• Steve Jobs

    Over 300 Apple’s Patents Credited to Steve Jobs

    // Gradly // Apple, blog, Featured, Patents, Steve Jobs, Tech. No Responses

    Besides managing day-to-day operations while acting as Apple’s CEO, Steve Jobs‘ impact and role on all development stages of the innovative products were active. New York Times’ Miguel Helft posted a run down of patents that were credited to the great late Steve.

    The 317 Apple patents that list Steven P. Jobs among the group of inventors offer a glimpse at his legendary say over the minute details of the company’s products — from the company’s iconic computer cases to the glass staircases that are featured in many Apple stores.

    Not to mention, Microsoft’s Bill Gates is only listed on 9 patents while Google’s co-founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin have “more than a dozen Google patents.”

    head over to the New York Times here to find out

    The Apple chairman and co-founder, Steve Jobs, passed away Wednesday October, 5th, at the age of 56, the company and his family said in short statements. Neither specified the cause of death, although Jobs had been battling pancreatic cancer and had received a liver transplant several years ago.

  • TSMC Begins Testing Apple’s A6 Processor with 28-nanometer Technology

    // Gradly // Apple, blog, iPad, iPhone, News, Samsung, Tech. No Responses

    Taiwan Economic News is reporting that local Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., Ltd. (TSMC), the world’s largest semiconductor foundry by market shares now, has started trial production of the A6 processor in cooperation with Apple Inc., with the production design to be taped out in the first quarter of next year and scheduled to be publicly unveiled in the second quarter at the earliest, according to industry sources.

    TSMC has applied its newest 28-nanometer process and 3D stacking technologies to produce the next-generation processor A6, which is based on the ARM architecture and will undergo TSMC’s cutting-edge silicon interposer and bump on trace (BOT) methodologies. Industry insiders said that the manufacturing will help to pump considerable momentum into TSMC’s business growth starting next year, though the company has yet to comment on the deal for the moment.

    We already reported that Apple and TSMC have begun testing in July, however, both reports suggest that the next iPad 3 could be the first to sport the new processor in 2012.

    Let us wait and see how this will affect Samsung as Apple keen to shift most of production away from the korean company as Samsung has emerged as Apple’s toughest competitor in the smartphone and tablet market.

  • Apple Begins Test Production Of A6 Processor with TSMC

    // Gradly // Apple, blog, iPad, iPhone, Mobile, News, Rants & Raves, Rumors, Samsung, Tech. 1 Response

    Citing a source with knowledge of the matter, Apple and Taiwan-based TSMC have begun manufacturing test of Apple’s next-generation A6 processor. The fact that Apple is working with TSMC on this may serve as a sign that Apple is shifting from its traditional chip supplier, Samsung Electronics.

    Currently, Samsung is the sole supplier of the A5 chips used in the iPad 2, but Apple has hinted it is keen to diversify away from the Korean company. The two are battling a legal dispute over patents, and Samsung has also emerged as Apple’s toughest competitor in the smartphone and tablet market.

    It’s currently not finalized that TSMC will produce the new chip for Apple. but the test run is said to be authorized. It’s also expected that Samsung will lower prices and fight to retain Apple’s business in manufacturing the A6.

    “It has to redesign the chipset, which Samsung has been deeply involved from the beginning and has some intellectual property. Apple could try various suppliers but they (Samsung and Apple) need each other and the relationship will continue.”

    The A5 chip is designed by the California company and analysts say it is based on British chip designer ARM Holdings technology. Details of Apple’s technology are hard to come by though given its obsession with secrecy.

    The A6 will likely debut next year as part of 3rd generation iPad, as the current trend is for Apple to place new technology in the iPad first, then shrink and optimize it later for use in the iPhone.

    The A6 will reportedly use a new 28-nanometer process, making it smaller and more power efficient, and could be powerful enough to use inside future Macs, such as future models of the MacBook Air which is a strong possibility.

  • Apple Blows us Away with Smart Illuminated Bezel Details!

    // Gradly // Apple, blog, Gadgets, iPad, iPhone, News, Patents, Tech. No Responses

    Smart bezel patents from Apple are old news, but Patently Apple has discovered some blow-away details. Put simply, Apple is proposing a bezel that doubles as a secondary display built around a printed segmented electroluminescence technology:

    Apple intends to use the secondary display to introduce a set of new illuminated indicators that are able morph into various controls for work and play. Illuminated gaming and productivity controls could be built into the face-side of the bezel and/or selected back-side areas of iOS devices like the iPad.

    This opens up a whole new world of creative possibilities…

    The bezel running around iOS gadgets could be made touch sensitive, allowing users to tap the illuminated control to access common features such as media playback and game controls.

    The new smart bezel may not have a traditional home button. Well, below is an example of how that could look like using Apple’s display. Apple could create a very simple yet very cool illuminated home button that only appears when your hand approaches the home button area as shown below in a generic example that shows off this technology.

    If this patent ends up used in future iOS gadgets, expect easier, more convenient handling of everyday tasks. It’s sexy, there’s a substantial wow factor involved and it enhances the user experience in a Star Trek manner.