Apple Invents New Type of Electricity Generator, Motion-Controlled Mouse

Apple has filed two new patents with the USPTO revealing its plans to deploy a new type of wind turbine that eventually converts heat into electricity, as well as a new type of mouse that works similarly with the Nintendo Wii Remote.

The patent filing describing the electricity generator reveals a method involving a set of rotating blades. So far so good.

However, it’s not the wind that gets directly translated into electrical power, but heat. So where’s the heat coming from, you may ask?

Apple explains: “…the system uses a set of rotating blades to convert rotational energy from a wind turbine into heat in a low-heat-capacity fluid.”

The system then selectively transfers the heat from the low-heat-capacity fluid to a working fluid, and the resulted steam propels a rotor of sorts to generate electricity.

Another patent filing published on Thursday by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office details a more computing-related invention – an input device that uses motion gestures, such as tilting, brushing and tapping for GUI manipulation.

The invention discusses a lot of stuff that the Wii Remote already does. Such an input device would undoubtedly be very welcome.