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Also, you can't patent something like "glass-topped table with white legs for Ipad display"; you can only patent something very specific, like "powder coated white extruded aluminum table leg as per this exact profile and dimensions represented in Figure 1". So it's not the store design that's patented, it's the detail elements that when combined create the specific, quantifiable construction of the Apple store.

Of course, in China they just build their own exact copy and slap an Apple logo on it and no one is the wiser, because you can't internationally enforce a domestic contract unless someone in the State Department is willing to go to bat for you.

Jan 30, 13 1:57 pm  · 
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curtkram

sure you can donna.  our patent laws are horrible.  you can patent 'glass stuff' if you want.  all you have to do is keep submitting it until it happens to fall on the desk of someone dumb enough to approve it.

http://www.androidcentral.com/google-and-others-petition-courts-stop-upholding-vague-patents

http://www.engadget.com/2010/03/24/ultra-vague-accelerometer-patent-filed-in-2006-seems-to-cover-ev/

Jan 30, 13 5:31 pm  · 
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There may be some overlap there, curtkram, but what I know of patent law as applied to architecture is that general arrangements of elements - like a door in a wall or regularly elevated platforms allowing vertical pedestrian locomotion between floor levels - can't be patented, but a door made up of described components with specific connections to a wall can be, and a support system for stair treads can be.

I won't comment on the intelligence of patent approvers, as it seems they are way overworked.

Jan 30, 13 6:38 pm  · 
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somehow i thought all the glass innovation was better embodied in the work of tim macfarlane not steve jobs.  in fact am pretty sure he (tim) did the design for one or two of those stairs in the shops. the rest is rather normal stuff, all in all, reminiscent of boutique interior design and very coolio for sure, but original enough to patent? my image of patent-able material is def naive, since i never thought genetic material was patent-able either, but apple stores are nowhere near as original as the products they are peddling....are they?  btw, i have no thoughts that connect evil and apple, just wondering about this patent deal.  seems odd at first and second blush to me...

Jan 30, 13 7:39 pm  · 
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As far as I know Bohlin Cywinski Jackson designed every Apple stair and store.  I've never heard of Tim McFarlane except I thought there is a comic book author with that name?

WWTCD: If you really really wanted book matched Carerra marble flooring but can't afford it what would you do?

Jan 31, 13 9:05 am  · 
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surprised he is not more famous. tim macfarlane is the engineer dude who has made so many of those amazing glass structures possible.  lots of vinoly's stuff was possible because of tim, plus the stairs in apple. i thought he designed the stairs too not just do engineering, but that is fine line.

would love to hear the answer to the marble poser.  is there a solution?

Jan 31, 13 9:21 am  · 
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curtkram

walmart claims to have some very nice carrara porcelain tile

go to carrara and smuggle out tile from the source in your luggage?

Jan 31, 13 9:31 am  · 
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i do remember reading stories abt jobs himself working closely with BCJ on glass technologies that allowed them to do things they otherwise couldn't. jobs was also close with corning glass. maybe, beyond just the stairs, mcfarlane was part of this, too. i don't think they were after bold moves so much as - if they conceived of the jewelbox in a certain way - they wanted *no* need for compromise merely because of limitations in glass technology.
Jan 31, 13 9:43 am  · 
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Re: marble dilemma: sneak into an old grand hotel in the middle of the night dressed as cleaning staff and remove the toilet partitions.
Jan 31, 13 9:45 am  · 
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sounds likely steven. Mcfarlane was already pushing glass tech by then so makes sense he would come in to take it farther...still not sure how the patent works though.  seems bizarre to me especially after a few drinks.

Jan 31, 13 10:07 am  · 
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No! No architectural thievery allowed!!!

 

Um, in reference to marble toilet partitions, not Apple.

Jan 31, 13 10:37 am  · 
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Finding a 2' deep beam smack in the middle of the wall where you want to put a new wide opening: not a great way to start a project.

Jan 31, 13 11:50 am  · 
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Sarah Hamilton

Bummer.

Jan 31, 13 12:01 pm  · 
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Paint it invisible.
Jan 31, 13 12:03 pm  · 
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sorry, i'm peanut gallery today. sick with flu, day 9, about 6 of which have been spent mostly in bed.

b.o.r.e.d.

good news: as of tuesday i started to be able to read some, without crazy head- and eye-aches.
Jan 31, 13 12:07 pm  · 
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Sarah Hamilton

Then, Steven, it is up to you to ensure TC stays on top of the thread list today.

Jan 31, 13 12:31 pm  · 
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vado retro

sarah speaking of comments...a blast from the past...

http://archinect.com/forum/thread/39255/i-read-archinect-today-oh-boy

Jan 31, 13 12:35 pm  · 
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hah. was confused donna.  thought you were saying apple stole design from somewhere, or vice versa...speaking of which, above comments by myself were wrong, since it was trademark not patent.  not such a big deal after all.  i do still wonder why steve thought he was being original with his architecturing...but now i don't have to worry that his misconception is backed up by a patent.  i can safely go back to my master plan to focus on minimalist interiors.

painting beams invisible is great idea.  goes well with paint as insulation. Ok, technically there is a paint-on insulation...

Jan 31, 13 7:06 pm  · 
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morning all, steven what you reading? anything good?

Feb 1, 13 9:17 am  · 
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Steven, stay away from me! I am panicked that one of my family will catch this awful flu this week when we leave for Brussels next week.  The thought of flying with the flu then being in a European city with the flu - ugh.

Feb 1, 13 9:43 am  · 
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Sarah Hamilton
Donna, I'm so jealous of your life. Please only post about dirty floors, cereal dinners, and the like.
Feb 1, 13 11:16 am  · 
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Sarah I could post about the deep physical and mental exhaustion I feel every single moment as a working mom and community volunteer that leaves me asleep and drooling on the couch cushions most nights at 9:30pm causing me enormous guilt because it means I'm a terrible companion for my husband.  Does that sound less glamorous?

Also, I forgot to run the dishwasher last night so I had to hand wash all the lunch box containers this morning. I'm a mess.

Feb 1, 13 4:49 pm  · 
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Sarah Hamilton
Hand washing and drool definately sound less glamorous.
Feb 1, 13 4:54 pm  · 
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toasteroven

I know I'd much rather brag about international trips than last weeks' adventure with a toddler's explosive diarrhea and projectile vomiting.  

 

now you're all left wondering if toaster was talking about:

 

a) a real toddler

b) something somewhere on the forum

c) rusty! (last time I invite him over)

d) a coworker's paint color scheme

Feb 1, 13 10:37 pm  · 
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∑ π ∓ √ ∞

c

Feb 1, 13 11:14 pm  · 
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a dishwasher sounds glamorous to me even if you never use it.

@ toasteroven, must be c.  only logical answer.

Feb 1, 13 11:16 pm  · 
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mantaray

Donna, that made me like you even more, if that's even at all possible.  

Feb 1, 13 11:25 pm  · 
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toasteroven

also, sarah, as an honorary canadian and an honorary woman (and an honorary volunteer firefighter),  I too feel like everyone else's life is far more glamorous than mine.  Reading books... who has time for that?  fancy people, that's who.  certainly not us honorary working canadian firefighting moms.  you know how hard it is constantly honorarily scrubbing poutine stains out of hockey sweaters - EVERY SINGLE DAY???  even after you just got back from fighting a forest fire with the mounties??? how much gravy and cheese curd can one person eat?? obviously not a lot because it's all over the f-ing sweater.  I have absolutely no time left to read Pierre Trudeau's autobiography.

Feb 1, 13 11:40 pm  · 
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vado retro

attended a great lecture last night with guest speaker Errol Barron who teaches at Tulane. He spoke about architectural drawing and its iterations, Had a great chat with him later about John Soane's house and the idea of designing a ruin and then re-engineering it into a new building. It felt good to hear an accomplished architect here in our sleepy hamlet. All for the benefit of The Cooley House /http://www.cooleyhouse.org/ , which is being restored.

Feb 2, 13 8:45 am  · 
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so cool you saw errol, vado. he's a hero of mine. has had an amazing life trajectory: grew up an architect's kid in alexandria la, went to tulane and then yale, worked in rudolph's office, and has had a beautiful career of teaching, painting, practicing, and playing the flute semi-professionally. 

so i'm still sick, but have really not able to read much. that's like one of the only benefits of being sick in bed is that you're supposed to get to all of that reading, right?! hasn't worked due to headaches, dizziness, general malaise. i've just done a lot of laying there. at this point - day 12 - i've got about 3hrs of out-of-bed time a day during which i can function. 

Feb 2, 13 11:13 am  · 
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Errol is great, and I wish I would have had him as a studio professor during my time at Tulane. I'll always remember compliments he gave me after two reviews I had with him. 

Feb 2, 13 11:56 am  · 
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Kids in the Hall, love them.

But toaster, your entire toddler comment is better than most TKITH!

Feb 2, 13 3:03 pm  · 
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snook_dude

V.I.P.

 André Cassagnes dies at 86, The inventor of the Etch A Sketch.

Figure most every individual who as walked thru Tread Central must have dabbled with and Etch A Sketch.

Feb 2, 13 5:29 pm  · 
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Ed Koch died, too.  I was once a guest at a wedding at which he was also a guest.

 

Um, but, uh, Sarah…I was drooling on myself, so it wasn't at all glamourous. 

OK, I wasn't really drooling, but I *did* drive from Philly in a tiny car and change into my fancy clothes standing behind the door of the car in the Connecticut cow pasture next to where the wedding was held.

Feb 2, 13 8:30 pm  · 
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Sarah Hamilton

Sounds like that movie "The Sweetest Thing."

Feb 3, 13 10:46 am  · 
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i read putain instead of poutine, toasteroven. funny enough meaning doesn't change so much ;-)  trudeau's son is on deck now so maybe no need to worry aboot the auto-biography of pierre. 

best reading time is on train commute for me.  late at night also cool, if baby will go to sleep early enough.

get better steven.

Feb 3, 13 11:25 am  · 
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thanks, will. dr follow-up tomorrow!
Feb 3, 13 3:20 pm  · 
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∑ π ∓ √ ∞

So Donna is making homemade nukes, and steven has Ebola now?

Feb 3, 13 11:47 pm  · 
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Sarah Hamilton

bump!

 

And that godaddy commercial was gross!

Feb 4, 13 1:36 pm  · 
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snook_dude

I was changing into my fancy clothes standing behind the door of the Car in a Connecticut pasture, drooling at the cows.

Think we have a City Girl Gone Wild!

Feb 4, 13 4:18 pm  · 
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pneumonia. yay.
Feb 4, 13 7:58 pm  · 
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∑ π ∓ √ ∞

At least it's not Ebola. Sucks though, be well.

Feb 4, 13 8:31 pm  · 
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∑ π ∓ √ ∞

Why was the godaddy commercial gross? Chubby, sweaty and hives breaking out geeks aren't supposed to get supermodels?

Feb 4, 13 8:33 pm  · 
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Sarah Hamilton
I don't think it had anything to do with the supermodel. I think it was just a prolonged, way-too-close, intrusion into intimacy sort of thing.

Then again, the geek was ugly, and I can't confirm that had he been more attractive I wouldn't have closed my eyes and squirmed so much.
Feb 4, 13 8:42 pm  · 
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GoDaddy has never had a commercial that wasn't disgusting.  The first one with Danica doing a lesbian-for-the-male-gaze thing was incredibly offensive and they've only gotten worse.  Gross.

Feb 4, 13 9:02 pm  · 
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hi TC go Ravens!

 steven i guess that's why you didn't have any reading recommendations?

also @Donna what Manta said! and hi Vado! and Josh feel free to pop in more...

Feb 4, 13 10:30 pm  · 
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does anyone on TC use a standing desk or chair/yoga ball? i have been debating switching to one of those for a few years?....

Feb 4, 13 11:29 pm  · 
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∑ π ∓ √ ∞

If you do a standing station, ease into it before going all commando, it's not as easy as it sounds. Get comfortable sneaks, and cushioning under your feet.

Feb 5, 13 6:59 am  · 
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Sarah Hamilton
I used a ball when I was pregnant. Felt great on my hips, but killed my back.

And Danica is just an overpaid lot-lizard. And she isn't even that pretty!
Feb 5, 13 8:41 am  · 
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beta good to know, thanks.

lot-lizard always reminds me of a hilarious Always Sunny in Philadelphia episode ft Tom Sizemore as guest

Feb 5, 13 8:56 am  · 
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