We’re big fans of Apple patents here at MacStories, and we were especially intrigued by Patently Apple’s latest revelation of what Apple plans to do with solar cells. I think a lot of people have traditionally thought of solar panels being implemented underneath the casing of an iPhone or iPod touch, but Apple wants to put your solar cells inside the multi-touch surface.
“[…] We see that Apple envisions utilizing solar cell technology right across the board from iPod to iPad. Secondly and perhaps most intriguingly, we see Apple detailing how they’ll be able to integrate cell panels beneath their multi-touch surface as opposed to it being applied to the top surface of their media players as previously thought. [… ] The reason that it’s intriguing is that it supports the design shift that Apple’s iPhone prototype took.
If Apple has indeed shifted their next generation iPhone design to carry a glass-like back panel, as was shown in their lost Apple prototype, then it could very well mean that Apple is, at the very least, paving the way for a double-sided solar panel based iPhone in the future…”
Paving the way towards greener pastures, Apple’s implementation is certainly a curious one, and it’s certainly posed to be the next engineering marvel for the boys out of Cupertino.
But while we could gawk about solar panels and Apple’s eco-friendly stance on technology, one of the previous marvels (the incredible Multi-Touch trackpad) has finally been patented. And this comes at a time when particular PC manufacturers are trying to replicate the MacBook’s gesture based technology.
For more information regarding Patently Apple’s latest unveilings, be sure to check out their two discoveries below:
Patently Apple:
Apple’s Vision of a Solar Cell Appears in the Wild
Apple Wins Key Patents for iSight Camera, the MacBook’s Multi-Touch Trackpad and iPhone Sensors
