RIM patents a keypad with wings

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RIM patents a keypad with wings

by Chris Ziegler, posted Dec 26th 2008 at 3:09AM

Someone in RIM (probably someone high up) apparently said, "Hey, you know what'd be great? A candybar Pearl that's narrower for no apparent reason," which caused a team of engineers with advanced degrees to spring into action and craft this doozy of a patent app. The concept is that you start off with a numeric keypad slapped onto a handset that's too narrow to handle even an abbreviated SureType configuration, and when the time comes to type, you swing out ridiculous wings that house the extra keys you need. Obviously, we have no good excuse for giving RIM a hard time about this until it appears on an actual product -- a doomed-for-failure product, may we add -- but you think they could've just saved the application fees on this one, you know?

[Via Cellpassion]

Filed under: RIM

Tags: blackberry, keypad, patent, rim

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glenskey @ Dec 26th 2008 3:32AM

FIRST!

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Mike W @ Dec 26th 2008 3:59AM

Sadly, I think I'd buy this before I would buy a Storm.

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Killer @ Dec 26th 2008 11:12AM

That is sad, becuase im absolutely enjoying my storm. =)

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jack @ Dec 26th 2008 5:04AM

idiots the key pad fold out thats why the bottom of the wings are angled

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000000 @ Dec 26th 2008 8:12AM

It wraps around the sides probably. Folding out would make it very fragile. And dangerous/sharp looking.

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Jack @ Dec 26th 2008 10:49AM

RIP OFF!!! In LG's "Design a Phone" contest I made a phone exactly like this one! Aw man...

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n8d @ Dec 26th 2008 11:00AM

"Someone in RIM (probably someone high up)"
Take the "up" out of there and have it just say "(probably someone high)" because only a stoned person would come up with this idea.

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n8d @ Dec 26th 2008 11:02AM

@ Jack
Musta been some good smoke, huh?

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Abdel @ Dec 26th 2008 12:35PM

I think that RIM should try a new device maybe with a slide Qwerty, because this looks fragile, and not that beautiful to me.

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Highly Ranked

crow610 @ Dec 26th 2008 1:13PM

In later news, Tampx is filing a copyright suit against RIM for use of the word "with wings" in their latest cell phone.

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section08 @ Dec 26th 2008 3:17PM

reminiscent of the thinkpad 701 butterfly

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pheer6224 @ Dec 26th 2008 4:39PM

Nobody who made fun of the Sierra Wireless Voq gets to touch this thread.
http://images.pricecanada.com/images/products/227/l227392.jpg

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