For companies interested in, contemplating the use of, or actually incorporating touch screen technology into their products, perhaps the "feely feeling" will fade when learning that the U.S. Patent Office has enabled Apple to grab the rights to multifunction touchscreens.

Yep, that unique Apple touchscreen used for the iPod and the iPhone seems to have won the hearts of those Feds who control patents. Tossed into the patent acquisition are rights to some Mac OS X technology as well as camera functionality and the hardware behind the iPhone. Is it possible the temporary CEO of Apple, while Jobs leaves his job until early summer, could use this patent acquisition against other firms using such touchscreen functionality? Hmmmm, when he states Apple will employ its legal weapons against other who are absconding with Apple technology, sounds like a definite "yes".