“Two of Apple’s latest applications revealed this week through the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office relate specifically to cloud-based media,” Hughes reports. “The first application, entitled ‘Recapping Media Content,’ describes a system where users could continue the playback of an album, TV show or movie from where they left off on another device.”
“The described system would apply both to locally stored content, as well as media being streamed from the Internet,” Hughes reports. “The application suggests that such a system could automatically provide the viewer with a recap, to refresh them on what they’ve already watched.”
Hughes reports, “Separately, a second cloud-based patent revealed on Thursday describes a system where users could receive tags for content automatically from the Web, allowing them to discover streaming or radio content through iTunes and purchase it.”
Full article here.
[Thanks to MacDailyNews Readers “Fred Mertz” and “Andrew W.” for the heads up.]
Here comes the farm
If only Apple had a BILLION DOLLAR SERVER FARM built and ready in North Carolina to serve and stream this from. Oh, they do!
Doo doo doo doo
Does this sound like the world’s largest “cloud-based” home DVR service when served from a BILLION DOLLAR SERVER FARM that is 4 or 5 times the size of what Apple was using last year? Can you all hear, “Just one more thing” yet? This was described as a goal for Apple about 3 years ago at a developer conference.
Perhaps iTunes is about to become a lot more like Last.fm.
http://www.last.fm/user/theconfuzed1
I just wanted to make another post that had BILLION DOLLAR SERVER FARM in it with all caps.
Being an EPO patent examiner myself, in the field of audio-video-media (VOD stuff, streaming content over different devices etc, that’s my turf), I can tell you that this is old stuff (in patent terms), and has been documented years ago. I did several applications like this over the past years, and the principles date back years (mid-late 90’s) – this doesn’t mean it has been successfully implemented, that’s another question. (I think Apple will most likely be the first one to really implement the idea successfully – as they’ve already done with so many things)
So, though I like Apple and all their stuff a great deal, I’m afraid this patent application isn’t worth more than the paper it’s printed on…
I think Apple was also working on a server farm or something in India last year. I know of an software engineer that went and did a 6 week stint to work on data base design. paid well but didn’t give him a lot of details. So Server farm in States, one in India, and I bet there is one being built in Europe as well. Now what about the rumor that Mobile me will be free, well maybe to those that buy a new Apple product anyway.. That would be a way to generate hardware sales….
The tagging patent is old and isn’t news. Patently Apple covered it in Sept 2009. Another old patent rehash from Apple insider
http://www.patentlyapple.com/patently-apple/2009/09/broadcast-tagging-patent-comes-to-life-in-apples-latest-ipod-nano.html