“On August 15, 2013, the US Patent & Trademark Office published three patent applications from Apple that reveal new connector related developments,” Jack Purcher reports for Patently Apple.
“The first invention covers a MagSafe connector design with new ‘flat attraction plates’ for better connectivity and superior aesthetics,” Purcher reports. “The second invention covers a flexible audio connector that could be made with new superelastic materials.”
Purcher reports, “And lastly, a third connector related invention reveals a new manufacturing methodology that implements lasers so as to eliminate a lot of manual labor.”
Much more, including Apple’s patent application illustrations, in the full article here.
I was actually confused by the latest MagSafe connector, because it’s not much smaller and doesn’t seem as though it will be useful for long if they continue making thinner computers. Now that the MacBook Pro with retina display is thinner than the thickest point of the MacBook Air, you would think they would be making the MacBook Air even thinner, and would need something much smaller than the latest MagSafe connector in order to do that.
I don’t have a MBP with the latest design, but a good friend never stops complaining about his.
Nice trolling.
My wife has a 13″ Retina MBP and is always complaining about the MagSafe plug breaking loose…
It won’t matter how thin the next generation of laptops get, because the next move would surely be some kind of wireless induction charging?
“…to eliminate a lot of manual labor….” The Hon Hai employees will surely riot now!
I love my MacBook Pro (2011) MagSafe connector and wouldn’t trade it in for a newer one. That’s one of the reasons why I have never looked at buying the new rMBP. The new MagSafe connector is a POS (piece of shit).
The latest magsafe iteration is great, no problem with that. Apart from being a tad smaller there is no difference in functionality or reliability. Stop trolling!
It is a pos it has a very poor way of staying attached, as a apple store employee I saw it all the time the old one stayed on much better than the new design, sorry fan boys Apple is far from perfect.
Who’d have thunk?
C’mon, MDN, what percentage of the patents you have “revealed” actually made into full production?
I appreciate reading real news about Apple patent filings. You learn about technologies that become trends. It’s news about Apple, from Apple engineers as opposed to millions of rumors that mostly fail to materialize from sources that are not reputable.
I’ve been following patent news for years and saw quality intel about the iPhone, iPod, iPad, video on iPods, In-Cell integrated touch displays, beamforming, Passbook with iTicket, turn-by-turn navigation, new paint brush feature, iPad with 2 cameras, magic mouse, various camera patents for stability and color, the new fusion drive and more.
So stop your whining. If you don’t like patent news, don’t click on the stories. you’re just a negative dick for no reason and you do this often, which makes you a loser.