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Nokia's patent application shows 8 megapixel N-series slider?

by Thomas Ricker posted Dec 3rd 2007 @ 5:52AM

Here's an odd one for you, a Nokia patent application just revealed those images above. The odd part is not so much the slider mechanism they are attempting to patent. Rather, it's the use of those dumbed-down product images instead of the purposely vague schematic usually submitted to the USPTO. And if we're not mistaken, that looks like "8 megapixel" stamped just below the lens. New N-Series in the oven, Nokia?

[Via Unwired View]

Nokia illustrates dry patent with bizarre concept phone

by Chris Ziegler posted Oct 9th 2007 @ 3:03AM

Okay, straight up, this patent is pretty meaningless to us; it details some mumbo jumbo about loading a user interface onto a device via an expansion card (wireless is specifically mentioned, though it doesn't seem specific to that). That in itself is a little too boring to bother noting, at least until it materializes into a cool feature on a device we can actually purchase. What does catch one's eye, though, is the weird phone thingy Nokia uses to illustrate the patent. Seriously, what is this -- a Samsung UpStage embedded in the center of a L'Amour? Can this please never be produced, Nokia? Promise?

[Via Gearfuse]

RIM's patent for automatic call volume adjustment

by Paul Miller posted Apr 26th 2006 @ 10:03PM

It's not exactly the sexiest patent application we've seen, and its October 4th 2004 filing date doesn't sound very promising, but RIM has recently has had a patent published by the USPTO in reference to an automatic call volume adjustment feature. Groundbreaking, we know, but the tech is supposed to -- you guessed it -- adjust call volume automatically based on the level of noise in your environment. As simple as it sounds, we sure wouldn't mind this functionality in a handset, Blackberry or not, but we can't imagine this feature headlining any marketing material, so we'll be lucky to know when we do have it. Other than the fact, of course, that we might actually be able to hear who we're talking to.