Yesterday I was reading PC World news, and I stumbled across this article:
Apple to Samsung: Don't Make Thin or Rectangular Tablets or Smartphones
by Melania Pinola (read the article here)
I read it, and at first I though it was kind of a joke directed to Apple, until I realized it was true. I read it twice, 'coz I wasn't really sure about it, then I googled around to check the Apple "experts" declaration.
Section 2-40 and 2-41 list "suggestions" from Apple to Samsung about how they should re-design their smartphone and tablet to avoid looking too similar to the dreaded iPhone.
Well... "square than rectangular or not rectangular at all" - I always dreamt a triangular phone. Ora spherical one.
"Front surfaces that are not black or clear" - really? Apple should also fill some lawsuite to all LCD/TV producers.
"do not have four rounded corners" - wow! That's simple - if you produce a triangular one (see above), you'll only have THREE round corners!
"Front surfaces that are not completely flat" - kind of a lens above your screen? That way you'll reduce the costs: a magnifying glass is much less expensive than a bigger screen!
"Thick frames rather than a thin rim around the front surface" - yes, definitively. Everyone loves to add thick frames around the screen. I suggest a 2" screen, with a 4" thick frame around. But don't worry, everything will take it place if you use it combined with the magnifying glass (see above).
Ok... enough. I really really think Apple should stop being so childish and concentrate lawsuite to technology patents, other than "design" patents. Mainly beacause people at Apple seems to have lost the sense of reality about that. Kind of some car producer patents "a vehicle with four wheels", or someone claims LCD monitor have to be "not rectangular" and "neither black", or a soccer ball should be "not spherical" and "built with hard, not elastic, materials".
Apple, please, come back to earth in the world of adult people. I understand protecting intellettual properties, but I find terribly childish to claim a "trend" your own intellectual property.
Also considering that Kubrik did it many many years before.