May 6, 2006
Apple patent filing hints at mobile phone
According to The Mercury News, the smoldering rumor that Apple could someday unveil a mobile phone just got doused with gasoline.
"On Thursday, the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office made public a December 2004 patent application by Apple describing a hypothetical wireless mobile device, as well as how a person could use such a device to mark media items -- video, ringtones, graphics or video -- for later download.
An Apple spokeswoman declined to comment on the filing. But at least one analyst believes it's a clear indication that an Apple-branded phone is not a question of if, but when.
... The main thrust of the document describes how a person using a mobile device could mark items for download later. The idea is that a person using a mobile device on a "low-bandwidth'' network, where a download would take a long time, could put off the download until they have access to a "high-bandwidth'' network, such as a home computer connected to the Internet via DSL or cable modem."
See also Engadget's perspective.
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