back to article Apple launches global 'iWatch' trademark blitz

Reports are popping up all over the intertubes about countries in which Apple has filed for a trademark on the term "iWatch". As The Reg mused on Monday when we reported that Apple had filed for such a trademark in Japan after filing in Russia last month, it's possible that Apple is protecting "iWatch" merely as a defensive …

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  1. Mike Brown

    Welcome to the death of apple

    I would like a smartwatch that links into my phone, and shows when i have emails, or msgs, or allows me to "dick tracey". I want one to easily change tracks, or to show how far i have cycled, or to act as a screen for my camera. I want one to show the time in peru, and to tell me what the weather is like in tibet. However there arnt enough of me to make an iWatch a success. This is the begining of the middle of the end for apple as we know it.

    1. Fink-Nottle
      Coat

      Re: Welcome to the death of apple

      What does Tracey think about all this?

      ok, ok ... it's stuck on the coat hook.

    2. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: Welcome to the death of apple

      "I would like a smartwatch that links into my phone,[...]"

      http://www.getpebble.com

      http://www.usatoday.com/story/tech/personal/2013/07/02/pebble-smartwatch-best-buy/2482881/

    3. jubtastic1
      Mushroom

      Re: Welcome to the death of apple

      Blimey, Is it doom o clock already? Takes me right back to my youth that does.

      I'm pretty sure Apple will be fine even if this watch sells more like an AppleTV than an iPad.

    4. TeeCee Gold badge
      Unhappy

      Re: Welcome to the death of apple

      Hey, I'd also like one of those.

      However, one that inevitably will only talk to other Apple kit isn't it.

      1. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        Re: Welcome to the death of apple

        "Hey, I'd also like one of those."

        You sad sad man!

    5. Peter 48

      Re: Welcome to the death of apple

      Well the Pebble can do most of that and I am pretty sure there are some smart watches out there that also offer you "dick tracey" features. Not sure why you would want it to act as a screen for your camera though.

      check out http://www.indiegogo.com/projects/kreyos-the-only-smartwatch-with-voice-gesture-control that they seem to be plugging on facebook all the time

    6. sleepy

      Re: Welcome to the death of apple

      You'll be interested in the Apple death knell counter, then:

      http://www.macobserver.com/tmo/death_knell

      On the registered name, in major markets, Apple proceeds covertly via intermediaries when registering names, so the chequebook has likely already done its work.

      Apple goes to extremes to ensure success for new products. On the viability of the product, I would expect Apple to make it uniquely compelling for at least some of the market. Secure activation by fingerprint, also bypassing iPhone 4 digit passcode?

  2. Big_Ted

    Do iCare.....

    No iDon't, iCan't think of a single reason for an iWatch or similar device until it has all the video phone etc ability without batteries running out in less than 24 hours.....

    Will this be a success ? iFor one don't think so, whats the point when you can just use the phone with a bigger screen....

  3. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    "This is the begining of the middle of the end for apple as we know it."

    Is that a point that is the end of the beginning of the end for Apple, or a range from the end of the beginning of the end to the middle of the middle of the end? I don't feel I can properly appreciate the point you are making without this clarification.

    1. Darryl
      Holmes

      It's kind of like how the Summer Solstice - the "First day of Summer" actually takes place in the middle of the warm season.

      1. Malcolm Weir Silver badge

        @Darryl... you seem to be implying that the quarter day/cross quarter day controversy has been resolved? When did this occur?

        For those less well versed in this earth-shattering issue, the question was whether the seasons began on quarter days, or on the cross quarter days -- the former being approximately the solstice and equinox dates, the latter being the days half way between a solstice and an equinox. Or to be a little more formal: Lady Day, Midsummer Day, Michaelmas and Christmas for the quarter days, and Candlemas, May Day, Lammas and All Hallows for the cross quarter days.

        Obviously, if the seasons began on the cross-quarter days, then summer begins on Mayday and runs until Lammas, and Midsummer Day is, well, in the middle, and the middle of winter is Christmas day. Otherwise, summer begins on "Midsummer's Day" and runs until Michaelmas, and winter doesn't start until Christmas, which makes the carol "In the Bleak Midwinter" a bit weird (although it scans better than "In the Bleak Early February").

        Personally, I'm with that Mr. Shakespeare, who quite explicitly referred to the longest day of the year as "Midsummer", which makes the cross-quarter day camp correct and everyone else, well, heathen barbarians. Or something.

      2. Simon Westerby 1

        "warm season"

        This is england.... what warm season ?

        1. TeeCee Gold badge
          Paris Hilton

          Re: "warm season"

          Warm and wet as opposed to cold and wet.

          If this Global Warming shit really takes off, we may get hot and wet one day.

          Paris, for hot a........hell, do I really need to spell it out?

      3. Purlieu

        The first day of summer is June 1st not the solstice, and has been since 1780-ish please keep up

  4. Steve Todd

    It looks like the technology required to make this work might have arrived

    Sharp have a new range of ultra low power LCD screens (see http://www.sharpmemorylcd.com/memorylcd.html and note the version that displays in black & silver), the latest iDevices support Bluetooth 4 low power modes, Apple have been working on power gateing CPU designs that run on very low power etc. Providing they've made a decent fist of the software they should be able to make a device that runs for weeks if not months on a charge.

    We'll need to wait to see if they've pulled off a design that people will want to buy, but it looks like they may now be able to build a smart watch that will appeal to more than geeks.

    1. Peter 48

      Re: It looks like the technology required to make this work might have arrived

      a week (2 at the very most) is pretty much the limit, even using BT4 and that is for devices using e-ink displays. Switch to an LCD and even low-power ones will last no more than a few days on a watch sized battery. What would be a real innovation for these smart watches would be integrating onboard power generation through motion like the Seiko Kinetic watches was well as solar power generation like Tissot and Casios watches. This wouldn't be enough to fully power the watch, but it could trickle feed it to increase the periods between full charges.

      1. Steve Todd
        FAIL

        I see you bothered to read the Sharp spec sheet (NOT!)

        At 1 update per second it draws 30 micro watts, note micro not milli. Use something like this Nordic semiconductor Bluetooth 4 chip (http://www.nordicsemi.com/eng/Products/Bluetooth-R-low-energy/nRF8001 ), which averages 6 micro amps while in low power mode and you could run the two together for over 10 months on a standard lithium button cell.

  5. Lost in Cyberspace

    Another product we don't need... Yet

    I will reserve judgement until these smart watches arrive, because tablets were dissed until iPads arrived and sold by the truckload (and so were those first clunky smartphones IIRC).

    I think it will solve a problem we didn't know we had.

    Apple will be the first to do it quite well. Others will be along very shortly after to do it cheaper, or better, or both. Apple fan or not, Apple does have one big advantage - a huge iOS install base - so this thing could fly off the shelves.

  6. Lusty

    Could it be...

    Could this be the name of the rumoured TV from Apple? iWatch TV :)

    1. Anonymous IV

      Re: Could it be...

      I rather liked the supposed name of a new Apple software product, Ant iVirus.

      I say "supposed" because of course Macs don't ever get viruses.

  7. Mark 110

    I want . .

    I want an iNeuralLace. Has to be the way forward. A phone mounted on my wrist lacks ambition.

  8. Matthew 25
    Meh

    iWatch

    LAPD owns this : http://lapdonline.org/iwatchla

  9. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    iYawn

    just waiting on the iTurd now, some people will buy ANYTHING with an Apple logo on it, like consumerist lemmings jumping off the proverbial cliff.

    How about iTampon? It could play music and sync with your phone and vibrate gently when shares in Apple plummet.

    You've run out of ideas, you've run out of ideas, you've run out of ideas......

    It's like a Status Quo compilation album, endless variations on a theme.

    The old ipod nano fitted on a watch strap....

    "Prepare to be UNDERWHELMED" - new Apple slogan.

    If that Dusty Bin server thing is innovation, then you're doing it wrong.

    Hear that? That's Steve Jobs spinning at 7,200rpm in his grave.

    iTwats.

    1. Simon Westerby 1

      Re: iYawn

      No, you mean the iCrap (tm) shirly?

    2. LinkOfHyrule
      Joke

      Re: It's like a Status Quo compilation album

      They should bring that out - iQuo the album - and because it's Apple, it only uses one chord!

    3. LPF

      Re: iYawn

      Why do you care they have like 9% of desktops and android rules mobiles. SO WHY DO YOU CARE ?? you sad sad little man

  10. WibbleMe

    iWatch

    Guess apple just though it was the right TIME !

  11. Charles Manning

    They'd be idiots if they didn't proactively protect this TM

    Of course if they have a product ready to roll within a year, they'd be wanting to snap up this name.

    But let's play devil's advocate for a moment and say they have no iwatch in development. They could conceivably develop one within 10 years or so. If, in 10 years time, they wanted to call it iwatch, but the name had been grabbed, all commentardland would be saying they're morons for not protecting the name years ago.

    It costs nothing to protect a TM (assuming Apple-depth pockets) and it makes sense to do so even if the chance you use it is tiny.

  12. Anonymous Custard
    Big Brother

    Watching you

    Makes it sound like a website for voyeurs...

    (Or possibly govt/American agencies)

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