AirPods and the Iris Engine: talking to the lawyer who thinks he found Apple’s secret trademarks

If you read enough tech news, you’re sure to see upcoming gadgets and features get leaked through regulatory filings, patent applications, and trademarks well ahead of their intended announcement. No company is immune to this, but Apple has largely avoided it — maybe until now. Trademark attorney Brian Conroy claims to have dug up a litany of Apple trademark applications that include names no one else has seen. Among those: Iris Engine, Smart Button, Touch Bar, and Control Strip, all of which sound like plausible titles for rumored iPhone and MacBook features. Conroy also offered... more »