Tech company patents: Apple car to Amazon floating warehouse

If you thought folding phones and four-legged robots were futuristic, just wait to see what tech giants have in store for the near future. A patent is a government license that gives the holder exclusive rights to a new invention for a designated period of time. They don't always make it to the production line, but they can indicate what companies are working on. A 2017 Apple patent showed off a hybrid device that resembled a Mac laptop into which users can'dock' an iPhone. The patent describes, 'An electronic accessory device, comprising: an operational component that provides an output to a user; a housing carrying the operational component, the housing having a recess.'