Apple touch keyboard loses the keys

Patent hints at buttonless input

Apple touch keyboard loses the keys. Apple, Patents, Keyboards, Hardware 0

26 July 2011 13:34 GMT / By Paul Lamkin

If the current Apple Mac keyboard isn't magical enough for you (is the keyboard "magical" yet? We can't keep track of all the iThings Jobs has given the magic tag to) then you might be interested to hear that Apple has patented a revolutionary new touchscreen keyboard that gets rid of the keys.

We know, we know - there are bagillions of Apple patents out there, and most never see the light of the day. That's why we usually avoid reporting on them. But every so often, one grabs our attention enough for inclusion.

And Apple's futuristic keyboards (or should that just be boards as there are no keys?) certainly fall into that category.

And we say keyboards because the Cupertino minds have patented a few different ideas, most notably a glass touchscreen like device with a virtual keyboard (complete with multi-touch support) and a metal and plastic design which uses piezoelectrics, haptic feedback and acoustic pulse recognition along with micro-perforated stamps sos you know when to type.

We like the idea of the keyboard evolving into a more 21st century mould - but we're not sure that yet another touchscreen device is the way forward.

Still, we wouldn't be surprised to see Apple unearth the results of one of its keyboard patents soon, slap a little i in front and make us go "wow".

Via: patentlyapple.com

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Apple, Patents, Keyboards, Hardware