Downloader: Apple patents camera-swipe controls for a future iPhone

Friday, March 26, 2010

Apple patents camera-swipe controls for a future iPhone

All kinds of crazy rumors about the next-generation iPhone are already floating around, months ahead of its release. If you were excited when you heard that the back of the phone might be touch-sensitive, you'll love this latest feature: the new iPhone's camera might be usable as a swipe-pad. Patently Apple reports that a newly-discovered Apple patent shows a camera that you can swipe to navigate in Safari, flip through your voicemail and more.

In addition to the swipe motion, iPhone apps would also be able to assign function to a tap on the camera. The possibilities are pretty exciting. It's not clear whether this technology will appear in the iPhone that's due out this summer. The patent was filed during the second half of 2008, which may have given Apple enough time to put it into practice.

[via Gizmodo]