Posted on Tuesday, July 11 2006 @ 0:05 CEST by Thomas De Maesschalck
Apple successfully registered 10 new iPod interface designs in January 2006 with a European trademark and design office:
They depict versions of both the iPod nano and fifth-generation video iPod not yet released by the company.
First published in March, the visual designs are each credited to Andre K. Bartley, a well known Apple interface designer also named in several other iPod-related patent filings made in both United States and Europe. Since the latest filings strictly cover visual design, they are not accompanied descriptive data.
Two of the most eye-catching designs are based on Apple's current iPod nano enclosure:
In one of the design sketches, the Click-Wheel has been replaced by a keypad layout that strongly resembles a traditional mobile handset (or cell phone). Just below the nano's screen is a circular navigation pad, flanked by two input buttons (traditionally these are the "connect" and "disconnect" buttons on a cell phone). Below these controls is a keypad layout consisting of what appears to be 12 numeric keys, which also coincides with the keypad layout of traditional cell phones..
You can find more details and pictures at
Apple Insider.
