A new patent application released today shows Apple’s potential plans for user interface tweaking in Snow Leopard, the next version of OS X. The new patent shows cursors providing much more information than a spinning beach ball of death. The cursor will show lots of information about the file or link (previews, file permissions, virus check status etc) and can allow interaction (offer alternative programmes you can open the file with– selected with the keyboard). The difference between this an a lot of similar ideas seems to be that instead of being supercharged tooltips (i.e. popup information which is statically associated with the file, link etc), the cursor changes when it moves over a file, link etc. I would have thought tool tip provided a better solution in most situations… Here’s why Apple thinks this invention is useful:

What is needed, therefore, is a system and method for providing information about a target before the user activates the icon or link that will open the target. What is further needed is a system and method for providing information about what applications might be available to open or access the target before the user activates the item, such as an icon or link that will open the target. What is further needed is a system and method for providing such information in an unobtrusive manner that does not interfere with normal interaction with the user interface. What is needed is a system and method for displaying information about a target by changing the appearance of an on-screen cursor.

The following is a list of examples illustrating the information that can be presented with respect to a target:

• Metadata describing the target (Author, size, date created, date modified, length, read/write permissions, security, location, and the like)
• Excerpt of text or other content from target Thumbnail of image and/or text from target, or portion thereof.
• Web page relating to target
• Applications that can be used for opening target
• Access limitations and settings for target
• Comments/annotations submitted by other users concerning target
• Virus warnings concerning target
• Estimated time to retrieve and/or download target

Title: Cursor for Presenting Information Regarding Target
Inventor: John Louch
Filed: March 29, 2007

Abstract: In a graphical user interface, when a cursor is positioned over an icon or link associated with a target, the appearance of the cursor changes to present information describing or related to the target. Such information can include, for example, an excerpt of the contents of the target, and/or meta-data for the target, and/or an indication of what application or applications may be used to open the target. The information presented in the cursor can be shown in graphical form or in text form, or in a combination of both.

More Text for the patent:
In embodiments such as those exemplified by FIGS. 5B and 5C, cursor 303 depicts several options for interacting with icon 511. For example, several different applications and/or actions can be initiated to interact with the document represented by icon 511. Accordingly, in such embodiments, a mechanism may be made available for selecting one of the options represented in cursor 303. For example, a mechanism may be made available to allow a user to select one of the applications or actions for interacting with icon 511. A keyboard or other input device may be used to select among the available options. Alternatively, a user clicks once to indicate that he or she wishes to open the item, and then a portion of the cursor detaches so that it can be moved among the options to select an application that will be used to open the item. Alternatively, a default option can be used if the user clicks, while other options can be made available if the user clicks while a modifier key is pressed; again, the user can select among the other options via a keyboard or other input device, or detached portion of the cursor.

[0058]In one embodiment, cursor 303 does not change appearance automatically when the user causes it to hover over a user-activatable element, but only changes in response to a modifier key or other command being executed. Thus, the user can indicate when he or she would like to see the additional information in cursor 303. In one embodiment, the additional information only remains in cursor 303 as long as the modifier key or other key is held down; in another embodiment the modifier key or other key acts as a toggle to change the appearance of cursor 303 back and forth between its original appearance and the modified appearance including the additional information. In yet another embodiment, a command is made available to change cursor 303 to provide different types of information about the target; for example, cursor 303 might first show an excerpt of the content of the target, but might change in response to a user command to show meta-data about the target A keystroke might be used to cycle among various types or instances of information shown within cursor 303, and back to cursor’s 303 original appearance.