“At its iPhone SDK event last month, Apple touted an adaption of AOL’s instant-messaging client for the iPhone. Now comes news of Apple’s own patent application for a chat feature,” Jonathan Skillings reports for CNET.
“The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office published the application, titled ‘Portable Electronic Device for Instant Messaging,’ on March 6–the very same day Apple was providing details on its software development kit for the iPhone, including AOL’s test version of the first “official” native Web chat for the gadget,” Skillings reports.
Full article here.
Aidan Malley reports for AppleInsider, “Published in March, the USPTO filing describes an interface similar to the existing SMS (Short Messaging Service) text messaging interface for the iPhone, but with key changes.”
Malley reports, “In normal use, users would continue to use the same bubble chat interface as with today’s phone, complete with the ability to start new messages by searching through the contact list or typing the first few letters of someone’s name. Users can also see a past chat history and remove individual conversations from the list.”
“However, the patent also adds features not present in the current iPhone software. While one chat view closely resembles that of the current SMS interface with a dedicated text field for entering new messages, another would have typed text appear directly in a new message bubble and would replace the text entry box with a list of suggested words,” Malley reports.
“Significantly, Apple’s drawings for the image also make no mention of SMS, instead referring to icons for “IM” and to instant messaging and thus pointing to a universal application of the patent to any data-based chat format. While SMS is mentioned in the patent text, the Cupertino, Calif.-based firm also suggests the chat interface could be used for MMS (Multimedia Message Service) picture and video messages, but doesn’t include an interface for sending more than text as part of its filing,” Malley reports.
Full article here.
Star Trek-style video calls on the iPhone are a-comin’.
Star Trek never used video calls on their hand held communicators. All video calls in star trek were via the ships comm system.
gonna be 2nd gen iPhone only, unless they come up with a handy mirror thingy to redirect the video feed from the camera. dang.
Course…. I COULD give this phone to the wife when he moto dies and get a new one.
that’s the ticket.
emax…. you must now return your official geek membership card, and turn in your horn rimmed glasses with your pocket protector.
In the original series, there was video with the original hand held communicator. I’m so disappointed!
;-p
Star Trek did have handheld video calls. You’re thinking of Electra Woman & Dyna Girl.
@ Jim – TIV
The original series also had Klingons that looked and sounded like Liberace.
@eMax
Correct, except in the original Menagerie pilot, (and thus in two episodes of the original series), they had a scene with a video on on of the communicators/tricorders I believe.
In any case I think the other poster is thinking of Space 1999 which had video communicators as a main feature.
@ChrissyOne
The “Liberace” guy you are thinking of is the “Tremaine” character who dressed like a 17th century gentleman and was the template for “Q” in the later series’.
The same actor played one of the Klingons in a couple of shows, but not in the same “Liberace” style. Klingons were tough-guys even before the bumpy heads of the next generation.
Ahhhhh, my geek cred restored!
MDN=StarTrek trivia savants
I could have sworn there was an episode of ST:OS that should a video communication on the hand held.
That may have been Spock tinkering with a communicator from the episode where they are stuck in the past.
Now that SMS will have competition, you will start to see reduced rates for SMS and the phone companies pushing their (now suddenly) cheeper unlimited plans.
It’s about freaking time they had some competition!
@C1 – The klingons were kinda wussies in the original series we’re they?
Cubert…. I’m here for ya man.
Now… back to repairing my toaster/B&W;TV/FM Radio, where’s my soldering iron?
Freudian slip?
should have been “weren’t they”
sorry – i never watched the original series (too crappy looking) so i don’t know about handheld video communicators… the 4 new series didn’t have them though. Gene Roddenberry’s EFC had them though – really cool looking gadgets.
One could easily imagine a time in the not too distant future when video becomes as ubiquitous on phones as audio is.
Its about time too! I remember a time in 1964 seeing the “Picturephone” demonstrated by Bell Telephone at an exhibit in the Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago.
44+ years in the making. I’m ready already!!
See the history here:
http://www.porticus.org/bell/telephones-picturephone.html
Space 1999 is the show that had the hand held video comm doodads.
The show was about ‘Moon Base Alpha’ that got flung into space following earth’s destruction. Brilliant show.
Another aside: Douglas Adams’ sci-fi writings all involved Earth’s destruction, HHGG being the best example of course. He had another short film made where a chap jay walks or does something equally insignificant, and after the police get him it all escalates into world annihilation.
It featured Simon Jones, who played Arthur in HHGG.
And now back to Mac news…
@Jim,
“gonna be 2nd gen iPhone only, unless they come up with a handy mirror thingy to redirect the video feed from the camera. dang.”
They already have one of those on the market. It snaps on the top over the lens and then the lens sees you.
en
I’m ready for a videophone as long as it doesn’t show Klingons circling Uranus.
Tremaine! He did end up playing a Klingon later! Wasn’t that him on the “Trouble With Tribbles” episode?
Man, am I a Star Trek geek too?
Peace.
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Olmecmystic
I remember “Trouble with Tribbles.” Warf was asked how that ‘human’ looking guy could be a Klingon, and he said it’s something they don’t speak of. An explanation was never given.
What’s Star Trek?
“What’s Star Trek?”
The long, long journey back from rehab.
@Space Out
The moon in Space:1999 wasn’t flung out of orbit by the destruction of the Earth.
MoonBase Alpha began its journey when stockpiled nuclear waste, stored on the moon itself, exploded, hurtling the moon throughout the cosmos.
Hey, come on Peeps, does no-one remember Dick Tracey’s video watch. That was way cooler than a video phone.