Apple patents karaoke lessons The US Patent and Trademark office today released a flurry of 22 Apple patent applications, the most earth-shaking of which may rid the world of one of nightlife's most maddening menaces: off-key karaoke singers. We'll get to some of the others in a moment, but first: Methods and Systems for Providing Real-Time Feedback for …
The Karaoke Revolution games for various consoles (Gamecube, PS2) fulfill this need quite well, though it's hard to tell if Apple's going for consoles on this one. The feedback indicator might be different as well, been awhile since I last tried to ruin Dust in the Wind via my Wii. Would this be considered prior art or does it not compete? Patents these days can seem so all-encompassing.
My megaphone allows me to share the karaoke experience with all Reg readers.
"# provide audio touchscreen feedback for either visually impaired users or those involved in don't-look-now activities such as driving;
# equip a broad range of electronic devices with interface elements that communicate using tactile feedback including vibration, heat, and electrical signals;"
These two will be best merged into a "burning and electrocution of drive-n-play road cowboys". As a standalone tech, the second is much more compelling. One just have to hope that the iBOFH application I'm about to write, and which will take full advantage of these new "electric shock" and "burn" capabilities, won't be booted from the store. There'll be a free "receiving" app for lusers to install, and I might charge a small fee for BOFH or helldesk people who wish to install the full-fledged "command" app. Oh, and it won't be possible to remove the "receiving" app once installed. Sounds good?
OK why does it seem like Apple is becoming more and more like a patent troll with each of these filings? Prior art surely. I cant think of how many people who start singing and get told to shut the fuck up or the will be shut up for sounding like a drowned cat while singing. Surely that should count as prior art. . .
On a side though:
* detect when batteries are swelling prior to failure;
Now I will say why didn't I think about this one? Actually a rather decent idea and I don't recall ever hearing about it being attempted or done before.
* equip a broad range of electronic devices with interface elements that communicate using tactile feedback including vibration, heat, and electrical signals.
Doesn't the iPhone already do this? Someone calls, vibration? Check. Using the iPhone and it begins heating up so much to burn you? Check. Alerting you that there is a lightning storm in your area by accepting the lightning strike and saving your life? Check.
Why would they need to patent something that is as obvious as those reasons I just listed :P
/Im off to the bar
Then they would know like most of us Kj's that all karaoke scoring systems suck and can be easily skewed . Theres only one way to gauge a song and thats front and centre with a mic in your hand . Now if they produced an auto turret that automatically identified and gunned down anyone that uses singstar as a practice aid then Id be buying my first Apple product lol .
# provide audio touchscreen feedback for either visually impaired users or those involved in don't-look-now activities such as driving;
# allow an electronic device to issue specific user-selectable commands in response to your fingerprints; and
# seamlessly and transparently switch phone calls on the fly between cellular and VoIP services.
detect when batteries are swelling prior to failure
In other words device to lie to you so you get a another cack battery installed sooner. If it happens before warranty expiration they claim its a consumable and to cough up more money. Here is a message for Apple and other electronics companies. Stop calling it a fucking consumable if i cant change it myself without having to undo more than one screw. How about this patent instead,
Design for putting a decent battery in the device in the first place
Apple - Designed in California, Battery bought from Poundland
"seamlessly and transparently switch phone calls on the fly between cellular and VoIP services."
Oh you mean this?
http://www.mobileeurope.co.uk/news_analysis/111703/IMS_controlled_VoIP_to_mobile_handover.html
I've also got a bloody great document kicking around somewhere all about this technology , must of downloaded it a good year or two ago...
Try inventing something instead of patenting other peoples ideas....
Don't Apple know that correlation and pitch detection have been sed in audio DSP for years?
Correlation == radar/sonar
Pitch Detection? I refer my learned colleague to a small company called Antares with a product known as AutoTune
If putting those together is an 'invention' then that's sooo lame. It's pretty bloody obvious.
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