Did your iPhone 'just stop working' - or did you drop it in your BEER?

Errm...

Don't iPhones already have four of these?

I'm pretty sure my Nokia 7650 already had something like this.

At least, that's what the people in the phone shop told me. It was a while ago though ...

Why don't they make a range of phones that don't die in water instead?

You know they could milk it for all its worth money wise, and people would still buy them.

alt-tab functionality

'for example one which allows you to view multiple application windows in a user interface'

Maemo 5 has it if im interperting this correctly:

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2570/4177970959_ed8a36d40a.jpg

To be fair, its rather usefull, it displays the progression a program is making(for example installing) whilst you happily can do other things.

I installed netdroid 2.3 on my N900 and its one of the things I mis the most, good multi-tasking.

poor reporting

I think what Anna failed to make clear is that, even though Apple have been using this for ages (since the very first iPhone i think) the patent office has only now got around to approving their patent application for it.

The water exposure test has been around for yonks, hence the popularised "stick a blob of tippex on the end of a biro and cover the thing that's gone red, then pray to god they don't pay much attention when checking it" approach that crops up in various places around the web as a response to "Help I dropped my iPhone down the bog!".

Unbelievable

How do Apple keep getting granted this crap? This isn't new, it wasn't invented by them but now they can try and stiff everybody with lawsuits. Does a member of the Apple board run the USPTO? Even a brief search would have shown this to be invalid, it's like the patent office don't even bother looking if the application comes from Apple. I'm surprised Apple don't try and file one that just says 'the invention of everything ever even if it isn't invented yet but when it is we retro-actively invented it'

As for 'one which allows you to view multiple application windows in a user interface', could the patent office be any more moronic? This is what happens when you turn the patent office from just being a registry of protected inventions into a business out to make profit. Shut it down now, declare everything void and start again - it's the only way to fix this mess.

Who in the US patent office is taking bribes?

Other companies have been adding water detection to electronics for years.

Other people have made all sorts of multi-window systems using all sorts of concepts.

Playing songs in order in a shuffled playlist -- isn't that just "add to queue".

Even assuming they're doing something slightly novel in these cases I really fail to beleive that there is anything _that different_ to current technologies that it wouldn't be obvious.

So, either the US Patent Office just pass anything without any checks or Apple are paying someone to do that for them.

If getting it wet voids the warranty,

then what"s the good of this "immersive visual display"? It's like they're -trying- to... oh. Well, of course.

Warm wet places...

I used to be a music photographer.

I have entered a warm muggy pub from a freezing outside world, from my bike, and all my lenses etc (Photographic kit) immediately fogged up. I had to wait around until it all warmed up before taking pictures.

I've also been in a warm summer pub gig with a good crowd of punks all pogoing about and had to turn the camera off. There was so much moisture in the air I could barely hold the camera, I was literally bathed in sweat, and the electronics went 'funny'. Once it had dried out it was fine again.

So any crapple device could easily be invalidated...

P.

more, soon to be invalidated patents?

one which allows you to view multiple application windows in a user interface - I am pretty sure Notion Ink with their Adam tablet already cover that one;

and one which will allow you to listen to certain tracks in a fixed sequence even when playing tracks on random shuffle - That sounds suspiciously like something Winamp had some 15 years ago, or?

So what stops...

... the rabid fanboi "Genius" bar employee from dropping a little water on these and telling the customer that its not covered?

Patents increase the company value

Almost nobody questions the value of patents. And if the company tells the engineer to invent X, they won't even have to pay him much. They can then claim it's worth 100k, give the engineer 1k, but only have actual costs of maybe 1-2k. At least in Germany, getting a patent is really simple, you don't even need a lawyer.

As mentioned before, nobody cares if that patent is valid or not, it still increases the value of the company, and it can be batch sold with other patents in case of bad times.

They gave me a new device

After sinking it in toilet bowl so I guess the water detection wasn't in iPhone 4 model.

Asking

too much to make the unit waterproof? Or shut down when it detects water but before water damage occurs. Just works to show the manufacturer the warranty is void. Great.

Patents mean nothing

Patents mean nothing until they've been tested in court - it all depends on the relative sizes of companies involved.

If, say, a far-east mobile phone maker develops a phone and a large software company comes along and says "You're breaching our patents. Give us $10 per device or we'll see you in court" the dveloper has a choice, face getting screwed by lawyers for years and possibly end up losing or pay the 'license'.

If another company tries the same trick, possibly talking about rounded corners, their rival may then say "see you in court" and lawyers get rich.

just an idea

but a lot of water damage usually happens when the user tries to power on a device, could it be possible to insert a piece of tech that on detection of water shuts off power.....

oh wait a sec, then manufactures wouldnt be able to charge a fortune for repairs

oh well, just a thought

Why aren't phones waterproof already?

It used to be that I could make a phone call in the rain, whydo they not cater for this use case anymore? Nowadays I don't dare try just in case a rain drop manages to find its way in side the case.

Drat my Swiss watch is waterproof. Why did they not take out a patent to prove the watch got wet?

Alternatively, make the kit water resistant Apple, or is that too hard?

"I'm still not getting how they patented this." (and others)

So many of you young techies aren't getting this. You probably will, eventually. Here's a hint.

The patent system isn't run for the benefit of inventors, developers, manufacturers, etc.

It's run for the benefit of "patent industry" insiders - lawyers, agents, etc. They make the rules, they get the benefit. The fact that, as illustrated here, it's largely disconnected from reality is neither here nor there, so long as sufficient money can be transferred from the many outsiders to the few insiders.

A bit like banking, in that respect.

More ridiculous patents?

Don't the judges realise what they are doing? That this company is patenting every little thing?

What will happen when Apple patents judge's hammer? How will the judges pass judgement then??

Blackberries have had this sort of device/sticker under their batteries for the last 2+ years that I know of..

If RIM has not patented the item I am sure they are buying the water detection sticker from some company that DOES have it patented... can we say "LAWSUIT"

Apple stuff is just really poor build quality by design they want it to be flimsy. (Whether it is because they care more about form than function doesn't matter).

It is designed so if you do have a small problem you have to be extorted by them to get it fixed.