“The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office this week published a new patent application entitled ‘Social Networking in Shopping Environments.’ Discovered by AppleInsider, the proposed invention describes using a portable electronic device, like an iPhone, to allow customers to network with one another while shopping,” Hughes reports. “In a store, a kiosk would allow customers to access a product list and information on their phone. That product and the details about it could then be shared through Apple’s social networking tool.”
Hughes reports, “In one example, a user can identify items of interest and share information directly to mobile devices of their friends. From there, friends can review the products and provide their own comments and feedback.”
Much more, including patent application illustrations, in the full article here.
A kiosk? How about through a single app provided by Apple?
Like the one recently patented for finding friends at an event like a concert.
Maybe I belong to a different demographic, I just don’t see the puck going that way. At least, I’m not chasing that puck even if it is. I anticipate a mass social withdrawal, or maybe it’s a pipe dream. Can hardly wait.
Ping is dead in the water. For the love of God please Apple give me a way of disabling or removing Ping from iTunes. It’s a pong I can live without.
Has anyone considered that with ping, apple is just dipping their toe in the water as a learning experience that will lead to something much bigger and better? Think clickwheel ipod games or the original apple tv. Or is it more fun just to bitch about a feature you don’t need to use or even click on? This patent at least hints that apple is thinking of something more. Maybe it’ll be lame, or maybe we can’t even imagine how awesome it will be.
Ping- test balloon…
Someone, please, contest this patent.
@Little man
I don’t like Apple’s learning experience. Apple I don’t want Ping on my computer. Give me a way to disable it.
Ping is the least of my concerns.
What bothers me more is the lame *flat* implementation of the Apple Address Book (Contacts), where, as I add more contacts, many of them are rathere unimportant and just sit in my face because I may just need them once more in my life.
Organizing contacts in groups helps, but barely receives support in other “integrated” products.
The ability of so many apps to show the full list of your contacts on the screen even constitutes a huge privacy issue. Not every bypasser who looks over my shoulder (not just mom!) needs to see who I am connected with.
The inability to mask less used contacts severely limits the number of contacts I like to keep in my address book.
Examples: classes with students that come and go.
What about creating a concept of supergroups or separately loadable or searchable address books.
Apple should work on a iPhone to iPhone specific messaging platform like BBM, not something about making shopping social. I doubt many people would sit online waiting to comment on what their friends could potentially be buying.
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