New Delhi: With everyday innovations aimed at reducing size of the gadgets and making them portable, our definition of the good ol' things seem to change, like the longest key on a traditional keyboard- the space bar- that Google wants to put to rest.
After Apple's aim at reducing the space between keys in its latest MacBook, Google's new patent could let the search giant get rid of the space bar altogether.
A Quartz report notes that the Google's patent outlines a design for a laptop that replaces the space bar with an extended trackpad which will have a separating line or ridge to distinguish between the space bar and the regular trackpad.
A set of sensors beneath the trackpad would determine whether you want a space bar or a mouse. A single tap while typing will insert a space while a tap using the trackpad as a mouse will result in a click.
The patent suggests that Google's idea for a virtual keyboard would be to create a smaller laptop computer that saves space. Lenovo's current laptops already have trackpads that are pushed a little closer to the keyboard.
Given the possibility that all keys could be turned into virtual keys, Google's patent is questionable. However, the search giant's representative said t hat some patents it holds turn into products and some don't and patents shouldn't be an indication of prospective products.
Interestingly, Google's space bar patent was actually rejected twice over the last four years before being approved as per the Patent Office's digital paper trail system.
Will Google bring in 'space-free' Chrome laptops? Watch this 'space' for more.
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