#298801 - 29/05/2007 23:52
Microsoft gets into the game
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addict
Registered: 02/08/2004
Posts: 434
Loc: Helsinki, Finland
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Hmm, I wonder if this will turn into anything? MS files for patent
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#298802 - 30/05/2007 07:30
Re: Microsoft gets into the game
[Re: petteri]
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addict
Registered: 11/01/2002
Posts: 612
Loc: Reading, UK
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A lawsuit?
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LittleBlueThing
Running twin 30's
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#298803 - 04/06/2007 11:45
Re: Microsoft gets into the game
[Re: LittleBlueThing]
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carpal tunnel
Registered: 18/06/2001
Posts: 2504
Loc: Roma, Italy
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Quote:
This patent however details a "car stereo including a docking station into which an off-the-shelf handheld computer can be docked," and additionally, it hints towards support for a multitude of devices.
This feature alone makes it extremely interesting to me. And, I have not heard of anything like that so far, but I may simply be not too well informed.
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= Taym =
MK2a #040103216 * 100Gb *All/Colors* Radio * 3.0a11 * Hijack = taympeg
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#298804 - 06/06/2007 21:26
Re: Microsoft gets into the game
[Re: Taym]
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carpal tunnel
Registered: 25/06/1999
Posts: 2993
Loc: Wareham, Dorset, UK
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Not sure how they can be awarded this - there was prior art.
But then, there's no-one around to sue any more...
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One of the few remaining Mk1 owners...  #00015
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#298805 - 07/06/2007 12:00
Re: Microsoft gets into the game
[Re: schofiel]
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carpal tunnel
Registered: 25/12/2000
Posts: 16706
Loc: Raleigh, NC US
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I think the innovation is the ability to dock a "handheld computer" into it.
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Bitt Faulk
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#298806 - 07/06/2007 13:32
Re: Microsoft gets into the game
[Re: wfaulk]
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old hand
Registered: 01/10/2002
Posts: 1039
Loc: Fullerton, Calif.
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I had read in a magazine about industrial patents that MS has a team of lawyers & engineers whose sole purpose is to patent anything they can think of. The reasoning is, that if they own the silly patents, they won't have to defend against them later. Given the insanity of the US patent office, it seems a reasonable course. This just may be one of those patents...
I designed the first "dry deck" fountain (the kind kids play in) over 20 years ago. I found out recently that one of my competitors patented it two years later... it never occured to me to patent it...
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#298807 - 07/06/2007 14:34
Re: Microsoft gets into the game
[Re: larry818]
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carpal tunnel
Registered: 25/12/2000
Posts: 16706
Loc: Raleigh, NC US
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Oh, cool. Yours was the fountain featured heavily in the last few episodes of Heroes -- the orange helix-y staircase one. Somewhat on topic, though. If you installed one or advertised one or something, you should contest his patent based on evidence of prior art.
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Bitt Faulk
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#298808 - 07/06/2007 15:03
Re: Microsoft gets into the game
[Re: larry818]
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carpal tunnel
Registered: 13/07/2000
Posts: 4180
Loc: Cambridge, England
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Quote:
I designed the first "dry deck" fountain (the kind kids play in) over 20 years ago. I found out recently that one of my competitors patented it two years later... it never occured to me to patent it...
Not knowing what a "dry deck" fountain was, I typed it into Google, and the first link says "This dry-deck fountain dates back to the early 1600s"... 
Don't suppose you did the one in Piccadilly Gardens, Manchester? That's a really nice fountain.
Peter
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#298809 - 11/06/2007 19:32
Re: Microsoft gets into the game
[Re: wfaulk]
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carpal tunnel
Registered: 25/06/1999
Posts: 2993
Loc: Wareham, Dorset, UK
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So an empeg isn't hand held?
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One of the few remaining Mk1 owners... #00015
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#298810 - 11/06/2007 20:09
Re: Microsoft gets into the game
[Re: schofiel]
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carpal tunnel
Registered: 10/06/1999
Posts: 5916
Loc: Wivenhoe, Essex, UK
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It is, but the car battery you would need to carry around with you to use it wouldn't really be 
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#298811 - 12/06/2007 02:46
Re: Microsoft gets into the game
[Re: peter]
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old hand
Registered: 01/10/2002
Posts: 1039
Loc: Fullerton, Calif.
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Quote:
Not knowing what a "dry deck" fountain was, I typed it into Google, and the first link says "This dry-deck fountain dates back to the early 1600s"...
Don't suppose you did the one in Piccadilly Gardens, Manchester? That's a really nice fountain.
No, I didn't do that one.
I love the internet. 20 years ago I was certain that it was the first, now it seems I was 300 years too late.... 
That drydeck is at :
http://www.hellbrunn.at/hellbrunn/english/trickfountains/mechanical_theatre.asp
Well worth a look around that site. They also have a musical, animated fountain from the same period. Both still work.
The musical fountain was patented by the same dude...
L
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#298812 - 12/06/2007 02:52
Re: Microsoft gets into the game
[Re: larry818]
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old hand
Registered: 01/10/2002
Posts: 1039
Loc: Fullerton, Calif.
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I never hijacked a thread before...
I sent one of my empegs off to a show control company to play with. I've asked them to look at it with an eye of building something similar, but for show (fountain) control. Essentally the same thing but with DMX out and time clocks coded in. The stuff available now is all overly big or complicated... The empeg seems almost ideally suited for such a use...
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#298813 - 18/08/2007 03:18
Re: Microsoft gets into the game
[Re: larry818]
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carpal tunnel
Registered: 19/05/1999
Posts: 3457
Loc: Palo Alto, CA
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ISTR One of the ex-Rio germany guys, Martin Moerz, made an Xscale-powered linux running, DMX lighting system a few years after the Rio Central (he does freelance design for people). I remember thinking it looked pretty cool - think it had two Xscales actually, one to do the hard real-time stuff.
If you're interested pm me and I'll send you his email addr.... he could point you at who sold it in the end I'm sure.
Hugo
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