fronkis

“For example, the ability to fully view or interact with the electronic media device while still inside the packaging is severely limited in most packaging designs,” Apple says. “In addition, typical packaging designs do not enable the electronic media device or devices housed within the packaging to present content (e.g., media content or advertising) while inside the packaging and without draining battery power. Other functionality, such as firmware or software upgrades, are also typically not available while the electronic media device is housed within the product packaging (e.g., at a retail location). This is primarily due to the inability to provide external power or data to the device while still housed within the packaging.”

To solve this problem, Apple proposes what it calls “active packaging,” or retail packaging that provides “power, data, or both power and data to one or more electronic media devices housed within the packaging. The power may be provided by a direct power connection to an external power supply or by one or more wireless power techniques. A data signal may be provided by one or more direct data lines to the electronic media device within the packaging, or the electronic media device may enable an integrated wireless network interface to receive a data stream while housed in the packaging.”

Pretty interesting stuff.  Those Apple people are always thinkin’