The Apple Pencil could soon work with Macs
While some may see it as a gimmick, others may see it as a special tool. And that tool used is the Apple Pencil. Up until recently, the Pencil could only be used with the larger iPad Pro, until they brought it down to the smaller model. Now, Apple could be expanding the usability of the Pencil by bringing it to their Mac computers, according to a newly published patent.
The patent was filed back in 2014, and while it was filed before the Pencil came out, it still describes the Pencil as we know it today. It is referred to a "Stylus With Inertial Sensor," which offers a touch sensor to receive electromagnetic signals alongside force sensors and the ability to switch between different operating modes. Interestingly, Apple has some new use cases for the Pencil when connecting to the Mac.
For example, the stylus could be used as a computer mouse and even a joystick for gaming. The included images from the patent shows it working with the glass trackpad that Apple makes connected to a Mac. If the image and the details holds up, you could either sketch an image on the computer, or navigate the computer as a mouse, or both.
This isn't the first glimpse that Apple is trying to improve the Pencil. There was a leak posed earlier this year that showed the option for swappable tips and even an eraser nub. The inclusion of those items mentioned above plus integration for the Mac would set Apple up for a successful second Pencil model.
Via: | TechnoBuffalo |
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Source: | USPTO |
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Image Credit: | USPTO |
