As various technology companies create new inventions that change the way that society interacts on a day to day basis, it is important to examine that rapidity with which these changes have been made. The simplest example of this is the smartphone, an invention which was nonexistent just a few years ago, but is inextricably linked to the life of American consumer society today.
In predicting the changes that will arise in the future, it is extremely important to look to patents as a predictor of what is to come. The smartphone industry is the perfect example of this because there are constantly new innovations being developed and every year, a new model is released which makes the old one look like something out of the Stone Age. Looking to the patents filed by companies like Apple and Samsung can give us a good indication of how smartphones may be transforming further in the future.
One example of such a change is a recent patent filed by Apple to create a wrap-around edge on the new model of the iPhone. According to the patent filed by Apple (drawing shown below), the side of the phone would effectively be a touch screen akin to the one currently only on the front of the phone. This invention has the capability to change the way we interact with our phones by creating more easy access to important functionalities on the phone.
These sorts of technological changes are extremely important because they are constantly bringing increased ease and comfort to the American consumer. This reminds of us of the importance of the patent process and why we need intellectual property to incentivize innovation in the United States. By looking to patents, we can begin to understand how innovation happens and how innovations will continue to change the face of society in this great country.
Source: http://techcrunch.com/2014/05/13/apple-patents-wraparound-edge-mounted-iphone-displays-with-virtual-buttons/
In predicting the changes that will arise in the future, it is extremely important to look to patents as a predictor of what is to come. The smartphone industry is the perfect example of this because there are constantly new innovations being developed and every year, a new model is released which makes the old one look like something out of the Stone Age. Looking to the patents filed by companies like Apple and Samsung can give us a good indication of how smartphones may be transforming further in the future.
One example of such a change is a recent patent filed by Apple to create a wrap-around edge on the new model of the iPhone. According to the patent filed by Apple (drawing shown below), the side of the phone would effectively be a touch screen akin to the one currently only on the front of the phone. This invention has the capability to change the way we interact with our phones by creating more easy access to important functionalities on the phone.
Source: http://techcrunch.com/2014/05/13/apple-patents-wraparound-edge-mounted-iphone-displays-with-virtual-buttons/
No comments:
Post a Comment