Apple comes up with their own Wiimote

by David Hinkle { May 9th 2008 at 8:00PM }

Apple apparently has a Wiimote-like remote in the works for their Apple TV. At least, that's our best guess regarding this patent from November of 2006, as we can't imagine what else Apple would have this planned for. Apple's version of the Wiimote even has an accelerometer, as well as a rather specific purpose detailed that relates to gaming.

Of course, it's only just a patent. We've no idea about the possibility of this device actually becoming a product on retail shelves.

[Via Engadget]

Tags: apple, apple-tv, patent, wiimote

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

Jeff @ May 9th 2008 9:04PM

Cant they come up with there own ideas?

zrockstar @ May 9th 2008 10:18PM

The idea of an accelerometer style remote though was not new with the wii. I recently bought an alienware hangar 18 media center. It comes standard with the logitech gyro remote. you hold down a button and move the remote around which moves the cursor on the screen around according to your movement. It's so much nicer and easier than using a mouse (especially since I'm now also used to using the wiimote)

Not sure if it has an accelerometer, but it's the same basic idea. Logitech's remote has been around since at least 2005, pre-wii.

Sooooooo, the Apple patent shouldn't be too surprising or worrisome.
Check out the following link: go under menu and wireless to learn more

http://www.alienware.com/product_detail_pages/hangar18/hangar18_features.aspx#pdp-nav

Kokomadeta @ May 10th 2008 2:39AM

Watch, Apple releases it, Microsoft came up with it years ago and it bombed, and everyone hails Apple because of their "new" and "revolutionary" product, and it dominates the market. The same thing happened with Apple's iPod vs. Creative's Zen line. And for the record, Creative did a video player in that vein first, Apple reverse-engineered the Zen, got sued by Creative, and now Creative makes money on every iPod sold.
iDon't iPod. iNot [insert alternate word for 'happy' here].

wiiboyuk101-2008 @ May 10th 2008 12:40PM

MICROSOFT DID what i-d-i-o-t fanboy

nintendo innovated this shit noooooooooooooooooooooo one else did any such thing,, bill gates personal rent boy your trying to pretend bill gates your love god some how beat nintendo to the 3d wiimote innovation so you can say its a innovation when the x360 version is shown

bill gates personal little sex rent boy i presume

silly fanbitch above is trying to build up a new version of realality in his microsoft fanboy head what a compleat GAY

i bet he called wiimote silly and not for hardcore gamers when bill gates was saying that then when bill gates called it casual he changeed his gay fanboy mind then when bill gates shows off a sub version of wiimote that will work like crap

hell say 1 micrsoft inovation and 2 its better than wiimote

go suck a gates family cock you compleat idiot

OLD-BIG-HEAD @ May 10th 2008 12:49PM

gyro motion is not anywere as advanced as wiimote your missing the point IDIOTS nintendo inovated everything about the wiimote and had it in development for years they dont personally make chips and special hardware the gyro tech your speaking of combined with nintendos own hard work and engineering made the wiimote a reallity

its clearly a nintendo inovation your gyro whatever is no wiimote IDIOT

AND MICRSOFTS MOTION PAD A FEW YEARS AGO IS NO MORE ADVANCED 3D MOTION TECH ITS A TILT SENCER OF LIQUIED MERCURY INSIDE JUST THE SAME AS THE GBA TILT GAMES

SORRY YOUR ALL NOW CORRECTED

Haohmaru @ May 10th 2008 3:17PM

Try counting to ten before posting. It may help your problem with SCREAMING AT NO ONE IN PARTICULAR FOR THE SAKE OF IT.

zrockstar @ May 11th 2008 9:40PM

If you would read the posts more carefully OBH you would see that I said it was the basic idea i.e. moving a remote around in 3 dimensions to move a cursor on the screen. I fully agree that nintendo's wiimote is very innovative and a marvel of technology for the gaming world, HOWEVER, you can't argue that the basic idea has been around for quite some time.

The point was...that Apple is not really stealing anything UNLESS they start taking the actual tech specs of the accelerometer etc. used in the wiimote.

glad I could correct it.

Dmobxxx @ May 11th 2008 2:39PM

Hmmmm...

...what if the big N and the big A team up in some way? I remember hearing a rumor awhile back that the big N would be making games(or something)for the big A's new range ipod of products. That was BEFORE the iphone and ipod touch were released, when speculation ran rampant as to what the big A's next step would be...

Of course, nothing ever happened with that rumor, and such a partnership would be HIGHLY unlikely at best.

Still...weirder things have happened.