Apple patent eyes dual-sided trackpad for MacBook

Your MacBook of the future could offer a dual-sided trackpad panel that features a touch screen on both sides.Awarded to Apple on Tuesday by the U.S. Patent and Trademark office, a patent appropriatedly dubbed "Dual-sided track pad," describes a transparent and foldable trackpad panel with both a top and bottom display. The panel itself would take up the entire bottom of the notebook. Each side of the panel would recognize touch input and react accordingly based on whether the notebook is open or closed.On an open notebook, one side of the trackpad would be accessible. On a closed notebook, the other side would be accessible. And since the panel itself is transparent, you could see the entire screen. As such, you'd be able to run a specific task, such as accessing your e-mail via the touch of your fingers.You would also have the option of disabling the bottom panel display so that it doesn't eat up battery life when it's not needed.(Via PatentlyApple)

Apple patent bid combines solar with touch screen

double-sided solar panel that absorbed light from both the top and a glass-covered backing.In August of 2008, Apple engineers submitted another patent application relating to the electronics circuitry needed to use a solar cell embedded into a small device. That followed a more general patent application from 2006 called "Solar Cells on Portable Devices."Standalone chargers for small electronics, including Apple gear, have been around for years. But embedding a solar cell into a device, with a power management system, is a far more challenging engineering job and it's still not clear that can be done without adding significantly to a gadget's cost.In theory, a solar-powered device could use cells that harvest indoor light, rather than only direct sunlight.