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Jeff Steck

@jefstec.bsky.social
1.1K followers 414 following 617 posts

Patents for a brighter dystopia 📍Chicago

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Reposted by Jeff Steck
Ed Timberlake @trademarksaremagic.bsky.social · 22/09/2026
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Ed Timberlake @trademarksaremagic.bsky.social · 17/09/2026
Application to Register: "the three-dimensional configuration of a frozen confection that has the internal and external appearance of fried chicken" as identifying, distinguishing, and indicating a single source of: ice cream tsdr.uspto.gov#caseNumber=5...
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Terence Tao @teorth.bsky.social · 11/09/2026
A group of 25 Fields Medalists, including myself, have made a joint declaration on Math and AI: mathandai.org . We welcome additional signatories. See also this article in the Economist announcing the declaration: www.economist.com/science-and-...
mathandai.org
Declaration — Math and AI
Read the declaration and add your name.
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Jeff Steck @jefstec.bsky.social · 06/09/2026
I'm halfway through this book but I don't know which half
Catherine Lacey's "The Möbius Book", laid out to show that it's front and back covers are indistinguishable
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Jeff Steck @jefstec.bsky.social · 31/08/2026
Barilla has a patent on "Pasta with a Novel Form," basically rigatoni but with ridges that spiral between 45° and 58°. They claim that these more tightly wound spirals make for better-tasting pasta. I wanted to see if this advanced technology was available to American consumers. (1/2)
Front page of Barilla's patent, US 10542767, with a drawing of a short pasta tube with spiral ridges.
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Jeff Steck @jefstec.bsky.social · 26/08/2026
"Make Money Writing Short Paragraphs" is a good description of being a patent attorney
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Jeff Steck @jefstec.bsky.social · 21/08/2026
Just jogged past a group of preschoolers singing a song 😃 Turns out they're singing about how not to get run over by cars 💀
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Jeff Steck @jefstec.bsky.social · 19/08/2026
"Meat-based flours" for making "breads, bagels, tortillas, pastas, dumplings, crackers, and the like." Patented yesterday. US Patent 12708121
Patent drawings of muffins made with powdered chicken instead of plant-based flour.
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Meredith Lowry @meredithlowry.bsky.social · 18/08/2026
Today in design patents: D1143305 issued for a nail clipper. The worst design, no matter what article it gets applied to. #DesignPatents
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Michael McLean @michaelmclean.me · 11/08/2026
130mph winds in the south suburbs of Chicago Oh my god
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Jeff Steck @jefstec.bsky.social · 10/08/2026
Something like this would have been helpful to me. The first time I saw "Office Hours" on a syllabus, I thought it was when the professor had Important Business and should not be bothered.
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Meredith Lowry @meredithlowry.bsky.social · 04/08/2026
Today in design patents: D1138536 issued for a banana stand. #DesignPatents
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okay Kelly @kmdoublev.bsky.social · 04/08/2026
3 analog air control dials on a dash, the ones where you can tell by feel what position it's in
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Cool Bike Art @coolbikeart1.bsky.social · 02/08/2025
August 2, 1881: The Oldreive tricycle was patented by Charles Wood Oldreive. Propelled by crank handles with gearing concealed in the hub caps, riders entered the contraption by threading themselves between the giant spokes.
Patent drawing for a tricycle in which the rider sits inside the oversized front wheel.Photo of an antique tricycle with the rider sitting inside the oversized front wheel.
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Jeff Steck @jefstec.bsky.social · 01/08/2026
Design choices were made
The cover of a book called "Chicago View: Businesses Collide." The cover art is a blue eyed infant with a combover and a full beard.
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Jeff Steck @jefstec.bsky.social · 01/08/2026
"Direction Indicator for Pushable Transport Objects" US Patent 10363864
Patent drawing of two people with shopping carts on a collision course.
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Ed Timberlake @trademarksaremagic.bsky.social · 01/08/2026
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Peteris Skorovs @peteris.skorovs.com · 20/07/2026
1/2 On this day in 1999, Dennis Olsen received US Patent No. 5,924,732 for an “In-line skate sail”, with poles attached to the skates and a sail above the user’s head. #OnThisDay #OTD #PatentHistory #Patents
US Patent No. 5,924,732 for an “In-line skate sail”.
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Jocelyn Bosse @jocelynbos.se · 15/07/2026
Hi everyone, I'm hiring a post-doc to work on my FLF project on plant IP. Please spread the word! Queries about the nature of the role and working at Queen's should please be directed to my colleague, Dr Ethan Shattock. hrwebapp.qub.ac.uk/tlive_webrec...
hrwebapp.qub.ac.uk
Job profile
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Jeff Steck @jefstec.bsky.social · 11/07/2026
The local English pub is already overflowing (not shown: a long line of patient optimists extending to the left)
Photo of AJ Hudson's pub, flying the English flag, with people milling around outside
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Jeff Steck @jefstec.bsky.social · 10/07/2026
DVD cover of a film called, "J'Aime les Belges!" with a photo of Jacques Brel.
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Jeff Steck @jefstec.bsky.social · 10/07/2026
An apparatus for swaddling a baby, patented this week. US 12672680
Patent drawing of a baby zipped into a dramatic hourglass-shaped outfit.
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Ed Timberlake @trademarksaremagic.bsky.social · 09/07/2026
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Jeff Steck @jefstec.bsky.social · 09/07/2026
"Systems and Methods for Detecting Drug Based Impairment" US Patent 12672820, issued this week
Cartoonish patent drawings of generally sinister-looking people with breath tubes in their mouths to test for drugs.Cartoonish patent drawings of generally sinister-looking people with breath tubes in their mouths to test for drugs.
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Jeff Steck @jefstec.bsky.social · 02/07/2026
Spotted this morning in North Center
Photo of a yeti (the creature, not the cooler) adorned with American and pride flags in the sidecar of a scooter.
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Jeff Steck @jefstec.bsky.social · 01/07/2026
An athletic shoe for doing Kegels, patented yesterday.
Complete front page of the patent entitled "Device for Posture Correction and Kegel Exercise," because people sometimes think I make these up. There is a drawing of a shoe with a sort of twisty heel, which presumably encourages you to engage your pelvic floor to avoid falling.
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Jeff Steck @jefstec.bsky.social · 30/06/2026
A neural interface for bionic prostheses, patented today by MIT. US 12667471
Patent drawing of a nude, partly see-through bionic man with a pensive expression and a thought bubble reading "I feel her hand."
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ᴄʏᴄʟᴏᴢ @cyclozparis.bsky.social · 26/06/2026
Bifurcated skirt 1895. 🚲🚴🏼‍♀️👒 #bikesky #bike
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Robert Mahon @bedform.org · 24/06/2026
The internet is wild like I can just find my Great Grandfather's patents from 1907 on there... patents.google.com/patent/US840...
patent by inventor Thomas E Drohan showing parts of a helical coil forming machine for making springspatent by inventor Thomas E Drohan showing parts of a helical coil forming machine for making springs
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Peteris Skorovs @peteris.skorovs.com · 19/06/2026
On this day in 2018, US Patent No. 10,000,000 was granted. From No. 1 in 1836, each next million took: 75y, 24y, 26y, 15y, 14y, 9y, 6y, 5.5y, 3.6y, 3.2y, 2.9y, and 3.1y. First million took 75 years. Now, about 1 million every 3 years. #OnThisDay #OTD #PatentHistory #Patents
US Patent No. 10,000,000 for a "Coherent LADAR using intra-pixel quadrature detection".
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Jeff Steck @jefstec.bsky.social · 11/06/2026
The latest in hoodie technology: a drawstring that's actually a hose (20) between a vape pen (32) and mouthpiece (34). US Patent 12648599, issued Tuesday
Patent drawing of a hoodie with vape components on either end of the drawstring.
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Josh Landau @jslandau.cc · 10/06/2026
Are you a privacy lawyer who wants to work with me? www.mozilla.org/en-US/career...
mozilla.org
Mozilla Careers — Lead Privacy Counsel, Infrastructure & Data Governance — Open Positions
Mozilla is hiring a Lead Privacy Counsel, Infrastructure & Data Governance in Remote Germany, New Products, Firefox, Core Services, Mozilla.org, Firefox, Firefox, Core…
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Jeff Steck @jefstec.bsky.social · 10/06/2026
I was enjoying this small urban prairie until two blackbirds attacked. I did not know that birds can hiss!
Photo of a lush green prairie.Photo of a tall old catalpa tree in bloom.
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Jeff Steck @jefstec.bsky.social · 06/06/2026
Bears territory, according to iNaturalist
A map of Midwest states, showing that Illinois is free of bears
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Jeff Steck @jefstec.bsky.social · 05/06/2026
A secure graduation cap for "individuals with curly or voluminous hairstyles." US Patent 12588729
Patent drawing of a smiling woman wearing a graduation cap.
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Jeff Steck @jefstec.bsky.social · 29/05/2026
Patents are comics
Patent drawing of a shirtless warrior wearing some kind of armor that covers his head and part of his chest but not quite his nipples.
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Jeff Steck @jefstec.bsky.social · 21/05/2026
This is the plot of Brainstorm (1983), starring Christopher Walken and Natalie Wood. (US Patent 12623047, issued this month)
Patent drawing with the heading "Replicating Mental States," illustrating brain waves being transmitted via computer from a "Donor" to a "Recipient."
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Jeff Steck @jefstec.bsky.social · 17/05/2026
The Chicago River this morning along Horner Park.
Photo of a small river bordered on the left by trees and on the right by a field of yellow wildflowers.
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Jeff Steck @jefstec.bsky.social · 15/05/2026
Re-usable toy wounds for children. Patented this week by Melissa & Doug. US 12623159
Patent drawing of a forearm with a press-on wound.
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Nick Ulivieri @nuphoto.com · 14/05/2026
The Obama Presidential Center in B&W
A dramatic black and white image of the Obama Presidential Center in Chicago. The sky is a dark gray and the angular, geometric granite building juts brightly into the dark negative space. Trees line the plaza in the foreground
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Jeff Steck @jefstec.bsky.social · 13/05/2026
"Ring-shaped sausage and method for manufacturing same" US Patent 12622447, issued yesterday.
Patent drawing of an ouroboros of minced meat, one end of the sausage consuming the other.
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Jeff Steck @jefstec.bsky.social · 08/05/2026
"Garment with Wipe Zones" Good idea for exercising, or great idea for snacking? US Patent 12575625 (Nike)
Patent drawing of shorts with rectangular "wipe zones" of absorbent fabric over the legs.
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Jeff Steck @jefstec.bsky.social · 06/05/2026
"Device With Adhesive to Aid in Depilatory Wax Removal" US Patent 12611023
Patent drawing of someone using their oversized hand to wax their hairy misshapen leg.
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Rob Cruickshank @robcruickshank.bsky.social · 30/04/2026
I am no doubt throwing away some big dollars by not patenting my baby-head cell-phone holder.
sketch of an invention comprising a helmet which attaches to the head of a baby carried in a Snuggli or similar, to which is affixed a cellphone holder positioned such that the person carrying the baby can attend to their cell phone hands free. They are shown walking a dog.
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Jeff Steck @jefstec.bsky.social · 30/04/2026
"Shoulder-Mounted Platform System" US Patent 12610923
Patent drawing of a cat, staring out of the page, resting on a platform mounted on a person's shoulder.Another view of the cat on the shoulder platform, revealing that the platform resembles a hoverboard deck.
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Jeff Steck @jefstec.bsky.social · 29/04/2026
A 1785 taxonomy of disreputable folks.
Photo of a list of "23 orders" of rogues, such as "priggers of prancers," "fraters," "jarkmen," "bawdy baskets," and "doxies."
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Jeff Steck @jefstec.bsky.social · 24/04/2026
A trucker hat, but the logo part is actually a "beer shotgun tool." US Patent 12604940
Patent drawing of a trucker hat with the "logo" part removed, revealing a can piercing tool.
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