The iBike, and 9 More Exciting Apple Patents

Steve Jobs may be stepping back, but that’s no reason to stop being jazzed about all things Apple: The company snagged a whopping 563 patents last year, some of which are sure to eventually see the light of day. Mashable reports on 10 you should be particularly excited about:

• iBike: A smart bike concept that tracks data like your heart rate, the bike’s speed, and distance on your iPod or iPhone.
• Wand remote: A remote control for your Apple TV that functions like a Wii remote, using motion control.

• Solar-powered iPhone: In theory, the solar technology would be integrated into the touchscreen, so your iPhone or similar device could soak up the sun through its display.
• Touchscreen iMac: Like the desktop version of an iPad, except it can also be controlled with a mouse.
• iKey: Could you one day unlock your house or car with your iPhone? Maybe, if this patent comes to fruition.

Click for the complete list. (More Apple stories.)