MacBook Pro’s Function Touch Strip Called Magic Toolbar

MacBook, silver

We already have the Magic Mouse and Magic Trackpad, and soon we’ll have the Magic Toolbar, too. A just uncovered trademark filing seems to confirm the MacBook Pro really is getting a touch sensitive bar to replace the keyboard’s row of function keys.

MacBook, silver
The new MacBook Pro will sport Magic Toolbar OLED touch strip

The new MacBook Pro—presumably coming at next week’s media event—is rumored to be the model that finally makes some big changes. Reports claim Apple is replacing the Thunderbolt 2 and USB ports with combo USB-C and Thunderbolt 3 ports, retiring the MagSafe charging port, and replacing the keyboard’s function keys with an OLED touch-sensitive strip that dynamically changes based on user’s activities.

Since Apple is all about secrecy, the Magic Toolbar name isn’t directly linked to the company yet. The Trademark Ninja put the puzzle together, and considering the site’s reputation for ferreting out trademarks like this, odds are the Magic Toolbar name really does belong to Apple.

The trail starts in early February with Presto Apps America LLC filing an application for the Magic Toolbar name outside the United States—two weeks after incorporating in Deleware. The attorneys who filed for the AirPod trademark outside the United States are named in the Magic Toolbar application, which seems like quite a coincidence.

The company then waited until the last possible minute to file globally for the Magic Toolbar trademark.

Presto Apps America’s trademark filing dates seem perfectly timed to keep anyone from linking the Magic Toolbar name with Apple for as long a possible. More trademark files started popping up at the beginning of October, and now we’re only days way from Apple’s “hello again” media event, which comes the day after the deadline for Presto Apps America to file globally for its trademark.

If Presto Apps America—and by extension, Apple—gets lucky, the late trademark filing won’t get spotted until after the new products are unveiled the following morning.

Add to that the fact that Apple already has trademarks on Magic Mouse, Magic Trackpad, Magic Slate, and Magic Keyboard, and it isn’t much of a leap to link Presto Apps America directly to the iPhone, iPad, and Mac maker.

As Trademark Ninja said, “Either Presto Apps America is Apple and the Magic Toolbar is going to be part of the Macbook announced on 27 October or else it’s the strangest set of coincidences and unlikely events I’ve ever seen.”

Everything lines up far to neatly for Presto Apps America to not be a dummy corporation for Apple, and that means odds are we’ll see a new Retina MacBook Pro on October 27th with a Magic Toolbar.

2 thoughts on “MacBook Pro’s Function Touch Strip Called Magic Toolbar

  • On the road, I use my laptop as is. At home, I hook it to an external monitor and keyboard. I wonder if an external keyboard’s traditional, tactile keys will still work with this new approach? I’m guessing one can program the touch strip to operate like a traditional row of F Keys, but can anyone clarify for me? Thanks!

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