Subj : Grooved keys may be the solution to your oily finger smudges on y
To   : All
From : TechnologyDaily
Date : Wed Apr 17 2024 12:30:05

Grooved keys may be the solution to your oily finger smudges on your MacBook 
Pro - at least, Apple thinks so

Date:
Wed, 17 Apr 2024 11:17:06 +0000

Description:
Apple is looking for a solution to oily fingerprints and screen smudges.

FULL STORY
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Were all guilty of putting down that yummy lunchtime snack and getting back 
to work, only to realize that half the keys on our keyboard are now 
glistening with oil and feeling a little gross. The feeling is especially 
upsetting for me when it comes to greasing up a particularly expensive 
MacBook Pro - but, it looks like Apple might have a solution. 

You may have noticed that despite not poking around on your MacBooks display 
(due to Apples resistance to adding a touchscreen to its MacBook laptops), 
you see little marks on the screen that come from your keys pressing against 
the display. To curb this issue, it looks like a newly granted patent called 
Keycap particle evacuation structure will hopefully keep the keyboard clean - 
and thus keep the display free from marks. 

According to the patent, "[keyboard] contaminants and debris on the keycaps 
can cause damage to the display... For example, oil on the keycaps can 
transfer to the display when the display is closed over the keyboard thereby 
leaving unsightly oil smudges at the points of contact with the display." We 
out here - being greasy Key cap design from the patent (Image credit: Apple 
Insider ) 

In order to combat this, the patent describes keycaps that have polished 
surfaces that are resistant to oil and dirt buildup. One of the proposed 
designs involves concave keycaps. You may have seen these types of keys on 
other laptops, which have a slight dip in the middle rather than completely 
flat. So, even if your keyboard is a little grim, the dip in the keys means 
that when your laptop is closed there is minimal contact between the keys and 
the display. 

Hopefully, well get to see this patent come to life, possibly in the rumored 
M4 MacBook refresh we might see later on in the year . 

While this may not be a problem a lot of people think about that often, Im 
glad that Apple is thinking about ways to keep its devices as clean as 
possible for longer. I currently use a MacBook Air for work and hate the 
horrible key smudges and grease that eventually always build up. Humans 
produce oils naturally, and theres no real way to curb the oily trace aside 
from wearing gloves every time you type or washing your hands every few hours 
while youre working. 

If reading all this has you itching to give your MacBook a clean, you can 
check out our how to clean your MacBook screen tutorial, and give your 
keyboard a much-needed scrub with our guide on how to clean a MacBook 
keyboard . You might also like... A NES emulator just landed on iOS but it's 
already disappeared  here's why The latest macOS Ventura update has left 
owners of old Macs stranded in a sea of problems, raising a chorus of 
complaints macOS Sonoma is better without being hugely different and I'm here 
for it



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Link to news story:
https://www.techradar.com/computing/macbooks/grooved-keys-may-be-the-solution-
to-your-oily-finger-smudges-on-your-macbook-pro-at-least-apple-thinks-so


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