“Apple has patented the concept of the chameleonic computer – a machine whose shell changes colour at the user’s whim,” Tony Smith reports for The Register. “The patent, number 20040156192 was filed in February 2004 and finally granted on 12 August… Might this be a feature of the next generation of iMac? At this stage, it’s too early to say. Having maintained a single colour scheme – white and chrome – for its consumer computers, Apple may now be looking at returning to the iMac’s most successful period, when the machine shipped in a range of bright colours.” Full article here.
MacDailyNews Take: There could be many uses for such a technology concept. Some examples might include: your Mac could turn green when you have new email, or blue when your iChat buddies are online, or red when new headlines appear in your RSS reader. Or the Mac’s user accounts could trigger color changes that indicate which user is active.
Related MacDailyNews article:
Apple to release new computers and devices that dynamically change color? – December 28, 2002
Neato.
Can’t wait until September, I hope the new iMacs are reasonably priced…cuz if so I WANT IT.
This could only happen on a Mac first.
Just wait a few months, there will be loads of consumer devices that try to jump on the chameleon band wagon.
Hope Apple gets a slice of their pie.
like a big sophisticated mood ring…
No, I dont think it will be on the iMac coming out this year. But rather….NEXT year. I would venture to say it will be more like “color motion” colors. Almost like looking at those tricked out cars that are almost iridescent, in different angles of light they “change colors.”
This is kind of a lame idea, its turn your professional mac into a toy.. I think this would better used for an iPod. That way you could change your iPod color without putting on a “skin”..
With the patent. This will not only be Mac first but Mac ONLY. Very cool.
I too think it’ll show up on an iPod before it shows up on a Mac.
My iBook and my iMac have a white led under the plastic that pulse when the mac is in sleep mode…
Does anyone have noticed it?
It could be implemented with other use, but I hope that the new macs won’t have to much color led. Look at the pc, they are like xmas tree.
It’s not coming in September… There’s already a Plasma TV that projects colors behind it on the wall depending on the program being played. It may actually first appear on a pocketable device such as an iPod.
You’ll never see this. Once Apple figures out something or thinks of something cool, like all good tech companies, it patents it. This means nothing and it’s old news anyway.
This is what makes Apple great – ALWAYS PUSHING THE ENVELOPE!!
This would be a great feature on the new consumer Imac range!
Just imagine the new imac along side those silver and black pcs in pcworld and the imac changes colour as you look for a new computer – it will certainly have the wow factor and get it noticed from those silver and black pc boxes!
GO FOR IT APPLE!!!
How sweet would it be to be able to change the color to the be the same as the surrounding area. Picture it in a living room, taking on the same color scheme as the room.
This is what makes Apple great – ALWAYS PUSHING THE ENVELOPE!!
———-
Yeah, look where it got them..
Get a clue, Mike.
Apple is the most innovative computer company out there. What Apple is doing now won’t show up on a PC for at least 3 years- and it will be a half-baked attempt at that.
Computers without floppies, firewire (IEEE 1493), USB as a primary peripheral bus, TRUE plug and play (Windows still insn’t quite there yet), wireless networking built in (i.e. Airport), etc, etc, etc. Need I go on?
JB–zing.. i actually thought the iMac colour problems were a thing of the past, since apple doesn’t make colour imacs anymore..
with the iPod, though, you could have customizable colours…i’d have to see it.. it’s so weird to imagine what it would look like..
reminds me of..(gamers?) Final Fantasy 7 with the menu customization… very basic RBG levels with the scroll wheel.. at different points.. or a pure gradient fade from black to red or sth..
the possibilities are endless.. just one thing: does it good
Lately, Apple has been strongly advising application developers to be sure their aps are Universal Access aware; making them easier to use for various disabilities, Changing the color of the whole case would be be a huge asset to those that are deaf or have poor eyesight. For example, it could indicate new email, someone wanting to chat, or an error condition.
Imagine something as simple as the Airport Express with a controllable power outlet so it can turn on a light anywhere in the house when there is new email or an incoming chat?
When society works towards enriching life for the weakest, we all benefit.
heres the link to the patent check it out
http://appft1.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-Parser?Sect1=PTO2&Sect2=HITOFF&u=/netahtml/PTO/search-adv.html&r=1&p=1&f=G&l=50&d=PG01&S1=20040156192.PGNR.&OS=dn/20040156192&RS=DN/20040156192?tMoJk
“like a big sophisticated mood ring…”
Damn! you stole my idea!
New For 2005: The moodMac. Sensors in the keyboard detect whatever mood-rings detect and send that to the Mac which adjusts it’s color to show your current mood. It can also be used to adjust your mood to a “better one”–sort of a digital prozac–so that if you’re angry, the computer will show soothing colors or if you’re depressed, the computer will show cheery colors.
There’s also a new developer API so that this information can be used in applications. Apple has modified iTunes to play music based on your mood and iChat to automatically modify your picture based on your mood. Blogging software developers are rushing to incorporate this technology into their applications.
That’s right! The new moodMac! Buy yours today!
:^) :^) :^) :^) :^) :^) :^) :^) :^) :^) :^) :^) :^) :^) :^) :^)
I’ve already got a modern mac that has different colors inside the case! Built it myself!
-JimYounkin
OOPS, I posted page two in the above comment, Also see page one.
DANG IT!!! ok, for real this is the REAL first page. (not like it matters now) LOL
Did someone say “iTunes plugin?”
What if this is all about some kind of HAL interface? My laptop has a built-in microphone, speaker, and if I had the money… an iSight. I can just imagine my computer turning red and saying, “Just what do you think you’re doing, Dave?” I mean if they are calling it a chameleonic computer, you’ve got to realize that chameleons turn colors to avoid getting eaten (it’s a defense mechanism). Maybe the computer changes colors to indicate when bad things are going to happen, like when Bill Gates unleashes a new virus.
GK
Another Useless “Innovation” by the mac maker. I’m sure they will be the 1st to say they came up with the idea then they will try to patent the Chameleon. Are they going back to the Faggish Logo they had before or what? I always mistaked those for “Queer Tags”
Oh wait, its already been done by Ahanix…The PeeeeCeeeee ATX Case Manufacturer…
Is this exciting or what? I don’t think so.
This would have to be one of the least exciting “features” I’ve ever heard about. In an iPod or such device this might be useful, but on a desktop computer?
How about more RAM in iMac’s, or better graphics cards, or maybe even lower the prices a tad. I’d rather those kinds of “features” first rather than a computer changing colour to suit my mood. Honestly.
How much more am I going to have to pay for this crap? It actually saves them money so they can have their colorful computers without having all the left over yukky colors. Fine, but is it going to cost us more? Let’s hope not.
And which market survey suggested this was a good idea and something people wanted? Sounds like a Homer Simpson idea… remember he sent his rich car maker bro bankrupt with fins andn crap on his car design.
Now PC people will wander around saying the Mac is only for looks, and have proof to back it up.
Still, I’ll make an attempt to be more open minded until I see one. I just think at this point it’s a fairly useless concept, more along the lines of the flashy lights on stereos these days (notice I didn’t say HiFi.)
This is screaming – “Hey look at me I’m a Mac” so loudly someone is bound to notice, and I hope for Apple’s sake it’s a good noticing.
(here I am getting excited – it’s only a patent release, which may go nowhere, and of course, only select models will likely use the “feature”.)