See-through iPhone Patent Will Help You Walk and Text

Apple has a solution for the 12% of people who approve of walking and texting — heads down and eyes glued to their smartphone, even if a tall man in a bear suit offers hugs to stop them.

On Thursday, Apple secured a patent with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office for a "transparent texting" technology that would allow users to see what's in front of them while looking at their iPhone.

The "transparent texting" technology would replace the white background in the iPhone Messages app with a live video image from the device's rear-facing camera. After the user turns on the feature, they'll be able to see exactly what's behind their iPhone. Whether that would still cause accidents — because more users would text more often — is open to debate. Read more...