Jeff Bezos' Mobile Airbag

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Jeff Bezos might be (obviously) best known for being Amazon's CE, but as a recently public patent filing shows he also has ideas on how to protect mobile devices from... heights. 

Bezos PatentThe patent, titled "Protecting Devices from Damage," describes "a system and method for protecting devices from impact damage is provided. Prior to impact between a surface and a device, a determination of a risk of damage to the device is made. If the risk of damage to the device exceeds a threshold, a protection system is activated to reduce or substantially eliminate damage to the device."

It shows a phone deploying tiny airbags whenever the in-built accelerometer detects a fall-- while a laser (or radar!) detects phone's height. 

Other ideas for falling phone protection include having springs inside the casing and using either a gyroscope or jets of compressed air to change the device's angle while in the air. 

The patent filing itself dates from February 2010, and credits Amazon VP Greg Hart alongside Bezos as inventors. 

Go "Protecting Devices From Impact Damage"