4 ms·
Slide-to-unlock was probably a pretty important, cool idea for whoever first invented it (not Apple -- though maybe they reinvented it from scratch). It's one
by aetherson 12y ago
Slide-to-unlock was probably a pretty important, cool idea for whoever first invented it (not Apple -- though maybe they reinvented it from scratch). It's one of those things that's obvious in retrospect but difficult to necessarily think of when you're starting from a white page.
But not all important, cool ideas are patentable -- nor should they be. Patents are meant to reward research, not "good ideas."
- sitkack 12y agoYou mean like a 3$ gate latch?
- lostcolony 12y agoExactly. The latches on a briefcase. This is atextbook patent for 'a common real world thing, "But on a computer"'
- upbeat_addict 12y agoit's always reminded me of an apt door chain lock.
- shmerl 12y ago> Slide-to-unlock was probably a pretty important, cool idea for whoever first invented it You mean whoever invented the sliding lock? It is indeed obvious in retrospect, but was probably a breakthrough when it was invented (that is ages ago). Such kind of patents are coming very close to patenting a wheel.