Apple’s Patent for iPhone-Compatible Gloves: Forgotten, Thankfully

There’ve been a lot of gimmicky gloves made to deal with capacitive touchscreens like the iPhone’s, but it turns out Apple had patented one of their own way back in 2007.

Apple’s patent called for an outer layer that could be pulled back to allow the inner layer to touch the device. That inner layer would simulate the electrical charge of a finger when exposed, allowing for operation of the iPhone through fabric. The original patent was filed the day before the iPhone’s launch, but never saw the light of day. It’s a fine idea, compared to the other workarounds, but still silly enough to have been more embarrassing than useful if released. [AppleInsider]