Beyond the iPad: What’s Next for Apple

http://www.wired.com/gadgetlab/2011/08/apple-roadmap/


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Game-Changing Apple TV
Longtime Apple watcher Walt Mossberg says “rumors are rife that Apple is working on re-inventing another common device: the TV. The secretive company won’t say a word about that, but nobody should be surprised if it happens, just based on Jobs’ track record.”
Rather than just churning out a set-top box like Apple TV, Cupertino may be working on a smart TV with iOS integration. Some say it will be a 55-inch OLED TV.
A patent for “An Enhanced TV Widget Paradigm” suggests Apple will ditch conventional static widgets (present on current smart TVs and smart TV upgraders), in favor of content-aware widgets that provide information or activities that complement what you’re watching.

Devices With a Hybrid LCD, E-Ink Display
Another patent filing suggests Apple will deliver an iPhone and iPad with a hybrid LCD, e-ink display. The “electronic paper” display would allow for easier reading in bright sunlight, or in situation where a backlit LCD is too harsh.
The patent describes a screen with “multiple composite display regions” featuring individually activated backlights that could be turned on or off to display some content (like text on a web page) in the appropriate scenario. Such a display would require significantly less power than conventional displays, improving battery life.
One way this could be implemented would be to sandwich a transparent e-ink display between a capacitive touchscreen and either an LCD or OLED.

Integrated Projector in Mobile Devices
Future Apple mobile devices will include an integrated projector.
The patent describes how the projector would be used to display information on a flat surface like a wall. Multiple devices could be combined to display a single image in a “unified display mode.”
The projector would be able to interpret gestures and silhouette movements. For example, an image could be swiped from the projected display of one device, to that of another.