“Addressing the complaints of nearly every iPhone owner in a northern climate, Apple has filed for a patent that would cover a means of using a multi-touch device with gloves,” Aidan Malley reports for AppleInsider.
“The US Patent Office application notes that capacitive touchscreens like those on the iPhone and iPod touch are problematic in colder weather. As they depend on the electrical response from a user’s fingertips, which is often blocked off when wearing insulated gloves, the screens either force users to take off their gloves or else sit tight until they return indoors,” Malley reports.
“Apple’s solution would give gloves a second, inner layer beyond the surface that would simulate the electrical feedback of human fingers when exposed to the outside,” Malley reports.
Full article here.
MacDailyNews Take: First iPod socks, now gloves. What’s next?
[Thanks to MacDailyNews Reader “James W.” for the heads up.]
Leave it to apple to develop advanced gloves… still waitin for the icar
I’m gonna beat iTele to his favorite saying..
“I want my iTele”..
I hope they build that right after they make a bigger 7inch iPod touch
In the works: A camera lens that points at the user; pre-installed software that interprets facial expressions. Each user will be able to control the device with a wink and a nod — a facial interface.
iUnderpants. They signal an alarm when you fart, and yes there’s a vibrate mode and an airplane mode.
funny, i was just thinking about this issue the other day. I live in Chicago, and it is obviously freezing here for 5 months of the year. And every time I want to use my iPhone while walking around, i have to take my gloves off.
The socks were a bit of a hip joke. The gloves are needed, as anyone with an address like mine can tell you. I still find it “quaint” that the recommended operating temperature for the iPhone (and every iPod dating back to 2001) does not drop below 32F/0C…
@Monger
My Sony camera detects smiles.. and will wait to snap a picture until it detects one… It also detects faces and will concentrate the focus on the faces detected.
Now if they could just come up with MOTORCYCLE gloves that can be used with iPhone!! I know there has to be alot of motorcyclists/scooterists who have iPhones!
Well I was skiing the other day and while in the tele-ski I tried to use my iPhone I found it quite challenging…
Implementing a system wide voice-activation UI could circumvent the need for gloves, and would have tremendous cool-factor as well.
Yes, we need this. Can’t come too soon.
But will they be WARM gloves?
Hmmm… a good idea, but voice UI would be far better if it could be tailored to your vocal characteristics… more sophistication than current software has is called for.
Oh, and by the way, “Ottawa Mark”, the iPod line was first introduced in 2001, so you’re thinking of all iPods.
This already exists!
http://www.dotsgloves.com/
I, for one, have learned to operate my iPhone with my nose.