Apple Inc. which is one of the leading software and hardware manufacturers has applied in the United States Patents Office for two new patents, pertaining to the device detection and text to speech technology.

Apple is working hard to attain the patent to a technology that would enable an external device, such as iPod or iPhone to be safely removed from a computer, with the help of a simple touch, an without having to use the “Safely Remove Hardware” option, especially in Microsoft Windows operating systems. The other patent that Apple has infact acquired allows it to research and create methods that would allow a text message to be read out, by the mobile device.

The ‘Touch & Go’ technology essentially, allows a user to disconnect his external devices, such as USB drives, iPod etc. with the help of a single touch, and without the necessity of “ejecting” the device first. Usually, an external device is required to be ejected from the host computer in order to establish a safe disconnection between the device and the computer. An unsafe ejection can lead to loss or corruption of data in the external device. This new innovative technology will be able to detect the slightest touch of a user on the external device and would immediately and safely eject it.

The text to speech technology, that Apple has already acquired the patent for will essentially enable users, especially the visually impaired users to hear the text messages that they receive on their mobile devices. According to the patent,

“The reading of text messages can be troublesome due to, in part, the small size of the typical display screen or the inability to control ambient light conditions. This is particularly troublesome to those users having impaired vision where reading a text message, of any reasonable size, for example, is difficult.”

Via Apple Insider & U.S Patent and Trademark Office.