Logitech has unveiled the Chinese version of their Combo Touch keyboard case, designed specifically for the newest iPad Air (M2) and iPad Pro (M4) models released in May.

The case has been crafted from sustainable materials

The new Combo Touch prioritizes both portability and eco-consciousness, being crafted from sustainable materials while holding the title of Logitech’s thinnest and lightest keyboard case yet. It offers a detachable keyboard for flexible use and a versatile kickstand to accommodate different viewing angles. Notably, the Combo Touch integrates Logitech’s largest Multi-Touch trackpad to date.

The keyboard itself features a standard layout with automatic backlighting, offering 16 brightness levels for comfortable typing in various lighting conditions. Shortcut keys are also included for essential commands like volume control, media playback, and screenshots, enhancing overall workflow and user experience. The keyboard conveniently connects directly to the iPad, eliminating the need for separate charging or Bluetooth pairing.

For users seeking a more affordable option, the Combo Touch comes in Graphite for the iPad Pro and Oxford Gray for the iPad Air. Here’s a breakdown of the pricing:

• Combo Touch for iPad Air 11-inch: 1698 yuan
• Combo Touch for iPad Air 13-inch: 1898 yuan
• Combo Touch for iPad Pro 11-inch: 1898 yuan
• Combo Touch for iPad Pro 13-inch: 2198 yuan

While the Combo Touch is lighter and slightly cheaper compared to Apple’s Magic Keyboard (priced at 2,399 yuan for the 11-inch and 2,799 yuan for the 13-inch), it’s worth noting the trade-off in features. The Magic Keyboard offers a superior user experience with a tactile feedback trackpad, a feature missing from the Combo Touch.

Ultimately, the choice between the Logitech Combo Touch and Apple’s Magic Keyboard depends on your priorities. If budget is a major concern and you value a lightweight design, the Combo Touch is a compelling option. However, if a more premium experience with a tactile trackpad is important, then the Magic Keyboard might be the better fit.

(Via)

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Apple introduced the first iPad model in 2010. The device, which has improved a lot since then, now has the power of a computer. This has led iPads to be seen as laptop alternatives. But as powerful as it is, the iPad is a touchscreen device, and it needs a keyboard to replace laptops. Apple, on the other hand, solves this deficiency with the keyboard support it provides on accessories. The company’s keyboards turn the iPad into a 2-in-1. However, the US tech giant is determined to improve this system Lastly, Apple granted patent describes a new Magic Keyboard that includes multiple roller hinges that provide greater angular options for iPad. Here are the details…

Apple granted patent describes a new Magic Keyboard that includes multiple roller hinges

Today the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office officially granted Apple a new patent that expands on a possible next-gen hinge system for Apple’s Magic Keyboard. The new multiple roller hinge system would provide users with more flexibility in angling the iPad to their liking as opposed to today’s single angle design. Apple’s possible next-gen Magic Keyboard could contain multiple new roller and spacer elements as well as retention structures that  could provide tension to increase the frictional force between the roller and spacer elements, and/or provide counterbalance to offset the weight of the iPad.

The hinge assemblies may include one or more roller elements (including cylindrical bodies) engaged with spacer elements (or linking elements), with a spacer element positioned between adjacent roller elements. Each spacer element can provide multiple surfaces, each of which is contoured to the shape of a roller element. The movement of the hinge assembly is based in part upon the roller elements rotating along the spacer elements, as well as movement of the roller elements and the spacer elements in multiple dimensions (that is, in a three-dimensional space).

Further, in some instances, the roller elements and the spacer elements synchronously move together to provide a more fluid movement of the hinge assembly, as well as the sections (of the accessory device) coupled together by the hinge assembly. Apple notes that when the accessory device holds an electronic device, the counterforce, or holding force, provided by the accessory device depends upon the angle at which the hinge assembly positions the section(s) holding the electronic device.

In this regard, the force provided by the hinge assembly changes based upon the position of the hinge assembly. Accordingly, the counterforce provided by the hinge assembly is a function of the angular position of the section(s). The aforementioned variables can all be manipulated to provide an accessory device with a desired user experience.

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Apple has filed a patent for a keyboard that could potentially revolutionize the way we type. The new patent application, published this week by the US Patent and Trademark Office, shows that Apple is working on a technology that would allow future keyboards to show different symbols depending on context.

Apple’s latest patent application envisions transformative keyboard technology for MacBook

Currently, the backlighting technology in Apple’s MacBook keyboards serves only to make the keys visible in dark environments. The keys themselves are labeled with pre-printed symbols that are static and cannot be changed, and are potentially prone to wear with long-term use.

The patent application published this week addresses these issues by imagining a keyboard where each key has perforations through the top and bottom layers. The backlighting beneath the keyboard would then be able to intelligently illuminate each key to show different symbols and letters. When the keyboard is activated, glyphs for each of the keycaps could appear on the keys due to light emitted through the keycaps from beneath the top surfaces of the keycaps.

The glyphs could appear to float due to individual light sources or displays that are positioned on or under each of the keycaps. All of the light output by the light sources or displays could be directed through the top of the keycaps to generate the glyphs, as compared to conventional keyboards where light typically bleeds between adjacent keycaps or is visible between or below the keycaps.

The patent application also imagines another scenario where the light source is an “array of LEDs such as a display using micro-LED or OLED pixels.” This would be a more advanced implementation of the idea, with additional controls, customization options, and general flexibility. In this scenario, the perforations in the keycaps could correspond in number to the pixels of the display, so that each single pixel of the display could provide light to one single perforation.

This would allow the displays/light sources to be controlled to generate glyphs that are changeable or adjustable between different shapes, letters, colors, symbols, animations, languages, and other features.

Apple’s filing also includes some imagery showing mockups of how this technology could work. The patent application explains that using this construction, the keycaps of the keyboard could be made with materials not typically used in keycaps for conventional keyboards, such as metals including aluminum. This would allow the keycaps to have top surfaces that match the appearance of the housing surfaces of the keyboard surrounding the keycaps, which may also have metal surfaces.

Apple explains its patent as follows

“When the keyboard is activated, however, glyphs for each of the keycaps can appear on the keys due to light emitted through the keycaps from beneath the top surfaces of the keycaps. The glyphs can appear to float due to individual light sources or displays that are positioned on or under each of the keycaps. Thus, all of the light output by the light sources or displays can be directed through the top of the keycaps to generate the glyphs, as compared to conventional keyboards where light typically bleeds between adjacent keycaps or is visible between or below the keycaps.“

“In some embodiments, the light sources or displays can include an array of LEDs such as a display using micro-LED or OLED pixels. The perforations in the keycaps can correspond in number to the pixels of the display so that, for example, each single pixel of the display can provide light to one single perforation. In this manner, the displays/light sources can be controlled to generate glyphs that are changeable or adjustable between different shapes, letters, colors, symbols, animations, languages, and other features.”

It is important to note that this is simply a patent application and there is no guarantee that this technology will be developed or released. However, the filing shows that Apple is constantly considering new technologies and is working to advance its keyboard technology in order to provide users with a more advanced and convenient typing experience.

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When Apple announced the Apple M1 iMac earlier this year, it also showed off a handful of new accessories such as the Magic Keyboard with Touch ID, Magic Mouse, and Magic Trackpad. Previously, some of these accessories were exclusive to the new iMac but starting today, they can now be purchased separately.

Magic Keyboard with Touch ID

The Magic Keyboard with Touch ID comes in two versions – one without a numeric keypad and another with numeric Keypad. The former is priced at $149 while the latter is $179.

The Touch ID button is located right above the Delete key and it provides secure authentication for logging in and making purchases. The keyboard itself is wireless and packs a rechargeable that will last up to a month on a single charge. Apple ships it with a braided USB-C to Lightning cable that will be used for pairing and charging the keyboard.

The Magic Keyboard with Touch ID is compatible with all Macs with Apple silicon running macOS 11.4.

Magic Keyboard

There is also a Magic Keyboard without Touch ID priced at $99. It too is wireless and has a rechargeable battery. Apple says it pairs automatically with your Mac and it also comes with a braided USB-C to Lightning cable.

The Magic Keyboard is compatible with Macs running macOS 11.3 or later, iPads with iPadOS 14.5 or later, and iPhones and iPods with iOS 14.5 or later.

Magic Mouse

There new Magic Mouse is priced at $79 and is wireless and rechargeable. It has a multi-touch surface that allows the user to perform gestures such as swiping between web pages and scrolling. While it also comes with a braided cable, Apple has kept the lightning port under the mouse.

Magic Trackpad

The $129 Magic Trackpad is wireless and rechargeable too and is packed with support for multi-port gestures and Force Touch technology. The trackpad is covered in glass and there are sensors underneath that detect the different pressures you apply.

Like the Magic Mouse, it is compatible with Bluetooth-enabled Macs running OS X 10.11 or later and iPad running iPadOS 13.4 or later.

All of the accessories are available for purchase on the Apple website.

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After launching the new MacBook Air in March this year, the US-based company has now revamped the MacBook Pro lineup with a new 13-inch model that replaces the problematic butterfly keyboard with the new magic keyboard.

The new MacBook Pro features a 13.3-inch LED-backlit display that offers a screen resolution of 2560 x 1600 pixels, 500 nits brightness level, P3 colour gamut support, and True Tone technology.

The base model comes powered by the 8th-generation Intel Core i5 processor and 8GB of RAM and 256GB storage. However, all the other variants feature the latest 10th-generation Intel Core processors, with up to 32GB RAM and 4TB storage.

The latest MacBook Pro also comes with a Touch Bar as a standard, along with a Touch ID fingerprint sensor and the keyboard has a physical Escape key. It also has four Thunderbolt 3 or USB-C connectors as well as a headphone jack.

EDITOR’S PICK: Microsoft shifts focus for Windows 10X as Surface Neo gets delayed; coming to single-screen devices first

As for the performance of the new laptop, Apple says that the 10th generation Intel Core processors have a turbo boost up to 4.1Ghz and that the new Intel Iris graphics support the Pro Display XDR at full 6K resolution.

The new Apple MacBook Pro 13-inch starts at $1,299 and is now available for order through the company’s official website in the United States and is slated to arrive in “select Apple Stores and Apple Authorized Resellers later this week.” In India, it starts at ₹1,22,990 but the sale date is not yet revealed.

UP NEXT: Upcoming Apple iPhone 12 to reportedly have four models; Key specs and US pricing tipped

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