April 21, 2008
Apple plots Second Life-like online store
Patent filing suggests Apple plans to make shopping at Apple Store or iTunes a more immersive virtual experience
Recommend ThisApple may be hatching plans to make shopping at the online Apple Store or iTunes a more immersive virtual experience, akin to wandering in the world of Second Life, a patent filing suggests.
The company has filed patent with the US Patent and Trademark office for an Enhanced Online Shopping Atmosphere, as originally noted by MacNN.
The patent basically describes an online shop in which different areas of what's available are depicted in a 3D space, in which customers can see goods for sale and, if they choose to do so, interact with other customers on the virtual shop floor.
There's other potential usages, the filing claims: "For example, if an author has been invited to participate in a live chat hosted by the Acme store, an icon of the book may appear in [a region] alerting customers (in all departments) that a special event is occurring."
The patent points out that a drawback of shopping online is that the "experience can feel sterile and isolating". The patent argues that shoppers looking at what's on offer in online stores are less likely to look around and window shop, so the creation of an immersive experience may help sell more goods.
The patent was originally filed in September 2006.
Macworld UK is an InfoWorld affiliate.
White Paper
D2D Virtual Tape Library Replication Primer
This whitepaper explains the terminology and concepts behind Data Replication technologies and establishes some sizing rules through worked examples. Learn the new paradigm in disaster tolerance—protect data anywhere.
Download now »
White Paper
An Alternative to Virtualization for Datacenter Cost Savings
Server virtualization is a popular option for dealing with mounting datacenter costs. Another equally promising approach is the use of an Application Delivery Controller. Citrix NetScaler provides a low-cost way for organizations to reduce their server count and accrue cost savings from a reduction in space, cooling, power and personnel.
Download now »
White Paper
Why Your Firewall, VPN, and IEEE 802.11i Aren't Enough to Protect Your Network
The emergence of WLANs has created a new breed of security threats to enterprise networks.
Included in HP ProCurve WLAN solutions is security technology that alleviates threats from WLANs through:
* Monitoring wireless activity inside and out of the enterprise
* Classifying WLAN transmissions into harmful and harmless
* Preventing transmissions that pose a security threat to the enterprise network
* Locating participating devices for physical remediation
White Paper
Bringing the Edge to the Data Center
Effectively address data protection challenges, implementing solutions that help store and protect business–critical data while cutting costs and improving efficiency and reliability.
Download now »
- Build Release Plans That Deliver Customer Value! | White Paper
- The Need for Two-Factor Authentication at Enterprise Organizations | White Paper
- Positioning Disk and Tape in a Disk-to-Disk-to-Tape Solution | White Paper
- Log Management: How to Develop the Right Strategy for Business and Compliance | White Paper
- The Essential Series: Security Information Management | White Paper
Sign up to receive Business Resource Alerts
See how AT&T can help protect your network. Make IT Work As One at novell.comHP ProLiant G6 Servers. Perform like a superstar, Save like an accountant.HP ProLiant G6 Servers. Perform like a superstar, Save like an accountant.Unified Communications: Thoughts, Strategies and Predictions. Join the discussionOptimize Linux* for high performance and energy efficiency on Intel® architectureSee how Intel is working across the Open Source ecosystem to help drive rapid technological innovationKeep your IT expertise up to date. Join the Intel Premier IT Professionals. Increase UPS efficiency without sacrificing protectionIn less than 45 minutes, Palisade Systems protects your data
Today’s IT means business. New eBook shows you how to align your IT investments.A new level of interoperability. Make IT Work As One at novell.comLimited-time offer: Save up to $100 on Polycom phones. 64-page prescriptive guide to security, compliance, and IT operations.Drive innovation with Intel and Open Source softwareLinux Contributions and Support from IntelLearn about Foundations of Green IT, from CTO Marty PoniatowskiTDWI checklist helps define data readiness for analytics. Download report.<802.11n Drives an Architectural EvolutionSee IBM CloudBurst's self-service user interface in action
