iControlPad using unlicensed dock connection, forced to go Bluetooth

Apple may have their mysterious legit reasons. Sanho may be shadowy. If I buy a iThis from Apple and a iThat from Sanho, those are my iStuff and I should be able to do what I want with it. Not Apple.

If we allow that, where's the limit? The power company doesn't ask Apple or a fee on their wall outlet connectors either. Car manufacturers don't pay gas companies for keeping their gas within standards.

Software patents are evil.

As mentioned above, Bluetooth device plays the same rules unless they go the USB Keyboard route.. problem there is there is no current way to read raw keyboard input, and you will simply get a character keypress.. and not even at the modifier level. There are also some hackish ways to get the arrow keys.. but again only a complete key cycle and no ability to read button down from button up.

So I'm with the other comments on that this is other a dead project, or is aimed more at the jailbroken market, otherwise, any serious accessory developer would consider a Made for iPhone/iPod license.

Looks a lot like the Sega Nomad

So, I guess I don't understand how this works.

How can Apple sue a company for developing something that plugs into the iPod? I can see a patent on the connector, where they would have to license to develop a device that uses the same port, but since the iPod is publicly available, can't anyone make something that plugs into it, and use the data that is delivered from the port?
Its like suing someone for developing a device that plugs into phone jacks, USB ports, or replacement power supplies...or even printer Ink cartridges!
All a developer would have to do is come up with their own port, without using Apples' patented tech, that can read apple's info the same way. This is done all the time - Generic 3rd party adaptors for PS3, Wii, 360, all which have proprietary shaped plugs...

What I hope they understand is that Apple restricts Bluetooth communication just as much as they do the Dock connector. So I'm not clear what they're getting around here.

why didn't they license and become "made for iOS" or whatever.

pass the license fee onto consumers.

stop being cheap.

My biggest gripe with gaming on the iPhone over DS is lack of buttons, however since they're not shooting for an official Apple license it's becoming extremely unlikely apps will actually use this.

Sounds like a scam to me. How could they just have realized this? And great news there is another option. Either these guys are clueless and the chance this thing will be usable in our lifetimes is nil... Or maybe it was founded by firmer paystar execs looking to milk some vc investors. Eithe way stop giving em press you're just feeding them.

I'm confused, why not just release the hardware, with the ability to do firmware updates?

This way, if Apple kills anything via software update, they can fix it via their own software update.