It’s far from the first time that Apple has filed patents for some kind of tablet computer. It’s been described in the past as a large iPhone, or as a full tablet, but these latest images look like a large mobile internet device that would be pretty neat. Most of the 52-page filing is in regards to the touchpad.

The device would be large enough to read easily and use, but also thin and light. One of the images has an interesting virtual keyboard. Some of the illustrations show a tablet Mac with a full windowing interface, where interface windows can be enlarged, shrunk, moved, and cycled, rather than being locked in place like the iPhone. Click the link for an interesting read on more details.

Here’s the perfect watch for the time traveller. It will offer some protection will blending in with the American old west. If things get out of hand in the saloon, just make like you’re checking the time and fill somebody full of lead. That’s because the folks at time travel HQ have replaced the clock gears inside with a 3mm gun.

The hands don’t move, so just act like your watch is broken if anybody asks for the time. As far as the gun, it will most likely annoy rather then kill, but they’ll be so stunned that you shot them with your watch that you’ll be an instant badass and probably become the new sheriff.

Our favorite makers of home robots, iRobot, won’t be satisfied until one of their creations kills us dead at home under the guise of cleaning or tidying up. One day your local police will have a special RV unit. That stands for Robotics Victim.

Anywho, iRobot has filed an iPatent for a lawn-mowing robot. It’s an 84-page filing with a variety of configurations, even an all-electric model and gas-electric hybrid. Some have acoustic and optical sensors that would seem to allow the robot to “avoid hard surfaces, water and other barriers”. Look, I’m on board with any bot you wanna put in my home. All I ask is that it’s aware of the fact that my heart pulled through my chest will kill me dead. Well, that and I want it to not be thrilled with that image.

Is Apple getting into solar power? It looks that way. According to Tradethenews.com, the company filed a patent involving placing solar cells on portable devices. This means that Apple’s iPhone or other devices could have photovoltaic cells stacked underneath LCD touch screens, which maximizes the area available for harnessing and soaking up the power of the sun.

According to the filing, performance info in regard to the performance of a device’s solar cells could be displayed on the main screen next to battery power, which makes sense. It could also appear on top of the actual cells, which could be displaying the Apple logo. Imagine less charging of devices. Then one day no charging at all. Nice.

You might remember Anascape Ltd, the company that sued Microsoft and Nintendo back in 2006 for controller patent infringement. Well, they’re getting a huge payday of $21 million. A jury found that Nintendo’s Wii Classic, WaveBird, and Gamecube controller designs are all guilty of violating Anascape’s patents. Nintendo will of course appeal, probably telling the judge that nothing can touch them while they are using Mario’s “star power”.

Microsoft settled the case before the matter went to trial. Aside from this case, how many of you have ever heard of Anascape? Do they provide any products or services? Not really, aside from getting money for patents. They need a few Goombas sent their way.