Very cool Apple patent breakdown and The Next Big Thing

Here.

If all of the speculation here were to turn into an actual product, we'd have a handheld device that would function as a cell phone, media player, PDA, and ultra-portable computer... and it would have a seamless, context sensitive interface that would automatically morph from function to function, with various types of user input (including touch screen, touch sensitive surfaces, and even moving the device itself via shaking, etc.).

Such a device would truly be "the next big thing" from Apple- a product that fulfills the expectations the company has put in place ever since exploding into the mainstream, high-tech gadget arena with the iPod 5 years ago.

Over the past 5 years, Apple has evolved the iPod, enhanced its computers and operating system, created a legal digital ecosystem for content that runs on their media platform (via the iTunes Music Store), and has grabbed the high-tech spotlight.

And yet, the next "iPod"- a groundbreaking device that would shake things up the way the iPod did 5 years ago- has yet to emerge from Apple.

I don't think we'll see something of this scale just yet. This Tuesday, it seems like Apple's prepared to announce movie distribution via the iTunes Music Store (which may be renamed), will almost certainly reveal some new iPods (how revolutionary they will be remains to be seen), might possibly introduce something akin to a video-capable AirPort Express, and of course, possibly, "one more thing".

I think we'll see some interesting new stuff that revolves around buying and watching media, but I don't think we'll see The Next Big Thing on Tuesday. Every time one of these events comes around, speculation goes through the roof, but until (and unless) Apple pulls another "iPod" out of its hat, it's likely that speculation based around patent applications will lead to more revolutionary concepts than Apple actually unveils.