widgets disposed along the depth axis, each three dimensional widget being a three-dimensional representation of an object and having a plurality of application surfaces; and for each three-dimensional widget having a plurality of widget functions, associate the widget functions with corresponding application surfaces. Other embodiments of this aspect include corresponding systems, apparatus, and computer program products.

Another aspect of the subject matter described in this specification could be embodied in methods that include defining a viewing surface; defining a back surface disposed from the viewing surface along a depth axis; and generating a widget receptacle disposed along the depth axis, the widget receptacle and having a plurality of receptacle surfaces, each receptacle surface being associated with a widget and being actuated by a selection of the receptacle surface, and upon such actuation causing an instantiation of the widget associated with the receptacle surface. Other embodiments of this aspect include corresponding systems, apparatus, and computer program products.”

Check out the patent details here, and a couple of screenshots after the break.

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New iPhone 4G Leak Confirms Higher Resolution, LCD Screen

Italian iPhone blog iSpazio has posted two photos of what they claim to be the frame and screen of the next iPhone, which they’ve got from a reliable source.

As you can read in the post (here’s the Google Translation) the frame has the same corners and little hole for the front facing camera as Gizmodo’s prototype, but what’s interesting is that they’ve been told from their source that Apple won’t use the much rumored AMOLED screens for the next iPhone, which will have a LCD screen, like the current generation.

Also, it seems like the screen connector is bigger, and this would confirm the alleged higher resolution of the new device.

Check out the photos after the break.

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ClamCase Delivers an Apple Netbook

Steve Jobs didn’t create the iPad to be used as magical slates designed to deliver content at the tips of our fingers. Nope, the iPad was always destined to be a Netbook. You know it was Apple’s plan all along to wait for a manufacturer to deliver the perfect laptop clam-shell case, perfectly housing an aluminum device in its plastic housing. And folks, ClamCase has delivered that promise.

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Opera: “Flash as a Video Container Makes Very Little Sense”

Flash is under fire again, and this time the attack comes from Opera Software. In an interview with Techradar, Opera’s product analyst Phillip Grønvold said that the future of the web is made of open standards, and that Flash is not open. If Opera wants to stay in the market, they need to support them and Flash for video really doesn’t make sense.

“Today’s internet content is dependant on Flash,” said Grønvold. “If you remove Flash you do not have today’s internet. We are trying to give the best internet experience for our users therefore we need Flash - there is no way to beat around that bush.”

But at Opera we say that the future of the web is open web standards and Flash is not an open web standards technology. Flash does have its purposes and will have its purposes, the same as [Microsoft’s] Silverlight and others, especially for dynamic content. But flash as a video container makes very little sense for CPU, WiFi battery usage etcetera – you can cook an egg on [devices] once you start running Flash on them and there’s a reason for that.”

So there you have it, Opera joins the debate as well. I think they’re making the right move.


Task This, Icon Driven Projects

Project management applications. Getting things done. There’s always something for the iPhone & iPod touch that relates to task management. And hell, Apple just opened up a brand new section exclusively for us perhaps OCD individuals. I mean, are all Apple owners productivity freaks or what? The next time someone tosses the term “hipster” out there, I might be inclined to add that we happen to be “productive” hipsters. With icons! Task This icons.

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Apple Adds a “Get Stuff Done” Section to the App Store

Apple is constantly refining the App Store experience, in order to showcase the best apps (App of the Week) or just show off the capabilities of a device by grouping the most interesting apps into a specific section.

It seems like Apple has just launched a new one, called “Get Stuff Done”, which groups the best productivity / business apps to get things done on the iPad. Lots of good apps are in there, and I think this is an interesting move from Apple to tell people that the iPad isn’t just meant for consuming media - but for producing content as well.

Check out the new section here.