Apple to take on GoPro with new patent; GoPro stock plummets

Apple to take on GoPro with new patent; GoPro stock plummets

The application is for a sports camera that could be attached to a bike or a scuba mask.

Apple may be taking on GoPro, getting a number of new patents approved including one that suggests it wants to get into the sports camera business.

GoPro shares dropped 12 percent Tuesday at the news, as the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office granted several patents to April, with one being for a wearable camera that could potentially compete with GoPro, which went public just last year, according to USA Today.

The patent application, which was filed back in March 2012, was for a camera that could be mounted on bikes or on scuba masks, and would allow the wearer to take pictures and record audio while under water. It can be operated remotely, according to the application.

The application states that GoPro’s HD Hero2 camera provides only a single-image capture system, allowing it to capture shots from the front of the camera, making it prone to damage and wind resistance.

Apple wants to create a camera that can be used in “conventional” capture mode where it is held by the user when taking digital phoots, and can also be used in a mounted mode.

Apple also received a patent for what it is calling “three-dimensional user interface session control,” which is simply a device that would allow users to interact with a computer without even touching a screen or a keyboard — technology that has often been portrayed in futuristic films.

GoPro’s 12 percent drop was just the latest in a long decline for the company in the last few months, when it reached a 6-month high of $93.85 back in October. With the drop, GoPro shares stand at $49.81.

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