Nintendo Switch patent filing hints at potential for VR
Nintendo might have some big surprises in store when it sheds more light on the Switch game console in January. NeoGAF forum member Rösti has noticed a slew of just-published patent applications for the hybrid system, and one of them hints that the Switch might have virtual reality support. Effectively, it would turn the Switch into a larger-than-usual Daydream View or Gear VR — you’d slot it into a headset and use the console’s detachable controllers to play. Suddenly, Nintendo’s misgivings over VR seem like temporary roadblocks.
There’s no guarantee that Nintendo will have a VR headset ready and waiting for the March launch, or at all. This is just a patent application, and even fully granted patents don’t necessarily translate to shipping products. Nintendo may just be patenting the concept so that a rival console maker can’t implement the concept themselves. With that said, this is an extremely straightforward and logical idea — it wouldn’t be hard to add a basic VR experience to the Switch. Our only misgivings are over the display quality and processing power: if the Switch isn’t using at least a 1080p display and a reasonably quick CPU, its take on VR may be underwhelming.
Via: NeoGAF
Source: USPTO
Apple Seeds First iOS 10.2.1 and macOS Sierra 10.12.3 Betas to Public Beta Testers
Apple today seeded the first public betas of both iOS 10.2.1 and macOS Sierra 10.12.3 to public beta testers, one day after seeding the two new releases to developers and two weeks after releasing iOS 10.2 and macOS Sierra 10.12.2.
Beta testers who have signed up for Apple’s beta testing program will receive the new iOS 10.2.1 beta update over-the-air after installing the proper certificate on their iOS device, and macOS Sierra 10.12.3 can be installed using the Software Update mechanism in the Mac App Store.
Those who want to be a part of Apple’s beta testing program can sign up to participate through the beta testing website, which gives users access to both iOS and macOS Sierra betas. Betas are not stable and include many bugs, so they should be installed on a secondary device.
No major outward-facing changes were discovered in the developer betas of macOS Sierra 10.12.3 or iOS 10.2.1, suggesting they are both minor updates that focus on bug fixes and under-the-hood changes rather than major new features.
Related Roundups: iOS 10, macOS Sierra
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Apple Loses Labor Code Violation and Wireless Patent Lawsuits
A federal jury for the U.S. District Court for Northern California today found Apple to be infringing upon a pair of wireless patents owned by Core Wireless, a patent holding firm with a large portfolio of more than 1,200 patents and applications, originally filed and later acquired from phone maker Nokia.
Core Wireless was awarded $7.3 million in damages as part of the ruling, which Apple is likely to appeal. In its complaint, Core Wireless argued iPhones and iPads infringe upon its patented wireless technologies, related to the GSM/GPRS, UMTS, and LTE standards, according to court documents filed electronically.
Meanwhile, Apple lost another lawsuit this week when a San Diego Superior Court jury reached a verdict in favor of a group of former Apple Store retail employees, who accused the company of failing to provide timely meal and rest breaks, wages due upon ending employment within the required time, and accurate wage statements.
California Labor Code dictates that employees must be provided with at least a 30-minute meal break when the work period is more than five hours, and at least a 10-minute rest break for every four hours worked. The defendants claimed Apple failed to always provide these breaks for at least four years prior to the lawsuit.
The lawsuit, originally filed in 2011 and elevated to class action status in 2014, involves Apple retail and corporate employees who worked for Apple between 2007 and 2012. The trial was to continue this week for corporate employees, as the jury verdict only applies to retail employees, according to a tipster.
Apple is ordered to pay $2 million in the lawsuit. Apple can now appeal the case before a higher court.
Tags: lawsuit, patent, patent trials
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