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98 Comments
- bonarez, on 06/13/2009, -13/+117Yeah really great ideas, but if it could save lives, why patent it? Like, you don't have an Iphone, just die?
- dope2003, on 06/13/2009, -2/+76We'll later find out that this feature will also not be carried by AT&T at launch
- diemunkiesdie, on 06/13/2009, -6/+61This is really a genius idea. Hat's off to Apple! As long as they don't consider the GPS non-essential (which would aid in locating the caller) then this system sounds very promising. I love that it would make it hard to hang up the phone because an attacker would not be able to just take the phone away from you and hang it up. Really genius idea!
- willhirsch, on 06/13/2009, -4/+45Er, no, it just means other phones may have to pay for a license to use the technology. So more like, a Palm Pre saved your life, but it was Apple's idea so they get remunerated some of what you paid for it.
- AmyVernon, on 06/13/2009, -3/+38did you read the article? basically, if your battery's about to die, this process would make it really difficult to be disconnected. and if you couldn't speak, there'd be pre-recorded messasges you could send.
- lepton, on 06/13/2009, -1/+34Because you are choking or have an asthma attack or are in allergic shock or there is a burglar in the next room.
- teh_spazz, on 06/13/2009, -1/+31This is only for iPhones, doesn't make it any easier for dumbphones and other smartphones.
I can just see it at the keynote: The new iPhone, saving more lives than your old Razr. - TSK05, on 06/13/2009, -5/+30How the ***** do you patent things like that.
- MofS, on 08/13/2009, -1/+25Uh because you don't wanna speak because there's a criminal that would hear you if you did?
- bencanfield, on 06/13/2009, -1/+22Emergency phrases are genius. Next time I get stabbed in the neck I don't have to worry about saying anything.
- emt1451, on 06/13/2009, -6/+24I think that's their basic idea..
- KibibyteBrain, on 06/13/2009, -5/+21Well, generally you would want to patent it so someone else wouldn't. But then you'd offer an open and royalty-free license to use the patent. Somehow I doubt Apple will do that.
- ammundsen, on 06/13/2009, -3/+19That this is patentable is silly. It is a nice idea. But to be able to collect rents for this is ridiculous.
And that you can patent so simple and vague an idea as this brings into question intellectual property benefiting humanity. If the patent is awarded Apple could not implement it itself and not license the idea to others. The world could be deprived of such a simple and smart idea for decades at Apple's whim. I realize they probably wont do that, but the point is they could and that is wrong. - inactive, on 06/13/2009, -4/+18@"My Blackberry will disable the phones radio"
If it did that you wouldn't be able to call 911 to begin with. - willhirsch, on 06/13/2009, -1/+15The correct answer to this question is "in a ***** patent office".
- tacojohn48, on 06/13/2009, -1/+12Updating facebook won't be turned off that is an essential process.
- blorc, on 06/13/2009, -0/+10Yep, but it's a problem with the system and not the people doing it. IP law is simply government sponsored monopoly (which is a bit redundant to say considering that's the only way a monopoly can exist).
- milkmage, on 06/13/2009, -0/+9i'm sorry, where's the part in the article that says this patent is supposed to address every possible emergency scenario? I guess i missed the part that covers getting both your hands cut off in a folding chair accident. your home phone isn't exactly accessible when you drive off the side of the road and end up in a ditch with two broken legs. what's your point again?
- Pic0, on 06/13/2009, -0/+9people would bitch lol
- applebyter, on 06/13/2009, -0/+9well they could break it but but then im sure you've been tracked by then, depending on your situation...not puttin it down ..i think its a great idea...just stating the obvious
- tacojohn48, on 06/13/2009, -5/+14Apple does actually release many things as an open standard.
- Lonandubh, on 06/13/2009, -0/+8Two things:
First, I seem to recall that when the seatbelt (or one version of it) was invented, it was patented, then released for use by all other car companies free of charge. I hope this is what Apple does here.
Second, you cannot patent Ideas, only Implementations. Meaning all another company has to do is make the way they do it sufficiently different, and then it's perfectly legal. ...as i understand it; I'm not a lawyer, nor do i play one on TV - laofmoonster, on 06/13/2009, -0/+8dugg for dumbphones and smartphones.
- boomqweeshaa, on 06/13/2009, -8/+16Who would want to live without an iPhone?!
/sarcasm - turbovolv, on 06/13/2009, -0/+7Patents are not inherently evil.
One of the major reasons for patenting a technology is to protect yourself from getting sued when you use it, NOT to keep others from using it as well.
If Apple didn't patent it, and someone else did, they could be sued for using it in their phones, and then no one (or at least a lot fewer) would benefit.
Microsoft did the same thing with the functionality of the "Page Up / Down" keys a few years back, but you don't see them going and suing, or even asking for compensation from every other company that uses it. - sandipc, on 06/13/2009, -0/+6it's okay, we don't really want to strain AT&T's overburdened network with 911 calls anyway
- timpoke8, on 06/13/2009, -0/+6-"X is being stabbed. FML."
- dagamer34, on 06/13/2009, -0/+6If anything, circuit overload from too many people trying to call is much more likely to happen. But text messages are still able to get through most of the time.
- pwnsey, on 06/13/2009, -0/+6Cell signal triangulation has been pretty accurate...
- rocksplat, on 06/13/2009, -2/+8Ever seen a tower up close? Most cellular towers in the USA have two backup systems: 1) Diesel or propane generator and 2) Battery bank. A power outage won't take out a tower for several days.
- cosmotic, on 06/13/2009, -1/+7My Sanyo from 2002 had this =/
- YourMaster, on 06/13/2009, -0/+6Depends where you are. I try it near my parents' home (in a rural area) and it comes up showing a place that is half an hour's drive away with no traffic. That's really not going to help the cops.
- tacojohn48, on 06/13/2009, -3/+8I am sure Apple will gladly license this patent to other companies. Also would you be making the same comment if it was another company?
- Lonandubh, on 06/13/2009, -0/+5so, part of the preprogrammed message would be to update your facebook status with "OMG, i'm Dying! LOL!"?
- inactive, on 06/13/2009, -2/+7Wow imagine if MS tried to patent a system that makes it easier to save lives.
- willhirsch, on 06/13/2009, -2/+7Sure. Let's see. One copper cable connecting your home to the exchange. Two towers in cell phone range. Which is more likely to suffer total power failure, realistically?
- miggyb, on 06/13/2009, -2/+7@rnawky
SillyDigger's statement is still factually correct. The fact that the phone re-enables the radio when needed is not something you stated originally and is therefore an omission that you are at fault for. - willhirsch, on 06/13/2009, -3/+8Well what's your life worth if this technology is so important? Surely worth paying a bit more for a phone.
The first seatbelt was patented. I suppose you want to stop protecting people who work hard enough to invent things like these. - yuanzhoulu, on 06/13/2009, -0/+5should be able to program in other emergency numbers, though. for example, at my university, you will get medical help faster if you dial the university 7-digit emergency number rather than 911.
- miggyb, on 06/13/2009, -3/+8Why are you getting voted down? OpenCL anyone?http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/OpenCL
- Daniel0, on 06/13/2009, -1/+5No. That's the answer to "Where the ***** do you patent things like that?" :P
- willhirsch, on 06/13/2009, -0/+4Not really. IP law is practically the only incentive for businesses to invest large amounts in R&D. Yes, it's simple, but then why doesn't it already exist?
- NiceToMEETyou, on 06/13/2009, -0/+4features are a plus but this isn't going to fix AT&T's ***** service...
"911"
"Hello, i'm being attacked by narwh...*click* "
anddd Dropped call - Paulish, on 06/13/2009, -0/+4If the "End Call" button doesn't work, I don't think an attacker would have any problems smashing their victim's phone on the ground.
- GrumpyGk, on 06/13/2009, -0/+4More like your a kid walking home from school and there is a car or person following you... it is not a last second thing... seems like it could be engineered to be a quick operation. I know going up I had few times when I felt like I was being followed by creeps in cars.... it was an idea, not all ideas pan out to be good ones :)
- flarn2006, on 06/13/2009, -0/+3Don't worry. From the article:
"GPS might not be considered non-essential, however, as it could help emergency workers find the caller [...]" - timpoke8, on 06/13/2009, -0/+3Also...a chance for profit is necessary for innovation. You really think money to develop live saving drugs would be available if the drug company wouldn't profit?
- thenewkasanova, on 06/13/2009, -1/+4"Wait, wait, don't stab me yet. Lemme get my phone...hold still...another moment...okay, got it! Carry on!"
- miggyb, on 06/13/2009, -2/+4If they didn't patent it, some other company would and there'd be an equal chance of them not licensing/licensing at an expensive rate this technology.
- renesisx, on 06/13/2009, -1/+3Almost everything in that patent could be implemented now by a standard app on the iPhone.
Anyone want to have a go? :) -
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