Geek Posted January 20, 2011 Posted January 20, 2011 <div class="KonaBody"><p><img src="http://osxdaily.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/magic-mouse-touch-screen.jpg" alt="magic-mouse-touch-screen" title="magic-mouse-touch-screen" width="605" height="419" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-11956" /></p> <p>Two new patents have surfaced that may provide a look into the future of Mac input devices. </p> <p>The first is for a Magic Mouse that has an integrated touch screen, which could adjust to display things like virtual buttons, keys, menus, text, and video. The patent application shows a diagram of the Magic Mouse displaying a virtual numeric keypad, but when you consider the Magic Mouse is nearly the size of an iPhone or iPod touch, the possibilities are wide open.</p> <p><img src="http://osxdaily.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/virtual-keyboard-mac.gif" alt="virtual keyboard mac" title="virtual keyboard mac" width="610" height="348" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-11957" /></p> <p>The second patent shows a Virtual Keyboard that includes a haptic feedback system, which would give a user the perception that the virtual keyboard is a regular keyboard by providing a vibratory response to touch. As PatentlyApple notes, a virtual keyboard has the potential to morph into another input device entirely, such as a game pad or musical keyboard.</p> <p>Apple is clearly interested in further developing touch input across the Mac product line. Previous patents have shown a <a href="http://osxdaily.com/2010/08/21/macbook-touch-screen/">touch screen MacBook</a>, a <a href="http://osxdaily.com/2010/08/23/imac-touch-runs-mac-ios/">convertible touchscreen iMac</a> that runs both iOS and Mac OS X, and a convertible <a href="http://osxdaily.com/2010/12/01/macbook-tablet-patent/">MacBook tablet</a> that may function in a similar manner as the aforementioned iMac.</p> <p>Both of the new patents were discovered by PatentlyApple, you can read more <a href="http://www.patentlyapple.com/patently-apple/2011/01/apple-considers-integrating-a-display-into-their-magic-mouse.html">about the Magic Mouse</a> and <a href="http://www.patentlyapple.com/patently-apple/2011/01/apple-considers-integrating-a-display-into-their-magic-mouse.html">the Virtual Keyboard</a> over there.</p> </div> <p><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/CaIwcmJYRe9KZmzFbElo-qOdmhI/0/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/CaIwcmJYRe9KZmzFbElo-qOdmhI/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a><br/> <a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/CaIwcmJYRe9KZmzFbElo-qOdmhI/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/CaIwcmJYRe9KZmzFbElo-qOdmhI/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p><div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/osxdaily?a=Ziz0d01JGGY:ovxeF0WJL6Q:yIl2AUoC8zA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/osxdaily?d=yIl2AUoC8zA" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/osxdaily?a=Ziz0d01JGGY:ovxeF0WJL6Q:V_sGLiPBpWU"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/osxdaily?i=Ziz0d01JGGY:ovxeF0WJL6Q:V_sGLiPBpWU" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/osxdaily?a=Ziz0d01JGGY:ovxeF0WJL6Q:D7DqB2pKExk"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/osxdaily?i=Ziz0d01JGGY:ovxeF0WJL6Q:D7DqB2pKExk" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/osxdaily?a=Ziz0d01JGGY:ovxeF0WJL6Q:7Q72WNTAKBA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/osxdaily?d=7Q72WNTAKBA" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/osxdaily?a=Ziz0d01JGGY:ovxeF0WJL6Q:qj6IDK7rITs"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/osxdaily?d=qj6IDK7rITs" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/osxdaily/~4/Ziz0d01JGGY" height="1" width="1"/> View the full article
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