Apple 3D gesture controls hit the patent office

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Touchscreens might be about to move up to the next level of cool if Apple has anything to do with it. Patents reveal Apple has been working on 3D gesture and ‘physics metaphor’ controls for its devices. The new “pinch and pull” input would allow you to create a 2D object using multi-touch then lift or twist your fingers to form or manipulate a 3D object. And with ‘physics metaphor’ controls, you could share files between an iPhone and iPad by actions – for instance, pouring files from one to the other or hoovering files up from another device (hopefully with a suitable turbine sound effect). How much more fun can gadgets get?

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Dan is Editor-in-chief of Stuff, working across the magazine and the Stuff.tv website. Our Editor-in-Chief is a regular at tech shows such as CES in Las Vegas, IFA in Berlin and Mobile World Congress in Barcelona as well as at other launches and events. He has been a CES Innovation Awards judge. Dan is completely platform agnostic and very at home using and writing about Windows, macOS, Android and iOS/iPadOS plus lots and lots of gadgets including audio and smart home gear, laptops and smartphones. He's also been interviewed and quoted in a wide variety of places including The Sun, BBC World Service, BBC News Online, BBC Radio 5Live, BBC Radio 4, Sky News Radio and BBC Local Radio.