蘋果申請手寫筆專利 iPen曾遭喬布斯無情嘲笑
Apple has filed an application with the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office for an optical stylus patent.
美國蘋果公司向美國專利和商標管理辦公室提交了一份光學手寫筆的專利申請。
Yes, you read that right: Apple wants to patent a stylus, the very thing Steve Jobs famously shunned when he unveiled the original iPhone.
是的，你沒看錯：蘋果想要一個手寫筆專利，而這是斯蒂芬·喬布斯在他發佈最早的iPhone時就嗤之以鼻的東西。
Apple's idea of the stylus, however, is slightly different from the simple styluses you usually get with tablets today. It's an optical device that can determine (via a pressure sensor) when it's in contact with a surface and can capture an image using a built-in camera.
蘋果的手寫筆概念，跟如今你經常使用的簡單手寫筆有輕微的不同。這款光寫手寫筆可以根據壓力傳感器獲得觸覺反饋，並通過內置的攝像頭獲得視覺反饋。
In one iteration, the stylus also may include one or more orientation determining sensors, such as accelerometers and/or gyroscopes. Haptic feedback is also an option.
這款手寫筆會有一個或更多的方位感應裝置，比如水平陀螺儀和自由落體傳感器。觸覺感應器也是一種選擇。
This functionality obviously doesn't change the usual problems that come with a stylus."Who wants a stylus? You have to get them, you put them away, you lose them -- yuck," Jobs complained.
但這些不錯的功能，很明顯沒辦法改變隨手寫筆而來的一些問題。就像喬布斯曾經抱怨的那樣：“手寫筆？誰要這玩意？你不得不隨身帶着它們，你把它們放在一邊然後你就弄掉了，真讓人討厭！”
Furthermore, the patent application doesn't necessarily mean the next iPad will come with a stylus -- perhaps it will happen in the distant future, perhaps never.
更長遠來看，這項專利申請並不一定意味着下一代iPad就會有手寫筆，也許遙遠的將來會有，也許永遠也不會。
However, Apple is well known for the usability of its products, and we're sure the company wouldn't just pack a stylus with an iPhone or iPad as an afterthought. What do you think: How could an optical stylus fit with Apple's design philosophy?
無論如何，蘋果以注重產品的使用體驗而聞名，我們可以肯定公司不會給iPhone 或 iPad硬加上一枝手寫筆。畢竟，一枝光學手寫筆怎麼能跟蘋果公司的設計哲學相匹配呢？你怎麼看？
