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aznkid25

macrumors 6502
Original poster
Sep 15, 2007
468
2
http://www.appleinsider.com/articles/09/08/27/apple_proposes_location_based_iphone_home_screens.html

"Transitional Data Sets" describes an invention that would display specific applications automatically populated based on dynamic factors like location.

In one example, the iPhone would utilize location-aware applications, and populate the home screen with those based on the city in which the user is currently located. Included pictures show an iPhone home screen with a "San Francisco" button, which would take the user to a location-aware screen on the device.

"The user can create a set of location-aware applications that can be populated by transitional data sets," the patent filing reads. "A transitional data set is a data set that can change based on the current location of the mobile device... as determined by a positioning technology (e.g., GPS, cell tower triangulation, Wi-Fi)."

patent-090827-1.png


In addition, the feature could change the icons of applications to represent the current location of the phone. The patent filing describes an icon showing the Golden Gate Bridge when the phone is in San Francisco, but that icon could change to an image of the New York City skyline when the phone is in the Big Apple.

patent-090827-2.png


According to other patent filings revealed this week, Apple has also investigated:
-A speech to text feature, which would allow users to speak to a mobile device and have their words translated into text. The application states it could be used for composing e-mails, SMS messages, word processing, data entry, or instant messaging.

-A method for transferring and scaling images between devices. For example, images from a computer sent for display on a TV would be scaled to display properly on the secondary device.

A follow-up to a patent application revealed by AppleInsider in June, in which Apple describes a wireless sensory system that aims to quantify actions or events that can currently be measured only qualitatively. These events would include the strength of a punch or what happened to a delivery package that caused its contents to break.

-An event-based contact list. This would allow an organizer of an event to create a Web site on a server that would grant participants the ability to add and retrieve information from the site, including the sharing of contact information.
 
Hmm.

Apple won't even add directories to let us organize applications, but they want to add this automatic organizer for the few people who go from city to city all the time?

Also seems pretty close to the location aware profiles that other phones already have.
 
Hmm.

Apple won't even add directories to let us organize applications, but they want to add this automatic organizer for the few people who go from city to city all the time?

Also seems pretty close to the location aware profiles that other phones already have.

Expect big things from 4.0 ;)

Apple has solved most of the problems the previous versions of software had; they have a half decent messaging implementation; exchange support, mobileme, etc for the business users; copy & paste; video. Now they can focus on multitasking and other popular features.

I agree though, there definitely needs to be some better way of organising apps.. flicking through god knows how many pages trying to find an app is just bad. Widgets would be nice too :D
 
Hmm.

Apple won't even add directories to let us organize applications, but they want to add this automatic organizer for the few people who go from city to city all the time?

Also seems pretty close to the location aware profiles that other phones already have.

I'm with you. I'd have no use for this feature.

The search feature is good, but it doesn't replace folders.

If I'm sat bored on a train and feel like playing something, I could just go into my games folder and have a look at the games I've got installed.

Exactly, most people want to go to a folder and see the games (or utilities, etc.) and choose one. Right now I have all my games on a page, utilities on another, sports and news on another, etc. It would be nice to just have folders for that. The only way to do that currently is via jailbreaking, so Apple could easily give us this.
 
great, this looks good.

what would be even better is a home screen with upcoming calendar appointments and weather like HTC/Nokia, etc, etc, etc...
 
Hmm.

Apple won't even add directories to let us organize applications, but they want to add this automatic organizer for the few people who go from city to city all the time?

Also seems pretty close to the location aware profiles that other phones already have.

+1
 
I was going to start a new thread but saw this one.

I just realized a practical use of this. If they continue to develop the Remote app as a method of controlling your media in your home and if the iPhone/iPod Touch becomes more and more integrated in the Apple living room-invasion then this becomes more useful but I guess for now it's not as important.

I have the Remote app burried in a page of other apps I rarely use because whenever I'm not at home it's essentially useless... however when I am at home it becomes almost the most important app. I would love it if my phone could somehow detect (whether via GPS or WiFi network) where I am, and re-organize my home screen to be media-oriented (maybe a TV guide app, remote, airfoil, etc all move to the home page or the bottom row). Further, when I'm in my car maybe move wunderradio, ipod, orb, etc to the home page.

I just wanted to add some uses for this idea. I am VERY jealous of the Droid docking system that has customized displays depending on your dock (the home/office dock displays the time, weather, etc as if it were an alarm clock where as the car dock makes the icons bigger and easier to touch). Some combination of either location or docking device that would tailor the layout of the iPhone would be great.
 
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