Apple has been granted a patent of a smart shoe concept, which would see chip-equipped shoes alerting wearers when it's worn down.
The patent is titled as "Shoe wear-out sensor, body-bar sensing system, unitless activity assessment and associated methods" and was filed back in the July of 2012, with authorities recently granting it to the Cupertino firm.
Apple's filing states that it would integrate a sensor and processor in the heel of a shoe, with wearers being alerted when the shoe itself is worn out and needs to be replaced.
The sensor would detect and record a wearer's usage habits; for example, if a wearer ran 500 miles, the technology would track the distance and how hard one is hitting the ground.
Other activities alongside running can also be detected including weight lifting. The smart shoe would utilize pressure sensors to adequately determine when the shoe's sole is worn out.
A worn out shoe would send an alert by utilizing either a batch of LED lights or through a wireless transmitter to an external display such as a smartphone.
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Zak Islam is a freelance writer focusing on security, networking, and general computing. His work also appears at Digital Trends and Tom's Guide.
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fearless1333 Alternate "Poor Man's" way: Look at your shoes with your eyes. Low tech but it works really well. Who knew?Reply -
IAmVortigaunt Next patent: a chip you implant in your stomach that sends a text message to your phone when you're hungry.Reply -
This is just in! Apple patent the poop machine. It may look like a toilet, but its actually a nutrient dispenser for bacterias to chew on. You need to clean it once in awhile or methane gases will cause you nausea and vomiting.Reply
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Cons29 lights? someone please sue apple, how long has it been since KIDS have lights on the shoes?Reply
seriously, those who can buy this probably buy shoes long before they are worn out, and those that are not would probably just use their eyes -
Chairman Ray At this rate, they're going to patent the iToilet, which tells you if you took a piss or a shit, because people will be too lazy to check for themselves.Reply -
chairman rayAt this rate, they're going to patent the iToilet, which tells you if you took a piss or a shit, because people will be too lazy to check for themselves.The Japanese got this covered, along with other ideas:Reply
http://www.cracked.com/blog/the-6-most-terrifying-features-japanese-toilets/