"A newly published Apple patent application hints at the possibility of a mouse with a multi-touch display, notes Patently Apple. Titled Computer Input Device Including a Display Device, it depicts a mouse with the display mounted on top. While it could simply be used to show information, it could also be used to provide contextual controls, such as a numeric keypad.
Other examples given include magnifying text, or operating like a calculator in an app such as Numbers. The patent further suggests that the concept could extent to products beyond mice, such as an iPhone, an iPod touch or a MacBook trackpad. Apple could potentially be interested in making multi-touch displays an integral part of Mac OS X, although the closest the company has come so far is allowing the Remote app for iOS to control iTunes."
Read more: http://www.macnn.com/articles/11/01/20/patent.would.allow.context.specific.input/#ixzz1BewqQkk3
(how soon do you see this happening? next year?)
Other examples given include magnifying text, or operating like a calculator in an app such as Numbers. The patent further suggests that the concept could extent to products beyond mice, such as an iPhone, an iPod touch or a MacBook trackpad. Apple could potentially be interested in making multi-touch displays an integral part of Mac OS X, although the closest the company has come so far is allowing the Remote app for iOS to control iTunes."
Read more: http://www.macnn.com/articles/11/01/20/patent.would.allow.context.specific.input/#ixzz1BewqQkk3
(how soon do you see this happening? next year?)