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Them youfs, who play incredibly annoying music in public places on their phones, like the bus or tube, might have just gotten the gift they need to actually step the irritation up a notch (if that’s actually possible) thanks to Apple. It’s patented ‘dual-mode’ headphones that double up as external speakers. Great.
Actually, they sound pretty awesome; I just hope they don’t end up being shipped with iPhones and iPods. The idea is that the headphones have a built-in amplifier for blasting tunes out into the open. When the headphone is rotated away from the head, the amplifier kicks in and spits, possibly distortion-full tunes into the ether.
To avoid deafening yourself accidentally, there’ll be built-in sensors to detect your ear. In-ear headphones are also mentioned, with a speaker on the outside for annoying all with crappy, tinny music, which sounds just plain awesome, right? Patents are as patents will be, so who knows whether these will ever get made into actual products, but there’s something deep within me that hopes that the in-ear ones never, ever get made. [Apple Insider via MacWorld]
Image credit: Music from Shutterstock
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Hopefully they’ve just patented them so that they can sue anybody who creates such monstrosities out of existence.
That makes so much sense.
Can you patent something without specifying exactly how it works? It’s sounds just another monopoly to me.
I’m gonna patent time travel, mass teleportation and the ultimate love robot. I’ll call you from my mansion.
Yeah good luck patenting those, they’re already patented.
You can patent something if you have a vague description of how it works. This description doesn’t have to be particularly in depth at all.
The more specific the patent is however, makes it a lot stronger.
If they did this I would personally issue a statement taking back every bad word I have ever said about them. However I doubt that is their plan.
if you’re in need a time machine to take back those comments just let me know.
Just don’t hide it at the bottom of your website. That kind of thing doesn’t go down too well at the moment.
Patenting something to prevent others from making it would likely be viewed by any court as an abuse of the patents process, and your patent would be revoked. #justsayin’
Wouldn’t surprise me if a well known company didn’t try to patent the letters ‘A’ ‘p’ ‘l’ and ‘e’ individually.
Was that meant for me?
“Them youfs, who play incredibly annoying music in public places on their phones, like the bus or tube… ”
I woodn’t mind dem youfs playing der music n shit on da bus n tube. It’s just a shame that most kids of that generation have no decent or partial sense of taste in good music.
Would it kill a 14 year old youf to play Jake Bugg or Of Monsters and Men? It probably would. The abject humiliation, being branded “homosexual” and then not looking like a “gansta” in front of people they call mates. And it appears general pop-factory music has no predilections to gender.
So much emphasis and effort to look current. I wouldn’t surprise me to know half kids today that blare Rihanna on the bus/tube from their phones go home and put on some Queen.
Although the type of music “them youfs” often play makes the issue worse, I still think it’s extremely antisocial to play music out loud on public transport. I don’t care if they’re playing Dark Side of the Moon, I don’t want to hear other people’s distorted music when I’m having to endure the already unpleasant experience that is public transport.
Public transport doesn’t have to be am abysmal experience, bring a book/kindle and an iPod and you’re whizzing through stations!
Just bang back some Mozart or Beethoven.
I’m pretty certain iPhone earbuds already have that ability.
yeah, aren’t they stuck on that setting straight out the factory? could do with a s/w update.
this is probably the first time I would actually applaud Apple for their patent squatting. In general however I think there should be a time limit on any patent granted. If you are granted a patent you should have to develop and initiate an implementation within a set time frame otherwise the patent would lapse. This would eliminate patent trolls and squatters who don’t actually do anything with their patents. It would also prevent companies like Apple, Microsoft and Samsung from filing thousands of patents with a scatter-gun approach to essentially stifle competition. It is something that works for the otherwise highly flawed planning system here in the UK.
Please say it’s the X Factor business model? “Auditions, Sob Stories, Judges branded as ‘Coaches’ and the inaugural million of whatever currency the country the show is based in”
Apple sue at the drop of a hat:
http://goo.gl/3fSN3
The scene : apple execs sitting in the board room
Exec 1 : These headphones we ship with out products are awful listen to how much sound the leak, they sound like bloody speakers!
Exec 2: Patent that.
Ha, you might be right on the money with that one
i dont understand why people hate this idea! id love headphones like me tenqa remxd’s (yes i know cheap nasty) to be able to do this, listen to me podcasts on the way home from work then when i get in and make me cuppa, stick em on speaker mode
yes you will get the idiots and chavs that will have them in speaker mode whilst on their heads but we should be discussing double tapping those people instead of blaming the tech!
p.s. apple can kiss my hairy nut sack if they prevent anyone from making this real or keep it for themselves!