Opera’s been updated and the Skype network is apparently barfing on itself, but there’s still some cool news today. According to MacNN, Apple may be planning to offer a retractable set of ports on its future laptops.
A recently discovered patent submitted to the United States Patent and Trademark Office outlines a “Connection System” in which various ports located toward the rear of an Apple laptop would flip down to provide access when needed.
The patent also describes an alternate system in which access points to each port would open and close individually. Such a system might allow Apple to save space by recessing the connection points into the laptop and allow the company to create a tapered edge around the laptop when the ports were in a closed position.
No word has been given as to when this might make its way into a future Apple laptop and whether this would be focused on the consumer-oriented MacBook, the professionally-oriented MacBook Pro or Apple’s long-awaited sub-notebook, which has been in the rumor mill for some time now.
If you have any thoughts or ideas on this, let us know in the comments or forums.

Opera’s been updated and the Skype network is apparently barfing on itself, but there’s still some cool news today. According to MacNN, Apple may be planning to offer a retractable set of ports on its future laptops.
A recently discovered patent submitted to the United States Patent and Trademark Office outlines a “Connection System” in which various ports located toward the rear of an Apple laptop would flip down to provide access when needed.
The patent also describes an alternate system in which access points to each port would open and close individually. Such a system might allow Apple to save space by recessing the connection points into the laptop and allow the company to create a tapered edge around the laptop when the ports were in a closed position.
No word has been given as to when this might make its way into a future Apple laptop and whether this would be focused on the consumer-oriented MacBook, the professionally-oriented MacBook Pro or Apple’s long-awaited sub-notebook, which has been in the rumor mill for some time now.
If you have any thoughts or ideas on this, let us know in the comments or forums.