On December 10, 2009, the US Patent & Trademark Office published a revolutionary patent application from Apple that reveals an all new Universal Docking station that is designed to be aesthetically pleasing,” Jack Purcher reports for Patently Apple.
“The revolutionary design using a new elastic sponge-like material at the bottom of the universal dock that could basically conform to the shape of any portable device you may have – be it an iPod nano, an iPhone or even a BlackBerry or other non-Apple device,” Purcher reports.
“If the user only has one device, the device will conform to it alone,” Purcher reports. “If the user has multiple devices, then the device is designed to decompress by hitting a reset or eject button which returns the revolutionary support layer to its original flat surface to accept the next device’s form. The new dock will also come with a remote control.”
Full article, with much more info plus more and larger images here.
[Thanks to MacDailyNews Reader “Fred Mertz” for the heads up.]
WTF is it made out of “flubber”?!
Very strange.
This should have came out years ago when people more frequently carried more than one device.
Maybe it uses memory foam or something similar!?
Good. I had to take a Dremel to my 1G iPhone/Bluetooth dock to get my 3GS to fit in it.
Just in time and way ahead of everyone else to fulfil the EEC’s single universal charging unit. They may just sweep the entire charging market with this one!
Next question, Is it green? How recyclable is it if it breaks down and you get a new one? This and a million unasked questions by the likes of Greenpeace hopefully will be addressed before release.
Imagine, Apple designing something that isn’t exclusive to the iPhone.
What’s next, iPhones on Verizon and Sprint?
If Apple begins negotitions with them, I’ll leave the country!
It’s a cybernetic organism. Living tissue over a metal endoskeleton.
OK, now we are going to star watching “new revolutionary” docks and connectors for Nokia and motorola.
Every time an Apple patent goes public, other companies start producing what they “think” that device will do.
Don’t it Apple! This could be the technology that leads to the
T-1000!
Don’t give the machines this edge!
Think Mac tablet dock. It is nice to stand the screen up while using a keyboard and mouse. (Was I not suppose to state the obvious use of a Mac tablet that runs OS X applications!)
wow, finally a self-transformed dock to replace a bunch of my iPod & iPhone docks, hmm gotta wonder… what side is it with, Autobot or Decepticon, or something new …
Fascinating, I can’t wait to see what this will be made of and how they do it.
Just realized this is another tip from Fred Mertz; that dude is a serious newshound.