trackpad

Brydge iTrack offers wireless trackpad just for iPad

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Brydge iTrack is available now.
Brydge iTrack might complete your iPad-centric desktop setup.
Photo: Brydge

Brydge iTrack may be the first trackpad designed specifically for iPad. That allows the desktop accessory to take full advantage of the support for trackpads Apple added to iPadOS.

And while it uses Bluetooth, Brydge promises minimal connection hassles.

Microsoft Office embraces trackpad for iPad users

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Microsoft Powerpoint for iPad has a new home screen.
The iPad versions of Microsoft Word, Excel and Powerpoint are getting facelifts.
Photo: Microsoft

Updates to Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint for iPad bring greater support for trackpads and mice. The new versions, which began rolling on Monday, also includes updated start screen and a new ribbon of feature menus.

Mokibo merges iPad trackpad into keyboard for maximum portability

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With Mokibo, the keyboard is the trackpad.
Mokibo iPad Pro keyboard case integrates a large trackpad into its keyboard.
Photo: Innopresso

Mokibo is an unusual twist on the iPad Pro keyboard case. Some of its keys also function as a trackpad, rather than keeping these two separate. It therefore offers a much larger trackpad to work with.

The accessory weighs in at under a pound, and includes a built-in multi-angle stand.

Apple explores crazy ways to add touch to MacBooks

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A touch sensitive area could make a MacBook trackpad movable.
A future MacBook might let you put the trackpad anywhere you want.
Photo: Apple/Cult of Mac

Far from resting on its laurels, Apple continues to look for innovative features to build into MacBooks. A patent awarded Tuesday shows the company is considering making the trackpad virtual, so it can be positioned wherever the user likes.

And a second patent goes even further, making the keyboard and the area around it touch-sensitive.

6 iPad trackpad gestures you need to know

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iPad trackpad gestures
Trackpad gestures transform the iPad into something entirely new.
Photo: Charlie Sorrel/Cult of Mac

The trackpad and mouse support Apple added in iOS 13.4 is just amazing. It’s like getting a whole new computer, just by updating your iPad. I’ve been using it for a week for so now, and I want to share my favorite trackpad gestures.

If you use a trackpad with your iPad, these gestures will change the way you use your tablet.

How to customize the new mouse Pointer Control settings on your iPad

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pointer control trackpad mouse, Apple Pencil
So many ways to control an iPad.
Photo: Charlie Sorrel/Cult of Mac

The new mouse and trackpad support coming in iPadOS 13.4 is just fantastic. And, in typical Apple fashion, it just works as soon as you connect a trackpad or mouse via Bluetooth or USB. But there are also plenty of options to customize how the mouse behaves, and even how the pointer looks.

You may already have checked the obvious options in the Settings app under General > Trackpad & Mouse. But several hidden iPad Pointer Control options offer even deeper customizations.

Hands on: Everything you want to know about iPad Pro’s new trackpad features

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Magic Mouse, Magic Trackpad, iPad
Pretty much any mouse will work with the iPad in iPadOS 13.4.
Photo: Charlie Sorrel/Cult of Mac

Apple’s new Magic Keyboard case for the iPad Pro looks amazing. But its most impressive feature (aside from that incredibly solid-looking hinge) will become available to any iPad owner with a mouse or trackpad laying around. The new trackpad support coming next week in iOS 13.4 works with pretty much any Bluetooth or USB mouse. You just connect the peripheral, and a cursor appears on the iPad screen.

This is a much, much better system than the cobbled-together mouse support that already exists in iOS 13’s Accessibility settings. Instead of simply imitating a finger on-screen, Apple completely rethought how a cursor should work on a touch-based device. This thing is deep, as we’re about to see.

Here’s a hands-on look at the new iPad mouse and trackpad features.

Craig Federighi shows off awesome power of iPad trackpad

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Craig-Federighi-iPad-Pro
Craig Federighi and new iPad features? What more could you want?
Photo: Apple

Apple is bringing true trackpad support (and improved mouse support) to the iPad. Get ready to enjoy it by learning all the new gestures from Craig Federighi, Apple’s senior vice president of Software Engineering.

In a new video released by Apple Wednesday, Federighi demonstrates the improvements and shows how simple swipes can help you access Control Center, switch between apps in Slide Over, return to the Home screen, and more.

Apple drops awesome ads for amazing new iPad Pro

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iPad-Pro-Magic-Keyboard
The new Magic Keyboard looks incredible.
Photo: Apple

The surprise iPad Pro refresh, unveiled on Wednesday morning, has us all reaching for a credit cards. If you’re still on the fence, Apple’s awesome new ads will convince you this is a worthwhile upgrade.

Both highlight iPad Pro’s increasing ability to replace a traditional computer thanks to its blazing-fast A12Z Bionic processor, brand-new Magic Keyboard, and true trackpad support.

First iPad Pro keyboard case with trackpad hopes to launch this winter

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Sentis Libra iPad keyboard case with trackpad
An iPad keyboard case with trackpad wasn’t possible before iPadOS.
Photo: Sentis

Libra is angling to be the first-out-of-the-gate iPad Pro case that includes not only a keyboard but also a trackpad. This wasn’t possible before, but the just-released iPadOS adds support for mice and trackpads.

The designers are looking for backing on Kickstarter to defray the costs of developing an accessory that lets an iPad mimic a MacBook more closely than any before.

How to turn on Mac Bluetooth without a mouse

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Dust off any old USB keyboard and get your Bluetooth back in action.
Dust off any old USB keyboard and get your Bluetooth back in action.
Photo: Charlie Sorrel/Cult of Mac

You wake up or restart your Mac, and nothing is connected. Your Bluetooth keyboard does nothing. You wiggle your Bluetooth mouse or trackpad, and the on-screen pointer refuses to wiggle in response. The problem? You Mac’s Bluetooth is switched off. But how do you switch it back on without a mouse?

Today we’ll see how to activate Bluetooth on an iMac, Mac Pro or Mac mini 1 without having to touch a mouse or trackpad. All you need are a USB keyboard, Spotlight and one clever trick.

Brydge taunts us with iPad Pro keyboard we can’t have

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An iPad trackpad?! Too bad it’s only a dream.
It could be so much better.
Photo: Brydge

An accessory maker shared a picture of something many people would love: a clip-on iPad Pro keyboard with a trackpad. Sadly, Brydge’s concept device just isn’t possible because iOS doesn’t support external pointing devices.

At least, that’s true for now. But mouse/trackpad support is a often-requested feature, and there’s reason to think Apple is at least considering it.

UPDATE: Turns out Apple was considering it, and mouse/trackpad support is built into iPadOS 13. Learn how to use a mouse with your iPad.

Apple proposes hybrid keyboard that’s also a trackpad

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Proposed hybrid keyboard
A proposed hybrid keyboard would have regular keys that can also sense light touches.
Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

A future MacBook might have a hybrid keyboard that can sense when the. keys are lightly touched as well as when they’re pressed. This would allow the entire keyboard to function as a trackpad.

Apple wants to redesign the keyboard. It’s proposed various ways to make this classic input device more functional. Last month, it floated the idea of a replacing the keyboard with a flexible touch panel.

iPad Pro 2 mockup brings trackpad to Smart Keyboard

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Does the iPad Pro need a trackpad?
Does the iPad Pro need a trackpad?
Photo: David Chapman

Apple could unveil a new iPad Pro 2 as soon as next Monday during its WWDC 2017 keynote. And if it does, we hope the company adds some new productivity features, like this Smart Keyboard with a trackpad.

In a new mockup that imagines what the new Smart Keyboard could look like, designer David Chapman shows why it would be a great idea.

Take another look:

Should Apple make iPad Pro compatible with a mouse? [Friday Night Fights]

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iPad Pro Keyboard Mouse
Would you use a mouse with iPad?
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

Apple is again trying to convince fans that the iPad Pro is a suitable PC replacement. Earlier this week, the company rolled out new ads that remind us why its high-end slate is better (in some ways) than a desktop. But there’s just one problem.

Friday Night Fights bugiPad Pro, like other iOS devices, isn’t compatible with a mouse or trackpad. That’s fine in most cases, but many users would like to use a mouse for all manner of things, and Apple doesn’t allow it. Should this change in a future version of iOS?

Join us in this week’s Friday Night Fight as we discuss why mouse compatibility might be great for iPad Pro, and why it might be pointless!

How to use your iPhone keyboard as a trackpad

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iPhone trackpad
Edit text easier by transforming your keyboard into a trackpad.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

iOS has come a long way over the years, but trying to place your cursor accurately when writing and editing text is still a little awkward because you’re covering the text with your finger while trying to swipe across with the magnifying glass.

Well, thanks to 3D Touch, there’s a hidden trick within iOS that makes this easier. Check out this week’s Quick Tips video below to see it in action.

3D Touch is killer UI; here’s how to best use it

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3Dtouch
Quick Actions are the best thing about 3D Touch.
Photo: Killian Bell/Cult of Mac

If you’re trying your best to resist an iPhone 6s or iPhone 6s Plus, do not walk into an Apple Store and try 3D Touch. Once you’ve had a taste of it, your smartphone simply won’t feel complete without it.

Here are four ways in which 3D Touch makes life a lot sweeter.

Windows 10 is going to steal OS X’s trackpad gestures

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Photo: Apple
Photo: Apple

One of the many, many things that Apple does right is trackpads. Not only is the trackpad hardware that Apple uses in the MacBook lineup the best in the world (seriously, I’ve never used a non-Apple trackpad that even came close), but the software backing it up is world-class.

A lot of that has to do with the library of consistent trackpad gestures Apple has built into OS X over the years. Compared to OS X, Windows feels downright schizophrenic when you’re using gestures. Sometimes they work, sometimes they don’t. But it now appears that Microsoft is putting an end to the trackpad schizophrenia by borrowing Apple’s approach to gestures.

New Macbook? Here Are Some Non-Obvious Trackpad Gestures You May Not Know About [OS X Tips]

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These are just the obvious ones.
These are just the obvious ones.

I’ve let friends borrow my Macbook when they come over to my place from time to time, and I’m still surprised by the way they don’t “get” the trackpad. Some of them look for the button to click, some want to know how to right click, and still others move the mouse cursor way over to the scroll bar area on the web browser, looking to move the page up or down.

So, I figured it might be time for a quick tip with some easy yet non-obvious Trackpad gestures that you can use if you’re new to the Macbook trackpad system, or if you just want to send to friends that continue to be baffled by the trackpad when they borrow your laptop.

PC Switchers Rejoice – Your Mac’s Trackpad Can Also Tap To Click [OS X Tips]

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Trackpad Tap To Click

If there’s one thing PC users have the hardest time with when they use my Macbook Air, it’s the trackpad. What seems completely common and functional to me leaves them baffled and confused.

“How do I click the mouse?” they ask, tapping away in frustration, not knowing that all you need to do is press down a bit and, you know, actually click the thing.

If you’re one of those folks, or you just like to be able to tap the trackpad without actually pressing it down, here’s how to do so.

Orée Wooden Trackpad

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FSL3069_1024x1024

I absolutely love my Magic Trackpad. It gives me all the functionality of my MacBook’s trackpad, only on a huge panel which can be placed to the left or the right of my keyboard. For a while I was even using two of them, but that deviation is now over (side note: if you want a Trackpad and live near Barcelona then hit me up on Twitter or e-mail). But my happiness with Apple’s glass-n-aluminum slab doesn’t stop me coveting the Touch Slab from Orée, possibly the best-named Mac peripheral ever.

What is it? The Touch Slab is a trackpad carved from solid wood.

Access Mission Control Desktop Spaces Quickly With Just The Trackpad [OS X Tips]

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Mission Control Trackpad Gestures

This one’s for all you Macbook and Magic Trackpad users; you know who you are. Mac OS X comes with Mission Control, a way to see all the open applications running on your Mac. Typically, you can hit the F3 key to bring up Mission Control and see what’s what on your Mac.

Similarly, you can either click on any Desktop Space across the top of Mission Control, or hit Command-Arrow (right or left) to switch to different Desktop Spaces on your Mac. This makes it easy to visually keep things separate. Some folks keep their web browser in one Desktop Space, and their word processing app in another, switching back and forth as they need the respective apps.

If you’re using a trackpad to access your Mac OS X laptop, or you’re using a magic trackpad connected to your Mac desktop, however, there are a couple of cool trackpad gestures you can use to do the same thing.

Apple Wins Patent For Glass-On-Metal Trackpads

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appletrackpad1

A lot of companies have tried to imitate Apple’s trackpads because they kind of just melt into the rest of computer. They’re one of the most underrated features of the MacBook, but it’s going to be harder for companies to completely ripoff the feature now that Apple has a patent on it.