Mobile Me

[chris]

Looks like Apple might be joining the fray with a new smartphone? They filed a patent for a mobile device that's called Mobile Me. I think Verizon's new vCast is causing some concern in Cupertino. Hmmmmm? Enquiring minds want to know.

[chris]

More stuff to fuel speculation:
On January 5th, the company made four separate filings on the term, covering a broad range of technologies and services.

The first filing describes Mobile Me as a computing device that could include:

"Computer services; computer data recovery; data analysis being computer services; computer programming; updating of computer software; maintenance of computer software, computer and communications networks, and computer systems; research and development of computer hardware and software; website design, creation, hosting services;"

A second filing covers the digital audio space, describing Mobile Me as:

"providing digital music from local or global communications networks, including the internet, intranets, extranets, television, mobile communication, cellular and satellite networks; operating chat rooms; publication of electronic books and journals from local or global communications networks, including the internet, intranets, extranets, television, mobile communication, cellular and satellite networks; providing on-line electronic publications; electronic games services provided from local or global communications networks, including the internet, intranets, extranets, television, mobile communication, cellular and satellite networks; information relating to music entertainment, education, interactive entertainment and education, provided on-line from local or global communications networks, including the internet, intranets, extranets, television, mobile communication, cellular and satellite networks; music library services; organizing and conducting seminars and training courses relating to science, engineering, computer systems and business"

The third filing relates Mobile Me to a consumer electronics portable device. The filing covers:

"Portable digital electronic devices and software related thereto; handheld digital electronic devices and software related thereto; digital audio players, including digital music players, and software related thereto; digital video players and software related thereto; MP3 players and software related thereto; handheld computers, personal digital assistants, pagers, electronic organizers, electronic notepads; telephones, mobile phones, videophones; computer gaming machines; microprocessors, memory boards; monitors, displays, keyboards, cables, modems, printers, disk drives; cameras, digital cameras; prerecorded computer programs for personal information management; database management software; character recognition software; telephony management software; electronic mail and messaging software, paging software; database synchronization software; computer programs for accessing, browsing and searching online databases;"

Finally, Apple also filed for a trademark on Mobile Me as service that could include:

"Telecommunication services; electronic transmission and retrieval of data, images, audio, video and documents, including text, cards, letters, messages, mail, animations, and electronic mail, over local or global communications networks, including the internet, intranets, extranets, television, mobile communication, cellular and satellite networks; electronic transmission of computer software over local or global communications networks, including the internet, intranets, extranets, television, mobile communication, cellular, and satellite networks; electronic mail services; facsimile transmission; web site portal services; providing access to databases and local or global communications networks, including the internet, intranets, extranets, television, mobile communication, cellular, and satellite networks; internet service provider services; message transmission services, namely, electronic transmission of messages; telecommunication services for the dissemination of information by mobile telephone, namely the transmission of data to mobile telephones; mobile telephone communication services."


Thanks to AppleInsider.

[nobbie]

Talk about stealing their thunder! This is one reason why Stevie's keynotes at MacWorld are so lame. All his, "Oh, one mor thing" announcements are already old news!

Still, though, there hasn't been anything really groundbreaking in ages. Yawn....

[nobbie]

I will say, though, that I will most likely switch from my HP Tablet PC to the Rev. B Macbook Pro at work. I need a bigger screen and more speed. I hope SlingBox gets their {bleep} together and puts out an OSX version of SlingMedia.

[chris]

I will say, though, that I will most likely switch from my HP Tablet PC to the Rev. B Macbook Pro at work. I need a bigger screen and more speed. I hope SlingBox gets their {bleep} together and puts out an OSX version of SlingMedia.

I'm curious tho hear you're thoughts on the new MacBook Pro. For some reason, I thought SlingBox supported the Mac.

-Chris

[nobbie]

Well, they are working on it.

http://www.slingmedia.com/press/pres...s-01.10.06.php

They say perhaps next quarter. We'll have to see.

I have no opinion on the MacBook yet. I have been told, however, by my IT peeps here at work to hold off a bit. They're working on a deal. Maybe they just don't want me dumping my perfectly find HP tablet just yet!

[chris]

Wow...how good does that look.

MacBook Pro's seem to be making there way out... looks like more Mac/Intel announcements on the 28th - yet another Mac special event.

-Chris