Last month someone forwarded me a story about how had filed a TTS patent. My first thought was: Great! Apple is finally get around to making the iPod work for blind folks!
This isn't the first story I read about this, but it my favorite: http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20060504-6753.html Apple files for audio navigation patent, 5/4/2006, by Jeremy Reimer. Well, a certain blogger had a different take on it: http://blindconfidential.blogspot.com/2006/05/patently-ridiculous-apples-ugly-legal.html I thought the resultant flame wars was mostly just silly. And no one picked up on the more important (to my mind) aspect that: Hey! Apple is finally get around to making the iPod work for blind folks! With this week's story about the hi tech Nike shoes, I am just now connecting the dots. And I am currently as disappointed with Apple as I get. This patent is not about adding Rock-Box like features to the iPod. The patent is about providing one more toy to yuppies with too much money.
