Apple patents show touch-screen iMac, MacBook - Hardware - Technology - News - CRN Australia

Apple is looking to broaden its touch-screen product base.

Apple is apparently embarking on a touch-screen frenzy, taking the technology that made its now-iconic iPhone and iPad best-sellers and putting into an iMac, according to a patent application Apple filed last month.

According to the Patently Apple blog, a blog that follows Apple's patent activity, a series of patent applications filed by Apple illustrates a computer that alternates between mouse and keyboard input and touch-screen-based input. The computer resembles an iMac with an adjustable stand, which can keep it upright or tilt it to be used like an iPad. The machine, as outlined in the patent application, switches between touch-screen and traditional input based on the screen's position.

One of the patent applications features an iMac-like computer on a hinged stand that moves from an upright position to a downward position to enable touch-screen input. The machine features technology that detects which position it is in to automatically alternate between input modes. The filings indicate that when the device moves from traditional mouse and keyboard input to touch screen it also alternates from OSX to iOS.

Another patent application, meanwhile, demonstrates a MacBook with a swiveling touch screen that can rotate or lay flat against the keyboard with touch-screen capabilities. That MacBook can switch between standard laptop functionality or act as a tablet.

The new touch-screen capabilities planned for the MacBook fall in line with an earlier touch-screen patent application that shows a MacBook with the same touch technology that Apple used in the iPad's display, but mixes it with a traditional laptop.

Apple patents show touch-screen iMac, MacBook - Hardware - Technology - News - CRN Australia

Our say: Finally! This is the touch screen we have been waiting for to use with every LightSpeed POS installation.  It will be interesting to see the design of the adjustable stand and if it will be practical for a retail point of sale environment.

Evernote - Organise all your ideas in one place

Recommended Apps - Evernote

Is your desktop cluttered with web clippings?  Do you save bookmarks and later forget why you saved them?  Do you take photos of things you like but don't know where to save them?

Evernote allows you to capture, organize, and find information across multiple platforms. You can take notes, clip webpages, snap photos using your mobile phone, create to‐dos, and record audio. All data is synchronized with the Evernote web service and made available to clients on Windows, Mac, Web, and mobile devices. Additionally, the Evernote web service performs image recognition on all incoming notes, making printed or handwritten text found within images searchable.





Why do we love it?

Finally there's a way organise random bits of information we collect and find them easily when we need to.  There's a desktop app, iphone app and plugins for most browsers so you can add and retrieve content wherever you have an internet connection.  The text recognition software saves you time in creating titles for you clippings so information can be searched easily.

New! Safari 5.0.1 Extensions | Give your Safari a facelift!

If you're like us, we spend a lot of time surfing the web on Safari.  Of course, we love the minimal brushed aluminium look but wouldn't it be great if we could add some extra functionality for the things we spend a lot of our time on?


Safari 5.0.1 introduces extensions: a great way for you to add new features to Safari. Built by developers, Safari Extensions use the latest HTML5, CSS3, and JavaScript web technologies. And they’re digitally signed and sandboxed for improved security. You can install extensions with one click — no need to restart Safari.  Once you've installed them, they will show up in your Safari toolbar for quick and easy access!

For example, you may want to add a Facebook and Twitter extension to keep you plugged into your Social Network.  Or you may want to add some additional search functionality to Safari to navigate through web pages more easily.  


If you use bookmarks, then you will probably find this a great new feature and once you install a couple you'll find it hard to live without!  We've picked out a few that we liked, but if there's one that you like then make sure you share it with us.

Better Facebook

Better Facebook

Better Facebook improves your Facebook experience. Customize your news feed with advanced filters that can hide posts you’ve read, alert you to new comments, notify you when you’ve been “unfriended,” and more.

Twitter for Safari

Twitter, Inc.

The official Twitter extension for Safari brings real-time trends and information to every web page. Show related tweets and Twitter users. Keep track of what’s trending at the moment, including any mention of the web page you’re on. You can also tweet about the web page you’re viewing — complete with a link that’s already shortened for you.

My eBay Manager

eBay

The My eBay Manager extension for Safari helps you keep track of your eBay activity while you browse the web. Built with eBay users in mind, this extension helps you get more from your buying and selling. You’re always securely signed in, so you can check your progress whenever you like.

2Prowl

Dreamt By Phil

2Prowl lets you quickly send a web page to your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch using push notifications.

AdBlock

Safari AdBlock

AdBlock banishes all ads on all web pages. Once you install AdBlock, you’ll immediately see the results. Visit your favorite websites and watch as ads disappear.

Extension Categories:

NewsShoppingSearch ToolsURL Shorteners

Social NetworkingEntertainmentProductivity

BookmarkingSecurityRSS Tools

Twitter ToolsTranslationEmail

Photos

Developer

Macdailynews story: Apple patent application describes ‘Smart Bike’

Apple patent application describes 'Smart Bike'...
http://www.macdailynews.com/index.php/weblog/comments/26238/


This article came from the MacDailyNews App for iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch which features daily news about Apple, the Macintosh platform, iPhone, iPad, and iPod. MacDailyNews features news, links, tips, and more. More info and download link here: www.macdailynews.com/index.php/app

Xsilva Systems releases LightSpeed 3.1

Xsilva Systems releases LightSpeed 3.1

New features, enhancements build on strong uptake among multi-store retailers

Montreal, Canada – July 14, 2010 – Xsilva Systems Inc., maker of a comprehensive suite of easy-to-use tools for retailers, has released LightSpeed 3.1, providing retailers with a host of new features and enhancements to its world-class point-of-sale system for Mac.
LightSpeed is Xsilva’s elegant retail platform for Mac that blends innovative functionality with a stylish and intuitive look and feel. It combines a robust point-of-sale (POS) solution for front-counter retail with back-office functions such as inventory management, order processing and billing.
In March, Xsilva released LightSpeed 3.0, which featured a new point-of-sale screen, a host of new features for multi-store retailers, including a powerful new solution called Multi-Store Pro, and expanded support for Xsilva’s e-commerce solution, Web Store 2.0.
In a few short months, LightSpeed’s new multi-store capabilities have attracted significant interest and uptake by the broader market as more retailers come to appreciate the functional aesthetics, ease of use and simplicity of Mac.
“While the response to LightSpeed 3.0 and Multi-Store Pro has been impressive, we are committed to continuous improvement to ensure we are meeting the needs of our customers,” said Dax Dasilva, founder and CEO of Xsilva Systems. “With v3.1, we have added additional features and enhanced the platform in a variety of ways in response to early feedback from retailers.”

New features and enhancements include:

• PCI Payment Application Data Security Standard Compliance (Certification In Progress)
• Ingenico i6580 Debit Terminal Support (U.S.)
• Setup Assistant and combined Setup Panel to help new businesses get up and running on LightSpeed with an easy-to-use wizard that guides users through setup for the company, point of sale interface, taxes and more.
• Customer Merging to merge duplicate customer records in one simple step.
• Receipt Emailing of easy-to-read HTML receipts for invoices from the POS screen or Invoice window.
• Matrix Product Import of records for inventory such as clothing and apparel with Import Tools.
• Numerous improvements to the POS screen

    

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