iLounge

A newly-published Apple patent suggests the company is working on touch-sensitive bezel, which would allow it to expand its touch-based interfaces beyond the perimeter of the screen. The patent describes a number of different implementations, including a force-sensitive touch surface, a multi-touch input surface, and other input methods, and each is described as applicable to the iPod, computers, and other portable devices. According to the patent, the bezel would be used to manipulate or control what is being displayed on the screen, based on which part of the bezel was being touched; in addition, these menu-like selections could be made to rotate around the bezel as the device’s orientation is changed. As with all Apple patents, this filing does not necessarily represent any future product release from Apple, but offers evidence of the company’s research in this area. [via Patently Apple]