A new patent filed with the US Patent and Trademark Office indicates that Apple is developing a removable key that will be part of the accessories of future MacBooks.

       According to GizmoChina, it could serve as a precision mouse for swift navigation of the display. Aptly termed the Deployable Key Mouse, the patent filing details a description of what the key will look like and its possible performance in a MacBook.

       The standard-looking scissor system keyboard of the MacBook will be retained in the new design, but in addition, it features a removable key that is hidden from view, the report said.

       Embedded in the key will be a position sensor that can be used as a pointing device to provide a comfortable, portable, and precise pointer input for the PC, it added.

       The new tech device will be a boon for precision tasks like graphic design, computer-assisted design and modeling, as well as editing documents.

       These tasks are better served with a hand-held mouse than the conventional trackpad. However, the patent Deployable Key Mouse will serve the purpose of the mouse without adding a piece of visible luggage to the MacBook.

       According to the patent document, the new key will be battery-powered and will be located towards the edge of the keyboard in a seemingly hidden area.

       --IANS

       vc/ksk/

       (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)