The long, slow decline begins... now.

I can talk to dog

Buried deep in a future end user agreement:

"... Insurance damage claims based on an accidental fall, random kicking or the like shall not be covered unless said airbags have been periodically inspected as recommended in the user manual"...

I'm sure Apple will tweak as necessary.

/missing a comma

Uh, Subby?

Apple dreamed up a tunable shock mount that would sit between the glass and the body of the device. This shock mount would inflate when the device's accelerometer senses that the phone or tablet is falling. An actuator within the device would suck in the cover glass as it accelerates toward earth, protecting it from damage. This technology could also be used to provide a water-tight seal.

That's not an airbag, at least not the way you're thinking. This sucks the glass closer to the body, so that the rim extends beyond it. It'd be like a reverse airbag - protecting the soft center of a steering wheel from your body so that the hard wheel instead smacks you in the ribs.

Theaetetus: Uh, Subby?

Apple dreamed up a tunable shock mount that would sit between the glass and the body of the device. This shock mount would inflate when the device's accelerometer senses that the phone or tablet is falling. An actuator within the device would suck in the cover glass as it accelerates toward earth, protecting it from damage. This technology could also be used to provide a water-tight seal.

That's not an airbag, at least not the way you're thinking. This sucks the glass closer to the body, so that the rim extends beyond it. It'd be like a reverse airbag - protecting the soft center of a steering wheel from your body so that the hard wheel instead smacks you in the ribs.

Air brakes.

First off, Apple has come up with a solution for keeping the glass on the back of your iDevice from breaking in the event of a fall.

The easy way would be to NOT FREAKING USE GLASS FOR THE BACK OF YOUR DEVICE!

I'm frankly sick of hearing about what great designers Apple are. Their designs look pretty, but from a functionality and durability standpoint, they are shiat.

>friend drops iPhone
>Glass breaks, still works, pays $150 to repair
>drops second time
>Glass breaks, still works
>buys iPhone4S for $200 (carrier upgrade)

/waiting for him to drop it

Well, it's a good excuse to go around kicking hipsters in the trouser pocket.

/not an airbag as such
//would be far more amusing if it was

well it beats their current plan of "release a new iphone model in between then time it falls from your and the time it hits the ground".

HeartBurnKid: First off, Apple has come up with a solution for keeping the glass on the back of your iDevice from breaking in the event of a fall.

The easy way would be to NOT FREAKING USE GLASS FOR THE BACK OF YOUR DEVICE!

I'm frankly sick of hearing about what great designers Apple are. Their designs look pretty, but from a functionality and durability standpoint, they are shiat.

I have a design book that sums it up very well, unfortunately I can't remember the exact quote (or the name of the book) but it goes along the lines of, 'Your design may be beautiful, but if it's not functional it's a failure'. If any other company produced something with such an obvious achilles heel they'd be ridiculed, when Apple produce it, their users defend it.

HeartBurnKid: First off, Apple has come up with a solution for keeping the glass on the back of your iDevice from breaking in the event of a fall.

The easy way would be to NOT FREAKING USE GLASS FOR THE BACK OF YOUR DEVICE!

I'm frankly sick of hearing about what great designers Apple are. Their designs look pretty, but from a functionality and durability standpoint, they are shiat.

Except that that glass is exceptionally strong to force orthogonal to the surface. It's tempered... unless you're using a sledgehammer on it, it will break only as a result of force on the edge. But, since you're using a bumper case, that force is cushioned. Thus, no broken glass.

Oh, wait, you're not using a case? I see.

Bezos beat him to it. Link (new window) in Feb 2010.

He didn't stop at airbags either. He also suggested extending springs and, my personal favorite, a small thruster system that would right the phone mid drop.

I'm pretty sure Bezos is Wile E. Coyote.

Theaetetus: Except that that glass is exceptionally strong to force orthogonal to the surface. It's tempered... unless you're using a sledgehammer on it, it will break only as a result of force on the edge. But, since you're using a bumper case, that force is cushioned. Thus, no broken glass.

Oh, wait, you're not using a case? I see.

Would a car that needed an aftermarket bumper to survive a collision be a well-designed car?

archichris: Why dont they just build a tougher iPad? Nextel has been making tough phones for how long now? 10 years? Samsung has some sort of tough laptop, etc.....

Are they still using that glass that shatters in waist high falls?

I may get an iPhone eventually, now that my carrier offers them, but I drop my Evo4g weekly, so I need something that can survive a little abuse. Tried hard cases, found them far too annoying, silicone ones wont stay on the phone without something across the screen. In the end it turned out I didnt really need em, the phone survives just fine on its own.......

And my wife's EVO 4G- in a case-broke after a 2- foot fall onto concrete. Meanwhile, I constantly drop my iPhone 4, in a case, and never had a problem. It's been rock solid. It's even tumbled down concrete stairs.

It all has to do with how it falls/ where it impacts.

ProfessorOhki: Theaetetus: Except that that glass is exceptionally strong to force orthogonal to the surface. It's tempered... unless you're using a sledgehammer on it, it will break only as a result of force on the edge. But, since you're using a bumper case, that force is cushioned. Thus, no broken glass.

Oh, wait, you're not using a case? I see.

Would a car that needed an aftermarket bumper to survive a collision be a well-designed car?

Is there a thriving market in aftermarket bumpers, such that almost no one doesn't buy one? Then yes.

My laptop didn't come with a bag. Does that mean it's not well-designed?

Theaetetus: ProfessorOhki: Theaetetus: Except that that glass is exceptionally strong to force orthogonal to the surface. It's tempered... unless you're using a sledgehammer on it, it will break only as a result of force on the edge. But, since you're using a bumper case, that force is cushioned. Thus, no broken glass.

Oh, wait, you're not using a case? I see.

Would a car that needed an aftermarket bumper to survive a collision be a well-designed car?

Is there a thriving market in aftermarket bumpers, such that almost no one doesn't buy one? Then yes.

My laptop didn't come with a bag. Does that mean it's not well-designed?

Not sure I follow your logic here. Are you saying that if cars were so poorly designed for collisions such that a third party bumper was a "must," then the design responsibility for collisions rests on the third parties and the auto manufacturers can make cars that have no hope of surviving an impact without one? That would be considered "well-designed?"

If, without the bag, it can't survive common wear and tear... yes, it's not well-designed. You know how they started putting those head-locking mechanisms on hard drives? That's an example of good design: improving a product to better survive a common scenario. As opposed to saying, "screw them, they can just buy padding from someone else if they want it to survive."

ProfessorOhki: Theaetetus: ProfessorOhki: Theaetetus: Except that that glass is exceptionally strong to force orthogonal to the surface. It's tempered... unless you're using a sledgehammer on it, it will break only as a result of force on the edge. But, since you're using a bumper case, that force is cushioned. Thus, no broken glass.

Oh, wait, you're not using a case? I see.

Would a car that needed an aftermarket bumper to survive a collision be a well-designed car?

Is there a thriving market in aftermarket bumpers, such that almost no one doesn't buy one? Then yes.

My laptop didn't come with a bag. Does that mean it's not well-designed?

Not sure I follow your logic here. Are you saying that if cars were so poorly designed for collisions such that a third party bumper was a "must," then the design responsibility for collisions rests on the third parties and the auto manufacturers can make cars that have no hope of surviving an impact without one? That would be considered "well-designed?"

You're begging the question. You've stated, as a premise, that cars are poorly designed, and then are asking how they could be anything but. That's why you're confused.

Let's fix it:
Are you saying that if cars were designed such that a third party bumper was a "must," then the design responsibility for collisions rests on the third parties and the auto manufacturers can make cars that have no hope of surviving an impact without one? That would be considered "well-designed?"

And yes. If a typical car, fresh from the manufacturer, was not considered road-ready, then we would take it for granted that we would have to purchase a third-party bumper. We wouldn't consider those cars "poorly designed" because they're designed exactly as they're supposed to be - with connections for third party bumpers.

This would be particularly true if bumpers were not just functional elements, but fashion statements, and you could get jeweled bumpers, logo bearing bumpers, bumpers in dozens of colors so you can accessorize your outfit, etc.

Starts to sound more like a phone case, right?

If, without the bag, it can't survive common wear and tear... yes, it's not well-designed. You know how they started putting those head-locking mechanisms on hard drives? That's an example of good design: improving a product to better survive a common scenario. As opposed to saying, "screw them, they can just buy padding from someone else if they want it to survive."

Wow. You're the first person I've met who would call a laptop "not well designed" merely because it doesn't come with a shoulder bag. And if you think that bags are not necessary because of the head-locking mechanism, then can I borrow your laptop for about 6 feet er, seconds?

Theaetetus: This would be particularly true if bumpers were not just functional elements, but fashion statements, and you could get jeweled bumpers, logo bearing bumpers, bumpers in dozens of colors so you can accessorize your outfit, etc.

Hey, you're starting to get it. The phone's case (not the add-on one, the actual device case itself) IS a functional element in addition to being a design element. That means some effort should be taken to make it perform that function well. All I'm saying is that you can't shirk all the responsibility of the handset manufacturer to make a resilient product because "most people uses cases."

I'm not sure what we're arguing though, really. This idea of the phone responding to a drop in a way such as to reduce damage is what I'd consider good design or at least the intention to do such.

Theaetetus: And if you think that bags are not necessary because of the head-locking mechanism, then can I borrow your laptop for about 6 feet er, seconds?

You know, for someone who likes to cite fallacies and seems to be generally intelligent, you do have a certain knack for intentionally ducking as points fly over your head.

ProfessorOhki: Theaetetus: This would be particularly true if bumpers were not just functional elements, but fashion statements, and you could get jeweled bumpers, logo bearing bumpers, bumpers in dozens of colors so you can accessorize your outfit, etc.

Hey, you're starting to get it. The phone's case (not the add-on one, the actual device case itself) IS a functional element in addition to being a design element.

I don't think you've got it, though... The phone's case is a design element. The car bumper is not.

That means some effort should be taken to make it perform that function well. All I'm saying is that you can't shirk all the responsibility of the handset manufacturer to make a resilient product because "most people uses cases."

I disagree... I'd say instead that if the manufacturer wants to make a design choice that relies on people using cases, they should make that loud and clear... but then they shouldn't be criticized for their product being poorly designed for needing a case. It's exactly how it was intended.

I'm not sure what we're arguing though, really. This idea of the phone responding to a drop in a way such as to reduce damage is what I'd consider good design or at least the intention to do such.

Oh, we've moved pretty far from the article at this point. :)

Theaetetus: And if you think that bags are not necessary because of the head-locking mechanism, then can I borrow your laptop for about 6 feet er, seconds?

You know, for someone who likes to cite fallacies and seems to be generally intelligent, you do have a certain knack for intentionally ducking as points fly over your head.

Most laptops will break if you drop them. The heads may park, allowing you to save your data, but that case will likely dent or shatter and the screen may break.
... exactly like dropping a smartphone without a case, except that there are no heads to park.

Theaetetus: Wow. You're the first person I've met who would call a laptop "not well designed" merely because it doesn't come with a shoulder bag.

methinks Siri should reread his statement to you...

ProfessorOhki: If, without the bag, it can't survive common wear and tear... yes, it's not well-designed.

If... without the bag.... it can't survive common wear and tear.... yes, it's not well-designed.

if computer no have bag and it can't survive being carried in hands then computer is bad. him not computer bad. him say computers can survive wiffout da bags so dem computers be----aww you know what fark it.. you're the floor9 for anything apple related and the color of your posts just makes any apple thread look like a sunny day.

keep posting!

Yep, I'm buying the iphone 4s and never another apple product. With Jobs gone, God knows how they'll cheapen the stuff up.

Theaetetus: Most laptops will break if you drop them. The heads may park, allowing you to save your data, but that case will likely dent or shatter and the screen may break.
... exactly like dropping a smartphone without a case, except that there are no heads to park.

The essence is "let's try to improve the product" = good. "Let the customer worry about it" = bad. I'm not expecting them to be indestructible. I just expect a reasonable design to not make assumptions about aftermarket protection. Which Apple's gotten right for the most part. For example: using scratch resistant glass instead of figuring everyone will use screen protectors.

Smiths: if computer no have bag and it can't survive being carried in hands then computer is bad. him not computer bad. him say computers can survive wiffout da bags so dem computers be----aww you know what fark it.. you're the floor9 for anything apple related and the color of your posts just makes any apple thread look like a sunny day.

I'm not too familiar with floor9's posts. Admittedly, I might like commas a bit too much but I hardly think that I'm as deep into MeowSaystheDog territory as you're making me sound.

ProfessorOhki: I'm not too familiar with floor9's posts. Admittedly, I might like commas a bit too much but I hardly think that I'm as deep into MeowSaystheDog territory as you're making me sound.

my comment was directed toward Thaheahthahtus. I agree with your statements in this thread.

and the agreement from someone on the internet is valuable.

Theaetetus: Oh, wait, you're not using a case? I see.

Oh, wait, you're marketing the phone with specs and images that don't include a case?

Yankees Team Gynecologist: Theaetetus: Oh, wait, you're not using a case? I see.

Oh, wait, you're marketing the phone with specs and images that don't include a case?

[i44.tinypic.com image 472x255]

Oh, wait, you're marketing your laptop with specs and images that don't include a bag? Fail!

/facepalm

Theaetetus: Oh, wait, you're marketing your laptop with specs and images that don't include a bag? Fail!

False intellectually dishonest equivalence is false.

Do you ever operate the laptop when it's in the bag?

The equivalent of the laptop bag for a phone isn't the case; it's the pocket, purse, backpack, or whatever you're using to transport the device safely. Not while operating it.

You don't put a laptop in a bag, and then in a larger container, unless it's solely for the purpose of consolidating your luggage in certain situations.

But you knew that.

ProfessorOhki: Bezos beat him to it. Link (new window) in Feb 2010.

He didn't stop at airbags either. He also suggested extending springs and, my personal favorite, a small thruster system that would right the phone mid drop.

I'm pretty sure Bezos is Wile E. Coyote.

Dell beat them all. By about 10 years. The drive would go into some sort of safe mode if a certain acceleration level was reached.

/apple has definitely jumped the shark.