Microsoft has asked for a patent to protect its idea for a smartphone docking cradle that would turn your handheld into a mini-laptop.
Microsoft_smart_cradle_01 Microsoft's smartphone cradle
The “Smart Interface System for Mobile Communication Devices” is a docking station that would harness your smartphone’s processing …
Having tried for some time in recent months to make a recent, high spec, windows mobile phone do anything well, the idea of using one on (as) a desktop or hooking it up to my TV and getting it to work satisfactorily makes me queasy.
The purpose of this patent is to prevent any of their competitors from producing such a device.
Or, if they do, Microsoft are probably hoping to skim a percentage.
Rather than encouraging innovation and invention patents are now used to block the development of technology.
As an example, when PSION first produced their Organiser, they had to pay a percentage to an American lawyer who had patented the general term 'electronic diary', obviously without any idea of how such a device might be implemented but in the reasonably certain knowledge that someone would build such a device and they could then cash in.
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Microsoft has asked for a patent to protect its idea for a smartphone docking cradle that would turn your handheld into a mini-laptop. Microsoft_smart_cradle_01 Microsoft's smartphone cradle The “Smart Interface System for Mobile Communication Devices” is a docking station that would harness your smartphone’s processing …
Oh dear
Having tried for some time in recent months to make a recent, high spec, windows mobile phone do anything well, the idea of using one on (as) a desktop or hooking it up to my TV and getting it to work satisfactorily makes me queasy.
Microsoft uberdock?
This from a company that has spent god knows how many years getting ActiveSync badly wrong.
Cant wait.
Paris wouldn't want one, even she isnt that daft
What about Redfly?
Isn't Redfly from Celio Corp. the same thing?
What Patents are for.
>It’s too early to tell if Microsoft plans to
>mass produce its smart cradle anytime soon.
I doubt it.
The purpose of this patent is to prevent any of their competitors from producing such a device.
Or, if they do, Microsoft are probably hoping to skim a percentage.
Rather than encouraging innovation and invention patents are now used to block the development of technology.
As an example, when PSION first produced their Organiser, they had to pay a percentage to an American lawyer who had patented the general term 'electronic diary', obviously without any idea of how such a device might be implemented but in the reasonably certain knowledge that someone would build such a device and they could then cash in.
I think Microsoft's intentions here are similar.