New Apple Patent Hints At Dual-Sided Track Pad For MacBook

We always get a subtle hint of what technologies Apple might be working on in the patents that it is awarded. While every patented technology doesn’t necessarily see the light of day, updates like these keep the rumor mill going, and us guessing about what new features the company can add in its products. The patent we’re talking about here is titled “dual-sided trackpad,” it will basically be a foldable trackpad panel that has a display on both the top and bottom. Both sides will be capable of recognizing touch input and the MacBook would respond differently to each input when its open or closed.

When the MacBook is open, only one side of the trackpad will be usable. The other side will be usable when its closed. The panel is going to be transparent and to preserve battery life, users will be able to switch off the bottom panel when using the top one. Apple says in the patent that this technology can be applied to other form factors such as a smartphone, gaming machine, a media player or a desktop. [Image via PatentlyApple]

Adnan Farooqui
Categories: Apple
Tags: patents