Briefly: Steve Jobs patent exhibit, child-safe iPad cover

0160(0)4updated 03:37 am EDT, Thu May 3, 2012 Exhibit of Jobs as inventor coming to Washington

A traveling exhibit featuring former Apple CEO and co-founder Steve Jobs' patents will be on display at the S. Dillon Ripley Center, part of the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, DC starting on May 11 and running through July 8. During his lifetime, Jobs was awarded 317 patents as inventor or co-creator, and the exhibit showcases 312 of them. Objects from the Smithsonian's collection will be on display to enhance the museum-goer's experience with the exhibit.Examples of the items Jobs helped create will be on display, mounted in panels made to resemble iPhones, along with a facsimile of the front page of each patent. Among the items will be an Apple II personal computer, an Apple IIe, a Lisa personal computer, a Macintosh Classic (with serial number one) and its distinctive mouse and keyboard, an Apple IIGS, the original Apple Newton, and an Apple IIc. Also seen will be a Powermac G4 Cube, a "Wallstreet" G3 PowerBook model used for most of the original TV run of HBO's Sex and the City, a NeXT computer with soundbox, and an Apple G4 notebook used to edit video reports from Iraq. Among the other Jobs-designed items in the Smithsonian is a PowerBook AC adapter found in the World Trade Center wreckage, and a 15GB iPod.

Walter Isaacson, author of Jobs' official biography, will be interviewed near the close of the exhibit by Smithsonian Secretary Wayne Clough on June 6. The exhibit was created and designed by Invent Now, Inc, a nonprofit organization dedicated to fostering invention and creativity, which runs the National Inventor's Hall of Fame and Museum in Alexandria, Virginia. Tickets will be available through the Smithsonian Associate website.


New case for iPad allows for safe child usage

Accessory maker X-Doria has unveiled the Widge, a spongy and protective cover for the 2011 or 2012 iPad models. The casing features fat corners for grabbing and shock protection, along with a carry handle on the back. The unit is made out of thick padded silicon and includes a non-folding stand for horizontal and vertical hands-free use.

The case is primarily designed to protect the iPad from from the rough treatment it may get from younger children. The feel of the material is highly grippable to avoid slips and well-padded, which adds bulk but also cushions the unit from any shocks. It is presently available only in a bright red color and sells for $40.



Images from the Steve Jobs exhibit




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