MacRumors suggested that at least one the notebooks slated for an introduction at Macworld would include a trackpad with advanced mutli-touch capabilities akin to the iPhone. Apple in the course of the past year has filed for several related patents, including one for wide notebook touchpads with multi-touch capabilities and another for illuminated touchpads.

Much of the work being done on the company's multi-touch technology, which made its debut in June on the iPhone, is believed to draw from resources and engineers garnered through the quiet 2005 acquisition of Fingerworks.

Specializing in alternative input methods, Fingerworks' portfolio included technology for multi-touch hand gestures that could be used by notebook users for optimized cursor manipulation, application switching, web browsing, and more. Several animated tutorials depicting these techniques are still available from the old Fingerworks website and may provide hints at what to expect from Apple's next-generation trackpad and keyboard designs.

By: DocMemory
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