Wal-Mart Applies for Patent for Blimp-Style Floating Warehouse

It’s no secret that Wal-Mart and Amazon have been waging an ongoing retail war. But recently, the former’s copycat efforts have gotten far less subtle.

 

 qz.com

A patent application filed by Walmart in February and published in August by the US Patent and Trademark Office proposes an “aerial transport and launch system” for dispatching delivery drones in mid-air—or, as Bloomberg describes it, a “blimp-style floating warehouse” that would send orders down from the sky.

 

www.cnbc.com

 

 



 

Designed to fly at heights of at least 500 feet and typically more than 1,000 feet, the aircraft would be operated autonomously or by a remote human pilot and coordinated with scheduling software.

 

 

“In a modern retail environment, there is a need to improve the customer service and/or convenience for the customer,” the patent states. “One aspect of customer service is the availability of products. The availability of products is dependent in part on the distribution.”

 

 

If this all sounds familiar, it’s because Amazon was a granted a patent for almost the same exact concept, back in April 2016. “This disclosure describes systems and methods for utilizing an aerial fulfillment center (“AFC”) and unmanned aerial vehicles (“UAV”) to facilitate delivery of ordered items to users,” says Amazon’s patent. “An AFC may be a fulfillment center that is supported by and/or incorporated into an airship.”

 

 

 

Extracted from qz.com

 

 

 

U.S. formally launches probe of China's intellectual property practices

The United States on Friday formally launched an investigation into China's alleged theft of U.S. intellectual property, a widely expected move following a call from President Donald Trump earlier this week to determine whether a probe was needed.

United States Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer speaks at a news conference prior to the inaugural round of North American Free Trade Agreement renegotiations in Washington, U.S., August 16, 2017.    www.reuters.com

The probe is the administration's first direct measure against Chinese trade practices, which the White House and U.S. business groups say are bruising American industry.

Trump repeatedly railed against Chinese trade practices on the campaign trail, but as president he had not taken significant action until this week.

 

 

 

 

Donald Trump  www.ipnomics.com

 

 

China had rebuffed attempts by previous American presidents to take action against its IP practices. Administration officials have said that China's theft of U.S. intellectual property could amount to as much as $600 million.

The probe will likely further complicate the U.S. relationship with China, the country's largest trading partner. The Trump administration has been pressing Beijing to take steps to encourage North Korea to curb its nuclear and missile programs.

Extracted from reuters.com





















 

SEE YOU LATER, WAITER!

With the rising trend of automated restaurants where people literally have to interact with no one, comes the need to have technology and design back that scenario.

Enter the Bellder, a tablet that takes care of everything for you from ordering, to notifying, to acting as a payment gateway. Each patron entering the restaurant gets handed a Bellder. Its design is sleek enough to seem appealing but bulky enough to not get stolen, or break (with rough usage).

The Bellder acts as a menu card, allowing users to order food visually, looking at the dishes rather than just reading names. Once the order is placed, use the Bellder itself to pay for your meal by swiping or inserting your card inside it. I assume future iterations will include NFC payments that are on a high rise.

Post payment, the Bellder acts as a notification unit, alerting you when your food’s ready so you can collect it from the kiosk. You exchange the Bellder for your food, having completed the restaurant experience without having to summon (and wait for) a waiter, or even dealing with waiters in bad moods! You’ll never get overcharged, because you see exactly what you’re paying for and bills will never get mixed up!

Designers: Dain Kim, Taejung Kim, Seyeom An, Myungi baek & JaeSuk Kwon.

 

 

Extracted from yankodesign

Ericsson sues Wiko for patent infringement

 

Ericsson has launched legal proceedings against smartphone maker Wiko for patent infringement, it said Thursday.

www.reuters.com

 

 

The supplier of wireless-communications gear said it is suing Wiko in the German regional courts of Dusseldorf and Mannheim, alleging infringement of patents essential for 2G, 3G and 4G cellular technology, as well as implementation patents.

"Wiko has been infringing Ericsson's intellectual property rights for six years without any license or compensation," the company said in a statement.

"Ericsson has tried to establish a fair, reasonable, and non-discriminatory (FRAND) license agreement with Wiko since May 2013, but has not succeeded."

Wiko did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Ericsson has an intellectual property portfolio that includes more than 42,000 granted patents worldwide.

 

Extracted from marketwatch

 

 



FROM SURF TO TURF!

The latest from F1 enthusiast Olcay Tuncay Karabulut, the Maserati 2020 Bionic Concept takes aquatic inspiration from marine life and applies it to the design language of this far-out Formula 1 car. Designed with biomimicry from animals like fish and dolphins, the vehicle takes cues from their natural hydrodynamics and uses them to enhance aerodynamics. Thoughtfully placed fins, a porpoise-like nose and a fusiform body make it well-adapted for the road.

Designer: Olcay Tuncay Karabulut

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Extracted from yankodesign

LEAVE THE DRONES TO TESLA

 

 

Did you know that Nikola Tesla patented a drone before there were drones?! Over 100 years ago he called these imagined vessels as being used to carry packages, establish communication with inaccessible regions, and “many other scientific purposes.” Drones are basically in the brand’s DNA, so it’s no wonder that there is so much hype around what a Tesla drone might be like! In this concept, called Aurora, Tesla’s electric motor technology is applied to a tricopter design to facilitate long-range, extended-time camera capability.

 

Operating either autonomously or controlled manually, it’s ideal for reconnaissance, checking on out-of-reach machinery, routine structure inspections, or simply for capturing vivid photography and video for fun. The three rotor design allows for larger propellers. This results in less required rotations and less energy to fly, making it more efficient with up to 35% more battery life. Because of the size of the propellers, it also has greater acceleration and better maneuverability. As far as looks go, it’s carefully considered and beautifully executed sculpting that’s probably the e-drone concept most closely in line with the Tesla aesthetic.

 

Designer: Alberto Esses

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

extracted from yankodesign 



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Crocs patent infringement complaint against USA Dawgs rejected

 

For years the plastic clog maker has been suing rivals, including USA Dawgs, which makes a lookalike clog, claiming that Dawgs and others have been infringing on Crocs’ design patent.

 

www.worldipreview.com

But late last week the US Patent and Trademark Office rejected Crocs’ patent argument, which is a major blow to the already struggling footwear company. The decision was first reported by Footwear News.

 

The government agency essentially said the Crocs design is not original, that a second company had applied for a similar design patent a year before Crocs.

 

Crocs told Footwear News that it plans to appeal the decision and will “continue to aggressively enforce its intellectual property portfolio against those who unfairly trade off of Crocs’ goodwill and reputation.”

 

The fight between Crocs and Dawgs dates back to 2006 and escalated this year when Dawgs sued its rival alleging that Crocs was copying one of its designs, a Z-strap sandal, and accused its rival of corporate sabotage.

 

 

 

 

Extracted from http://www.marketwatch.com

AirSelfie

 

 

 

 

 

 

AirSelfie is the world’s smallest portable flying camera. Who said selfies were confined to sticks? With this ground-breaking device you’ll be able to snap aerial photos directly from your phone. Sky’s the limit.

 

 

AirSelfie is a registered trademark and all its components are protected by filed and grantend patents.

 

 

 

Take AirSelfie out of its cover and launch it from your phone using the AirSelfie app available for iOS and Android.

 

 

Fly AirSelfie and control it directly through 3 different flight functions:

• Selfie mode
• Selfie Motion Control mode
• Flying mode

 

 

Land AirSelfie onto your open hand and place it back in its case where it will be recharged.

 

 

The pics will be immediately downloaded to your mobile device via wifi, ready to be sharedthrough your favourite social media platform.

 

 

 

 

Extracted from kickstarter

 

 

 

 

Mercedes Patents External Pedestrians Airbag

 

 

 

www.motor1.com

A recent patent application has revealed Mercedes-Benz‘s external airbag design.

The German automaker is looking to patent its method of installing airbags in a car’s A-pillars, so they inflate if the vehicle accidentally hits a pedestrian. According to the patent application, sensors would determine whether a collision has occurred, which would then cause the hood to move upward near the windshield, with extra cushions deploying from the A-pillars.

 www.motor1.com

The external airbags would reside inside a fabric tube so they’re not visible unless they’re deployed, with one end attaching to the top of the A-pillar, and the other on the tip of the hood. Essentially, Mercedes-Benz’s design would allow the airbags to adjust as the hood rises, so pedestrians would come in contact with the airbag rather than a hard surface like the windshield.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Extracted from autoguide.com

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

FONDOODLER: PLAY WITH YOUR FOOD

Fondoodler is a "hot glue gun” - but for cheese.

Build with it. Write with it.

Cook with it.

 

 

 

The Fondoodler really does work like a glue gun:  Stuff its barrel with string cheese, block cheese or sheet cheese, and watch it melt the cheese into gooey goodness. Then, use the gun’s squirt to make everything from simple cheese and crackers to nachos to household crafts like a cracker cheese tower.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Fondoodler is the brainchild of Buzzfeed Product Labs, a new arm of the company that’s rolling out funky products for retail testing.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

extracted from fondoodler.com