Apple is exploring the possibility of using invisible buttons in future laptops

Apple continues to advance its crusade to reduce to a minimum design (apparent) of their equipment and now advocates a new patent that would cover a number of physical controls the aluminum body making the MacBook Pro literally invisible to the user. The idea is to take a step further technology currently used in the indicator of rest, consisting of a series of small holes made with a drill laser are virtually invisible when the light is off, so that the new laptops would benefit from touch-sensitive areas where they could come and go buttons as they were needed or not.

For example, when they entered iTunes could draw a wheel like the iPod next to the laptop’s trackpad, allowing use to monitor the implementation of a more intuitive way while respecting the minimalist style of the company making it disappear when no longer useful. In addition to opening a program other conditions that could activate these controls and indicators would be the detection of motion or light sensor, greatly expanding its practical applications. In addition, this technology also be used to put buttons on the outside of the laptop or simply to indicate the level of battery or signal strength Wi-Fi even though the MacBook screen is closed, allowing the user to perform tasks without having to open laptop. The patent describes such buttons to activate an external monitor, synchronize your iPod or iPhone, install software or turn off the computer, all without opening the lid. No less interesting is the last application described in the patent: its use as a replacement for notebook trackpad, allowing cursor control by sliding your finger over the very surface of the aluminum body of the MacBook Pro and simplifying (even more) the impressive design of this equipment. Document of the patent, Apple said it considered other methods to hide these controls, such as plastic buttons colored as to simulate the metal, but the appearance and finish were not identical to that of aluminum so conflicted with their objectives. The text also emphasizes the aesthetic benefits, environmental and production casings offering created from a single piece of metal, thereby justifying their efforts to overcome the challenges that led to the patent. Vía | Appleinsider