A new entry on the USPTO site seems to indicate that Apple may be getting further involved in online e-cards, reports ZDNet.
Techniques described herein allow multiple users to sign the same ecard. For example, a first user signs onto an ecard website, and selects an ecard template. After personalizing the ecard, the first user selects an option to invite other users to sign the card. Invitation messages are sent to the invited users.If an invited user accepts the invitation to sign the ecard, the invited user is prompted to login to the ecard website and sign the ecard. Once all the invited users have responded to the invitation, the first user is notified that the ecard is ready to be sent. Before sending the ecard, the first user may preview and modify the ecard. Once the first user is content with the ecard, the first user submits the ecard to the ecard web server to be sent to the intended recipient.
Now I’ll be the first to admit, that doesn’t seem like Apple’s style, to make an entire site that focuses on something as mundane as e-cards. Or… would they?
Update: Ok, don’t I feel dumb — but I suppose that it happens to us all. I completely forgot that the iCards even existed. I’ve never sent one, nor have I ever received one (until now — see below). Still, I guess I’m just wondering what the big deal is about an e-card signed by multiple people. This is probably just an update to the iCard setup. We cool now? Kthxbye. — CF
Apple's had iCards for years. It was part of the launch features for iTools back before it became .Mac.
http://www.mac.com/WebObjects/iCards.woa?aff=consumer&lang=en