Future Apple MacBooks could have screens backlit by the sun

Future Apple MacBooks could have screens backlit by the sun
AppleInsider | Future Apple MacBooks could have screens backlit by the sun

A new Apple patent application revealed this week describes technology that would allow an external light source, like the sun, to provide the backlight for a display, helping to conserve battery life.

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Well, the patent isn't too old (although kinda funny that they are digging back into Apple patent past to get current articles - as this patent was filed in Sept. 08 you'd think they would have written the article sooner )

But, honestly, with that design, I don't think I could deal with it - laptops are already many times bigger then I would want to deal with, but to have an armature out the back end to collect sunlight (or other artificial light that would be in the given room) would be a bit much. But that's me - I'm sure some people out there would love that type of tech.

Potentially cool.

What I want to see though is super batteries that run a ridiculously long time before needing a charge.

A fantastic idea. But..wellllll..I have my doubts about it.

I propose a special seat cushion that performs continuous liposuction to supply a built-in fuel cell. For most of us that have passed the age of 40 that would be a truly renewable energy source.

It's a pretty cool idea, and not nearly as impossible as you guys think... More likely applied to something else, like an ipad type device when they figure out how to store the electronic guts in the bezel around the outside.

I dunno. The future of computing is cool as heck.

And monkeys might come flying out of my...

As some of the poster above have more drolly noted, Apple patents lots of ideas but doesn't always use them, or doesn't always use them as expected. Check out the history of "stacks" (which finally appeared in a hugely modified way in Leopard) as but one example.

Agreed with the above.
Even if the ideas in some of Apple's patents never see the light of day in a computer, it shows Apple is willing to think outside of the box. Be original and think of new funky ideas to solve our computing issues or just simply take what is already great and try to make it fantastic.

ive often wondered why laptops dont have solar cells on them. I know it wouldn't provide that much power, but it would provide enough to power the backlight LEDs at least, Which would be worth doing if the are potentially going to go through the trouble of attaching all that gubbins to reflect sun light through the screen.