Solid state drives are one of the hot technologies of the day. However, "hotness" and "the cloud" aside, look for hard drives to maintain their importance for months to come. No, make that years to come.

Maximum areal densities in hard disk drives (HDD) are expected to more than double during the five-year period from 2011 to 2016, spurring continued growth for HDDs in storage-intensive applications such as video and audio systems, according to the iHS iSuppli (http://www.isuppli.com) research group.

HDD areal densities measuring data-storage capacities are projected to climb to a maximum 1,800 Gigabits (Gb) per square inch per platter by 2016, up from 744 Gb per square inch in 2011. This means that from 2011 to 2016, the five-year compound annual growth rate (CAGR) for HDD areal densities will be equivalent to 19%. For this year, HDD areal densities are estimated to reach 780 Gb per square inch per...

An Apple patent (number 2012013147) for a resolution independent user interface design has appeared at the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office. It relates generally to graphical user interface design and more particularly to a means for specifying a graphical user interface object in a procedural and largely display resolution independent manner.

Per the patent, graphical user interface material map objects are specified by a collection of attribute-value pairs, the collection of which comprises a complete description of the material map and may be used by a rendering engine to create a visual representation of the material map at any resolution.

That is, material map representations in accordance with the invention are resolution independent. Another benefit of representing material maps in accordance with the invention is that they may be encrypted to prevent unauthorized inspection or use.

Here's Apple's summary of the invention: "n one embodiment, the...

I expect Mountain Lion, the next major rev of Mac OS X, to be prowling by the end of July (hopefully even sooner and on some Retina display MacBooks Pros and iMacs). One of the features I'm most looking forward to is AirPlay.

AirPlay is, currently, a feature for streaming music, video and photos wirelessly from iPad, iPhone and iPod touch to the Apple TV. The wireless technology is being integrated into speaker docks, AV receivers, and stereo systems from companies such as Bowers & Wilkins and Denon.

With Mountain Lion, AirPlay will come to the Mac, at last, allowing users to wirelessly mirror the screen of their Macs onto their televisions using an Apple TV.  There are several advantages to this.

I've ripped my entire collection of (legally purchased) DVDs to an external hard drive attached to my Mac, so I can watch a film any time without having to go get the DVD. Once Mountain Lion arrives I can start watching a "ripped" movie on my Mac, then move to...

By Greg Mills

For the better part of a year now, I have been advocating that Sprint is prime takeover bait for the likes of Apple. The landscape in the smartphone -- or, for that matter, the mobile computing business, including tablets -- is evolving very quickly and Apple has to "think different" to stay on top.  

Vertical development in the mobile computing market must include an Apple Mobile business segment, in some form, for Apple to stay the leader of the industry. A number of other tech writers and industry analysts have recently come out confirming buying Sprint has merit. You have to know Apple has people thinking about such acquisitions.

Tony Fadell, formerly the head of the iPod division at Apple, came up with a scenario, a couple of years ago, where Apple could buy unused bandwidth from the various cellular providers, repackage those minutes for sale to consumers and managed the "virtual network" over the Internet. The Apple server...

Future iOS devices may have a user controllable switch, per an Apple patent (number 8185149) that's popped up at the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office. The invention is for devices which, in at least certain embodiments, may include at least one mechanical switch for user to select a user profile interface setting and at least one processor for causing the device to respond to the mechanical switch.

The mechanical switch may be dedicated for the purpose of switching profiles and may allow for a selection of a plurality of profiles. Further, in conjunction with an optional shift key, the user may select preferences programmed within a profile.

Here's Apple's background and summary of the invention: "Portable devices, such as cell phones, personal digital assistants (PDAs) and in general, devices with wireless communication capabilities are becoming increasingly common. These portable devices have grown more complex over time, incorporating many features including,...

Apple hasn't announced -- or even hinted at -- plans for a branded HDTV (the widely rumored "iTV"), but a recent survey shows it could be a hit if it does indeed arrive.

The Strategy Analytics Connected Home Devices (CHD) advisory service (http://www.strategyanalytics.com) shows that nearly half of existing iPhone users would be very or somewhat likely to buy an Apple iTV soon after its launch. The report, "Apple's Smart TV: Assessing Purchase Intention and Willingness to Pay," provides results from the latest Strategy Analytics ConsumerMetrix survey of 6000 consumers across the US, France, Germany, Italy and the UK, fielded in March 2012.

"Although the details of a possible Apple smart TV are still unknown, existing Apple customers clearly demonstrate strong interest," says Jia Wu, director and report author. "Meanwhile, consumers are still sensitive to price, even if Apple does...

A new report from Juniper Research (http://www.juniperresearch.com) finds that the number of streamed mobile TV users on smartphones will increase to 240 million by 2014. This increase will be driven by a rise in smartphone penetration and a growth in the usage of internet TV and IPTV services.

Not only does this bode well for mobile devices such as the iPhone and iPad, increased use of Internet TV could also benefit the rumored "iMac TV" and the "iTV" -- assuming, of course, either really exists or will exist.

The report found that the substantial growth in streamed mobile TV users would arise from a combination of both increased smartphone penetration and, critically, an increasing usage of live and on-demand services both on TVs and computers. These catch-up and live Internet TV services are already allowing users to become their own program schedulers. Mobile allows consumers to...

Another day, another lawsuit. A complaint was filed this week in U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California by plaintiff Danyelle Comer accusing Apple of participating in "unfair, unlawful, deceptive, and misleading practices" in promoting the simplicity and reliability of its iCloud service, reports "AppleInsider" (http://www.appleinsider.com).

The lawsuit claims that Apple "misrepresented" its iCloud service in advertising it to customers. Specifically, it argues that paying MobileMe customers experienced "devastating consequences," and that Apple should have been better prepared for the transition, notes "AppleInsider."

The lawsuit blasts iCloud occasional downtime, which means users can get their e-mail and other services. It accuses Apple of indicating that iCloud and MobileMe e-mail accounts are online and operational, when in fact users are unable to send or receive...

An Apple patent (number 20120121121) at the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office shows that the company is working on a speaker having a horizontal former. In other words, the company plans to beef up the speakers in all its iOS and OS X devices.

Per the patent, the speaker includes a frame, a sound radiating surface, and a suspension that couples the sound radiating surface to the frame. A horizontal former is coupled to the radiating surface. The former extends substantially horizontally outward of a peripheral portion of the radiating surface, to a peripheral portion that is separate from the suspension. A coil is coupled to the peripheral portion of the horizontal former.

Here's Apple's background and summary of the invention: "In modern consumer electronics, audio capability is playing an increasingly larger role as improvements in digital audio signal processing and audio content delivery continue to happen. There is a range of consumer electronics devices that...

The future for the iPad in the business environment looks great. Better yet, it apparently won't be at the expense of the Mac.

Results from the latest CDW IT Monitor (http://www.cdwitmonitor.com) indicate that nearly six in 10 organizations use tablet computers. While more prevalent among medium and large-size businesses (62%), nearly half of small businesses reported tablet use (47%). A

mong government IT decision-makers, tablets were more commonly used at the state level (59%) than the federal level (48%). While the popularity of tablets has grown steadily, only 19% of IT decision-makers reported that tablets have replaced some of their organization’s personal computers. Among those not currently using tablets, 31% plan to do so in the next six months.

Nearly three-quarters of the IT decision-makers surveyed thought that the use of tablets and smartphones has led to an increase in...

A new Apple patent (20120117504) for an user interface for application management on mobile devices has appeared at the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office.

It describes technologies relating to user interfaces for mobile devices. In general, one aspect of the subject matter described in this specification can be embodied in methods that include the actions of receiving a touch input to access an application management interface on a mobile device; presenting an application management interface; receiving one or more inputs within the application management interface including an input to install a particular application; installing the selected application; and presenting the installed application.

Here's Apple's summary of the invention: "Conventional mobile devices are often dedicated to performing specific functions. For example, a mobile phone provides telephony services, a personal digital assistant (PDA) provides a way to organize addresses, contacts and notes...

An Apple patent (number 20120120277) for multi-touch focus has appeared at the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office. It relates to image capturing electronic devices, having a touch sensitive screen for controlling camera functions and settings, such as the iPhone and iPad.

Per the patent, camera includes a lens arranged to focus an image on an image sensor and a touch sensitive visual display for freely selecting two or more regions of interest on a live preview image by touch input. An image processor is coupled to the image sensor and the touch sensitive visual display.

The image processor displays the live preview image according to the image focused on the image sensor by the lens. The image processor further receives the selection the regions of interest and controls acquisition of the image from the image sensor based on the characteristics of the image in regions that correspond to at least two of the regions of interest on the live preview image.

The...

An Apple patent (number 8180379) for synchronizing mobile and vehicle devices has appeared at the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office.

Per the patent, location information is received at a mobile device from the memory of a vehicle device. The mobile device is updated based on the location information. Sensor data is received from at least one sensor measuring movement of the mobile device, and an estimated location of the mobile device is calculated based at least in part on the location information and the sensor data.

Here's Apple's background and summary of the invention: "The role of traditional printed maps is being supplanted by modern devices capable of rendering dynamic map displays. Devices that include mapping or navigation applications provide information regarding an area selected by a user by recalling map data from local memory or networked services.

"Mapping devices include appropriately configured personal computers as well as dedicated mobile...

An Apple patent (number 8181233) for the pairing of wireless devices using a wired medium has appeared at the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office. It relates to wireless devices and, more particularly, to pairing wireless devices for authorized data exchange.

Techniques that facilitate pairing of wireless devices with other wireless devices are disclosed. According to one aspect, a pair of wireless devices can be paired for wireless data exchange using an available wired link. Advantageously, the wired link can be used to transport a pin code from one of the wireless devices to the other. Consequently, pairing of the wireless devices can be completed without necessitating user entry of a pin code so long as the wired link is available.

Here's Apple's summary of the invention: "The invention pertains to improved techniques that facilitate pairing of wireless devices with other wireless devices. According to one aspect of the invention, a pair of wireless devices can be...

A new study underlines what I've been saying: the tablet category has yet to quell interest in portable computers. One in three respondents in an ongoing tracking study by ABI Research (http://www.abirsearch.com) said they plan to purchase a laptop in the first half of 2012.

Additionally, 16% of respondents also said they plan to acquire a media tablet. Consumers expressed greater purchase intent in both computing form factors compared to a previous survey.

"US consumers are holding on to home computers longer," says consumer research group director Jeff Orr. “"his has created a near-term opportunity for the incremental purchase of media tablets. Consumer interest also remains strong for laptops, which include the new, slimmer ultrabook segment."

Media tablets, however, are taking market away from the US netbook opportunities, which continue to see less purchase intention from consumers...

Future Macs -- and perhaps iOS devices -- may sport 3D object recognition. An Apple patent (number 20120114251) for a method, device, system, and computer program for object recognition of a 3D object of a certain object class using a statistical shape model for recovering 3D shapes from a 2D representation of the 3D object and comparing the recovered 3D shape with known 3D to 2D representations of at least one object of the object class has appeared at the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office.

Here's Apple's background and summary of the invention: "The present invention relates to automated object recognition and in particular to automated object recognition of 3D objects using statistical shape information.

"There exist extremely reliable methods for personal identification using biometric data such as e.g. fingerprints, retinal patterns or similar unique features of the subject that rely on the cooperation of the subject. Face recognition may be an effective way of...

Several Apple patents have popped up at the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office. Among them is an application for a patent for an user interface for a mobile device.

In general, one aspect of the subject matter described in this specification can be embodied in methods that include the actions of receiving a touch input to access an application management interface on a mobile device; presenting an application management interface; receiving one or more inputs within the application management interface including an input to install a particular application; installing the selected application; and presenting the installed application.

Here's Apple's summary of the invention: "This specification describes technologies relating to user interfaces for mobile devices. In general, one aspect of the subject matter described in this specification can be embodied in methods that include the actions of receiving a touch input to access an application management interface on a...

Reality TV is a sign of the impending doom of civilization; any society where "Jersey Shore," "Toddlers and Tiaras," and "My Redneck Vacation" are hits can't survive for long. Still, I figure I might as well jump on the bandwagon and make a boatload of money as long as civilization is still standing.

So here's my idea for a new reality show: "Apple Shark Tank." Developers pitch their ideas for hardware or software products of all sorts to a panel of Apple execs. Sitting on the panel would be Tim Cook, Scott Forstall, Phil Schiller and Jonny Ive. Andy Ihnakto or David Pogue would fill a Ryan Seacrest-type role of ringleader.

Contestants have three minutes to pitch their idea to the Apple exec panel complete with mock-ups, specifics on the app/hardware specs, and reasons why Apple should fund their idea. Winning ideas would become the property of Apple with the idea originators getting a cut of sales.

Think you've got a game of "Angry Birds" potential? Bring it...

There are rumors -- and I don't doubt them -- that the 17-inch MacBook Pro is nearing its end. According to the predominant speculation, Apple will basically turn its entire laptop line into MacBook Airs with 11-inch, 13-inch and 15-inch models differentiated by different specs, but all lacking an optical drive.

I do believe that's where Apple is heading. Like the Mac Pro, the 17-inch MacBook Pro has a limited market. But it's a powerful, creative market with specific needs Apple has met for years. In writing for "Redmond Pie" (http://macte.ch/V67VQ), Paul Paliath offers these reasons for not killing the biggest Apple laptop:

° Despite Apple's obvious desire to get away from all physical media such as CDs and DVDs, many people, especially creative professionals, need to be able to tackle CD and DVD burning on their Mac.

° People in professions that require performance laptops and that type of...

Ben Bajarin, writing for "Techpinions" (http://macte.ch/ZfOzV) predicts that desktops are going to make a comeback and that it's notebooks that are "the past" as tablets such as the iPad continue to grow in popularity. I think he's onto something, despite a more-common line of thinking that the desktop is the past of personal computing as ever more folks move to laptops.

"I see desktops making a comeback due to a role change," Bajarin says. "There is an interesting trend emerging around desktops. Consumer all-in-one desktops (like the iMac) are being designed to be showcased prominently in the house rather than stuck in the den or office. These computers will be very elegant, very powerful, and very affordable. So rather than try to converge a notebook and a tablet, I think a better create a solution is to pair a desktop all-in-one with a tablet."

Under this scenario, when you want a big screen,...

Apple has filed a patent at the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office for the design of the Mac mini. Patent number 20120106067 is for a small form factor desktop computer.

An "aesthetically pleasing small form factor desktop computer" is described. The small form factor desktop computer can be formed of a single piece seamless housing that in the described embodiment is machined from a single billet of aluminum. The single piece seamless housing includes an aesthetically pleasing foot support having at least a portion formed of RF transparent material that provides easy user access to selected internal components as well as offers electromagnetic (EM) shielding.

According to Apple, this simplicity of design can accrue many advantages to the small form factor desktop computer besides those related to aesthetic look and feel. Fewer components and less time and effort can be required for assembly of the small form factor desktop computer and the absence of seams in the...

By Rick Sutcliffe

The Spy’s tools provide this month's entertainment, both for his consistency and their diversity. You see, his two sons recently had their birthdays, and predictably, they got tools.

After all the well-equipped householder needs his drills, saws, screwdrivers, hammers, power strips, sockets, the box to organize it all, a good work bench and proper ladders. Now, no matter that one is a software engineer, and the other a high school math and history teacher -- how else can they get jobs done around the house?

The Spy himself has built two houses for his family, helped construct a church, and assisted said sons and others in reno projects on various scales, particularly with electrical work. He's also done not a little auto and tractor maintenance. So he's acquired hand tools, power tools, air tools, and mechanic's tools; tools for building, wrecking, and repairing, for house, car, lawn, and garden; tools for plumbing,...

Apple has been granted a patent (number 8171432) for a touch screen device, method and graphical user interface (UI) for displaying and selecting application options. embodiments relate generally to computing devices with touch screen displays, and more particularly, to selecting application options on computing devices with touch screen displays. Based on the graphics, it make you wonder if Apple is planning bigger iPads.

Per the patent, in accordance with some embodiments, a flat version of an application interface is displayed. In response to detecting a user gesture on a view options icon while the flat version of the application interface is displayed, a curled version of the application interface is displayed. The curled version of the application interface includes an image of a curled page that obscures a first portion of the flat version of the application interface, and a roll-up region in a display region formerly occupied by a second portion of the flat version...

Various Apple patents have appeared at the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office showing that the company is working on ways to improve power management and sound on a range of devices.

Patent number 81717322 is for portable electronic devices with power management capabilities. Per the patent, an electronic device may operate in standby and active modes. A headset may be coupled to the electronic device. The electronic device may have audio codec circuitry. The audio codec circuitry may use general purpose input-output circuitry in handling button and headset activity during active mode. Processing circuitry may be used to reconfigure the audio codec in real time.

When the electronic device is in the standby mode and activity is detected, the codec may be configured to provide an interrupt signal to a power management unit that wakes the device. When the electronic device is in active mode and no user inputs are received within a given period of time, the central...