APPLE AWARDED PATENT FOR SOLAR-POWERED MACBOOK

Before the polar vortex decided to pummel...
the East Coast with freezing temperatures this month, there was this lovely, 
life-affirming thing called “sunshine.” Perhaps you’ve heard of it? 
Apple certainly has, and this week the firm was awarded a patent for a dual-display 
MacBook with solar-charging capabilities.

As Apple Insider points out, U.S. Patent No. 8,638,549 concerns a rear plate 
for your laptop that houses laminated layers. 
These various layers allow for things like touch panels and solar cells. 
(The iPhone 4 and iPhone 4s used similar dual-glass technology 
for their touch displays.)

On the back of a MacBook, where the Apple logo would normally go, 
photovoltaic cells could theoretically be implemented to give you auxiliary, 
green-friendly juice when you want to work outside. 
It’s a neat idea--at least if it ever sees the light of day.

Apple, to its credit, hasn’t been shy about touting its solar initiatives. 
The company announced last November that it was building a new manufacturing plant 
in Arizona that would be powered entirely by renewable energy. 
Maybe one day soon, we’ll even see a solar-powered iPhone. 
fastcompany.com