A new Apple patent application shows Apple’s plans for virtual keyboards. Interestingly one of the figures shows a keyboard similar the virtual keyboard on the Ultra-Mobile PC platform. These arc-like virtual keyboards are perhaps an obvious solution to allow input while holding the devices. Apple filed for this patent on September 16 last year (surely after Microsoft had come up with its prototypes?).

Peer to Peer sharing by iChat in Apple Patent Application

In a new Apple patent application Apple details putting some peer-to-peer sharing capabilities. Not so much to set information free but as a means of selling more songs through the iTunes music store. Other features would the ability to be more aware of what other iChat users were up to (open documents, movies watched, songs listen to etc). A Brave new world?

New Apple patent applications describe a new trackpad design and also FingerWorks-like gestures for doing common tasks like Copy, Paste etc. Those of you who are convinced an Apple tablet is on its way should get a head start and start learning the gestures- there are only thirty-eight! As soon as you buy the Apple tablet you can impress everyone with your mastering of the “exit application” gesture- it’s easy and ‘involves a touch with clockwise rotation of spread thumb and three fingers on the track pad device.’