The Apple tablet could sport even more advanced multitouch tech than the iPhone for commanding and controlling your way around the iSlate, if Cupertino follows through on a recent patent application it filed, revealing a control system that won’t just recognise multiple digits, but palms too.
Now, ten finger multitouch panels aren’t anything new (We’ve gone hands-on with some before, like Stantum’s clever displays), but this patent application filed by Morrison and Foerster LLP in June 2009 on behalf of Apple is nothing short of ambitious. It describes a touch based control system that allows for fast typing, handwriting, navigation and even 3D tweaking and manipulation, and can detect which part of your hand is touching the screen. Just the sort of thing an Apple tablet needs, surely?
Apple tablet incoming January 2010?
Interestingly, one of those credited for the application is Fingerworks founder Wayne Westerman. Fingerworks was a pioneering multitouch company bought out by Apple, and the same Westerman has talked about his vision of future multitouch keyboards before. If the Apple tablet is real, we’d love to see the ability to hook it up wirelessly to a Mac (Or hey, an Apple TV) for quick memo jotting from the sofa, or even live photo editing on the fly.
Apple’s clearly keen to rid the world of physical buttons, so while there’s no guarantee this could appear in an Apple tablet, we’d say it’s a good bet for the near future nonetheless. Oh, and Apple, while you’re at it, how about realising all those other tasty patent applications we’ve seen over time? Cheers, fellas.
Out TBC | £TBC | Apple (Via AppleInsider)
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