Going green has become such a big push in society today. It is not something that most of us don’t want to do, necessarily. The fact remains the same though. Much like eating healthier or eating organic is expensive, so too is creating greener technology. Saving energy sounds like something that we would all want to do. Whether you recycle or drive a hybrid car, there are many different ways to go green. The best part is that many of the larger companies are taking notice and trying to implement “greener” technology. One of the biggest tech giants, Apple, is looking to do the same thing, and hopefully make life a bit more energy efficient for all of their consumers.
There are many different ways a company can go “green”. Normally, they do this through the use of recycled materials during product production. Think if you were able to charge your device without plugging it. And no, I don’t mean with a wireless charger either. We’ve seen energy come from wind turbines, hydroelectricity, and through the use of solar panels. Well since most tech products and water don’t mix, and iPads don’t come with electricity inducing pinwheels, that leaves one option. Solar power. That’s right. We might be seeing future Apple products being powered directly by the sun’s rays.
Recent patents show exactly what Apple has been working on to make this possibility become a reality. Through the use of something called Smart Glass, a new Apple product will be able to allow light pass through its screen and be absorbed by the devices solar cells. By putting in a layer of photovoltaic cells (the same cells used in solar panels) behind the LCD screen, and coupling it with the use of the Smart Glass, your device will be able to charge itself. So what makes the Smart Glass smart? The fact that the glass is electrochromic is a good start. It being electrochromic means that the glass acts like a set of sunglasses and can actually alter its translucency to allow more light in when natural light is detected and available. Yep! The glass can actually detect natural light and adjust accordingly so that the solar cells can absorb the energy from the light.
Remember… Renting Only The Technology You Need When You Need It Is The Greenest IT Solution Of All! To Learn More Call 800-736-8772
Solar power isn’t the only thing that they have been working on. They have kept the gamers in mind with their upcoming products as well. Much like the Playstation Vita, new patents show that future apple products could have touch controls on the backs of the devices. The idea is to have them in a place where your fingers naturally rest when you grip your iPhone or iPad. This could possibly lead to the more natural feel of a game controller.
The fact that Apple will possibly have some new energy efficient, “green” tech is quite a jump up for them. The difficulty will be making the products affordable. This will effectively change their typical product design which can only mean one thing; Increased prices. It does come with the territory, but if they are able to make the new products easy on our banks and solar powered, it could be a game changer.
