« Previous entry: "Hurling Article"
Next entry: "Web diseased" »

06/04/2004: "Microsoft patent clicks"

The US patent office has long being a joke! Whether it's lack of resources or sheer stupidity they have in the past issued some seriously stupid patents.
Though not as stupid as some they have granted Microsoft a patent for a "time based hardware button for application launch" in which a click of a button can start different programs if it is clicked once, twice or held down for several seconds. This process sound familiar?
Not to worry too much though as "the patent only applies to handheld computers that run Microsoft's PocketPC software -- specifically the method of bringing up different features depending on how many times a button is pressed"