Apple's universal iPhone, iPod dock concept detailed in filing

Apple may be developing a universal dock which can conform to the shape of the object being charged, thus eliminating the need for separate chargers and adaptors when switching between products.

A universal dock for the iPod/iPhone was revealed in a patent application published Thursday. The dock's main feature is its ability to change forms to accommodate a variety of devices using an elastic, sponge-like substance that conforms to the shape of the device being charged.

The sponge-like substance would be able to retain its shape between uses or could be reset using a button placed on the front of the dock for use with a different device. This would eliminate the current problem of differing generations of iPods/iPhones needing adapters to fit into certain docks and chargers.