Apple faced stiff criticism for the introduction of the butterfly keyboard within the MacBook and MacBook Pro computers; the keyboard’s miniaturized mechanism has been shown to be more susceptible to failure when dirt and debris are caught in it. While Apple responded by including a new membrane in the latest iteration of its computers to keep out such particles, it may also have a unique solution on the horizon — removing the old-style keyboard completely. A new patent with the United States Patent and Trademark Office showcases a new invention that includes a transformable glass panel.
One of Apple founder Steve Jobs’ original notions when introducing the first iPhone was to point out how much space a stationary, physical keyboard took up on a device. Computer manufacturers have already begun to see the parallel with PCs, and companies, such as Lenovo, have been pushing forward with dual-screen computer concepts that introduce a virtual keyboard. The biggest problem is that glass typically doesn’t offer a form of feedback to alert us that a key has been pressed, or even where they rest within the keyboard layout.
The patent filed by Apple shows a multi-layered system with a transformable piece of glass on the top layer and a touch-sensing layer beneath it. Patent drawings show that first glass layer offers the ability to become altered, potentially allowing the bottom half of the case to house a touchscreen which could then become tactile when the user has the use for a keyboard. This solution would help to alleviate the lack of precise physical feedback from the touch surface when a button is pressed.
Apple’s patent shows multiple variants of mechanisms that could be used in conjunction with the top glass layer to control how the surface is adjusted, in addition to how feedback might be delivered back to the user. According to Apple’s filings, it appears that the keys are well separated when raised, allowing a typist to find the needed keys easily. However, as with most filings, it is best to take Apple’s patent with a grain of salt, but we wouldn’t be surprised if it was connected to Apple’s Project Star.
Did you think hitting delete on your AI chatbot conversation actually makes it disappear? Georgia Tech researchers just proved that's not entirely true. They have built a forensic tool called ORISA that can dig deleted conversations from your phone and even rebuild them into a working chatbot session you can keep talking to.
How can ORISA bring deleted AI conversations back?
Touchscreen laptops have been around for years. You can get them in all sizes and shapes. Just not from Apple. For years, the Cupertino giant has treated the idea of a touchscreen MacBook the way I treat a meeting that could have been an email: with open contempt. However, Wednesday looks like the day the company could finally change its mind.
The latest Apple invite puts the “Pro and Tell” showcase in Los Angeles at 10 a.m. PT (1 p.m. ET) on October 28, 2026. Instead of a regular live-streamed keynote, it is an invitation-only, hands-on event for a handful of press and creators (similar to what the company did for the MacBook Neo earlier this year).
Two residents of Chicago have filed a lawsuit in the US over claims that robots run by Coco Robotics and Serve Robotics captured their facial and hand measurements without consent, bringing renewed attention to the food delivery robots. The cases raise a troubling question: If a robot delivers food to your door, can it also be gathering sensitive information about you?
According to a report by The Associated Press, the proposed class-action lawsuits were filed in Cook County on Oct. 9 and allege violations of Illinois’ Biometric Information Privacy Act. The complaints claim that the robots’ cameras and LiDAR sensors captured information on customers’ faces and hands as they approached the machines to pick up their orders. Both have denied the allegations.