First, we know this is not an Apple related patent, but it was just so cool that we found ourselves wanting to actually pass along the information. Microsoft has patented the idea of a backside lower-powered e-Ink based display that could be molded to a smartphone.
From PatentBolt:
Microsoft describes a novel idea for the dual display system. When taking a photo of a person, the backside display of the camera could be set to provide a visual countdown so that the person knows when to freeze that smile: 3-2-1 will appear on the back display and then snap. Although it’s a bit gimmicky, it’s still kind of a neat idea.
The idea is to turn a lot of unusable space into something actually usable by the OS. Dates, times, and indicators could find themselves on the top or bottom of a phone. The backside of a phone could become a low-powered alarm clock or a timer count for a camera. The possibilities are pretty neat and endless.
While it’s unlikely that this type of technology will find itself in an Apple product any time soon, it’s certainly a pretty neat idea. It’s also a good little indicator that Microsoft is still thinking outside of the box, which is nice.
