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An alternative to in-car voice control: a steering-wheel-mounted click wheel. Image: Patently Apple

Its rare that an Apple patent application passes through the system completely unnoticed until its actually granted, but such is the case with a patent for a wireless remote control for a car steering wheel.

The patent, Wireless remote control device for a portable media device, was discovered by Patently Apple Tuesday. It describes a touch-sensitive, iPod-style clickwheel device that attaches to a vehicles steering wheel, and is used to control a media player.

The patent specifically mentions the remote controls potential for use with mobile devices like the iPhone, iPad, and iPod. It would hook on to your steering wheel using adjustable clamping feet, and the faceplate, which could use either capacitive or resistive-touch technology, would be rotatable.

In-car entertainment and infotainment systems are becoming increasingly commonplace in todays vehicles. You can find them in everything from Toyotas to Mercedes to Fords.

These systems are usually compatible with your smartphone, allowing you to play music from your device on your cars stereo (among other uses). But theres one problem: Its not easy to safely control music playback functions while driving. Most current systems only output your devices audio, and to advance through tracks and the like, you have to manually adjust your mobile device.

Some auto manufacturers are addressing the interface hurdle via voice recognition. But if youre jamming out while youre cruising down the highway, do you really want to have to turn down the volume or yell over the music just to skip to the next track? It could be quite useful to instead adjust a remote control thats just a thumb-click away.

In case youre wondering, this patent wasnt filed during the click-wheeled iPods heyday it was originally filed in Q1 2011. It was designed by Apple UI Design Manager Policarpo Wood and Anton Davydov, a principal designer at Frog Design, the company behind the Apple IIc and NeXT workstation.

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Apple Granted Patent for Steering Wheel Remote Control

17-05-2012 22:17 Facebook is planning to sell 18 per cent of its company to the public on Friday in an IPO that could value the social networking site at $ 100 billion.

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FTN: Does social media offer more value than mainstream media? - Video

18-05-2012 09:13 From his headquarters in Menlo Park, California, Facebook chief executive Mark Zuckerberg rang the opening bell on the US Nasdaq market on Friday to announce the listing of his eight-year-old social networking company.

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Zuckerberg rings opening bell at Nasdaq to mark Facebook listing - Video

18-05-2012 19:38 SmartMoney's Quentin Fottrell checks in on Mean Street to reveal the real reason social networking sites want your photos. Photo: AP.

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Here's Why Social Media Wants Your Photos Real Bad - Video

Facebook, the world's biggest social-networking site,has raised $16bn for itselfin a highly anticipated stock market debut.

The social networking site floated 421 million shares of common stock at $38 inFriday's initial public offering (IPO), valuing the company at $104bn and makingit thethird-biggest public offering in US history.

Just after the offering, which was delayed by a half-houruntil 11:30am EDT, the stock jumped to $42.05 in the opening trades. But the company's new stock closed barely higher than its opening price at $38.15.

"The negativity in the market overall has put a damper on the IPO," said Darren Hayes, a Pace University professor.

"It's not uncommon in an IPO to see a big rise and then for the price to come back down, but I'm a bit surprised after all the hype."

More than 500 million sharesexchanged hands, setting a US record for volume on the same day of an IPO.

'Mark listed FB'

From a student dormitory at Harvard to plush headquarters in Silicon Valley, Facebook - now the world's second-most-visited website - has grown rapidly since its founding in 2004 by Mark Zuckerberg.

Wearing his trademark hoodie and standing before a huge crowd in Menlo Park, California, Zuckerbergremotely opened trading this morning on the NASDAQ Stock Market.

"With 1,000 other Facebook employees, Zuckerberg had an all-night code-a-thon," Al Jazeera's Scott Heidler reported from New York.

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Facebook fails to set stock market alight