Google might be working on replacing the spacebar on future Chromebooks, if a recently awarded patent is of any indication.
Companies often apply for strange patents that may or may not be implemented in their products, but the latest one that was awarded to Google is something that could be useful.
According to the patent documentation and figures, the spacebar would be extended to occupy the empty space where the spacebar typically resides.
In order to insert a space, the trackpad would detect the touch in the upper region of the trackpad while the lower region is used for navigating. It is also possible that the entire trackpad can be utilized for navigation and gestures when not using the keyboard, but that's just a speculation on our part.
The image shown closely resembles the Chromebook Pixel that was launched by Google, which leads us to believe that a future Chromebook might feature this technology. It has been revealed by Quartz, that the patent was rejected twice over a period of four years before finally being approved.
Do leave a comment if this patent got you interested.
Source: Quartz | Image via USPTO
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