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Apple goes patent application crazy with 14 über dull filings, hinge manufacturers tremble with fear

How's this for patent happy -- this morning a grand total of 14 applications from folks at Apple were published, covering everything from "cable structure for preventing tangling" to an "adaptive audio feedback system and method." Most of the filings are nothing terribly exciting -- though the tangle-free headphones, involving a series of alternately stiffer and more flexible cores, is a welcome upgrade to the standard iPhone headset, which is usually reduced to an unmanageable ball of knots after just a few careless tosses in a bag. A number of other headphone makers have already taken similar steps to keep cords under control. Other applications include techniques for managing GPU resources, a tilting hinge design for the iMac, and a "compact input device," which is actually just the click wheel we've all come to know and love. If you're really into the minutia of patent apps, check out the source for links to all the sketches and vaguely worded claims your little nerd heart desires.