Apple patent hints at 'social camera flash' using multiple iOS devices

Filing a patent is one thing.
The patent withstanding challenges in court, or even being enforceable, is another matter.
It seems to me that remote control through radio waves is nothing new.

Cool, now iPhoneys can start calling themselves "strobists" too.

Why would you waste time, effort and resources for a device that produces mediocre image at best?

Patenting an existing product that has been out decades ago

Most commenters who made snide remarks here missed the last paragraph of this brief news piece:

"We'd recommend not getting too excited about this, since large technology companies file patents all the time, and only a fraction of them ever see the light of day as finished features or products."

Many also did not notice that Apple did not use the word 'social.' This article merely says it "seems to hint at a 'social camera flash' system."

next week apple will be patenting the wheel, the "social movement system"

Once upon a time apple used to innovate, now they just sue.

So I shouldn't "get too excited" about the fact that Apple has land-grabbed a patent on another obvious idea, so I'm unlikely to ever see it implemented on my Android device? Roger that, I'll try to contain my joy.

Apple should stop patenting existing technology and start some true innovation!

When IS Pocketwizard coming out with an iPhone-compatible trigger? Strobe compatibility is the last barrier standing between the iPhone and (photo) world domination

Hey buddy, can hold your phone with the LED light on? Thanks! Ok and you, can you do the same from the other side? Awesome, OK let's take the shot.

Let's use the word 'social' and let's use technology that every major camera manufacturer had for decades already. Let's patent it! OMG we are so creative and innovative at Apple.

Don't we already have enough dopy P&S and phone users firing flashes in stadiums where the action is 500ft away?

WTF? So "sociall" is the new "mobile" when used to describe patents they are obvious.

It's better than nothing but LED will always be inferior to xenon tubes until the spectrum issues are solved.

Think it would be fairly trivial to write an android app that triggers your $10,000 worth of Speedotrons when you take a picture with your Samsung.

I am not sure which would be a bigger PITA, lugging $10,000 worth of Speedotrons around everywhere, or the nuisance lawsuit from Apple that would follow.

Embarrassing history:

http://www.engadget.com/2012/11/03/apple-posts-revised-samsung-did-not-copy-statement/

It's a bit odd that some below are complaining about this news story. Aren't innovations in lighting and photography always relavant and interesting?

I spend a lot of time on Vimeo and YouTube, and there are videographers and photographers doing absolutely amazing work with iPhones, banks of iPads as light panels, iPads as wireless field monitors, LED video lighting for photography, DIY rigs for cameras, lighting, you name it. It's creativity at it's best.

But here on DPR, one of the largest groups of photographers anywhere, and if it's not a traditional camera announcement or review, people complain. Go figure.

I already have wireless flash and it works between any smartphones..

"Hey, can you turn on your led flash and hold it up?"

Now, if it was able to actually trigger a real flash, that would be nice.

Could be interesting.
But I'd like my Android to be able to trigger a full-blown real flash. Just for fun

So, because they use the phrase "social camera flash" it would make it patentable? Most camera systems today call this technology wireless flash.

impractical.

That might come in handy. Exciting times!

You know why this is cool? So far as I know nobody has ever gotten an idevice to sync with an external strobe. The dinky direct flash LED has too broad an on-off time to trigger optical slaves, so people who want to take portraits with it have to use direct flash (gah!), natural light (grr) or modeling lights (bleh).

That simple functionality would make the Apple iwhatever so much more useful for those of us who like taking pictures of people that look good.