Apple has been gearing up for the release of its MaBook line. According to recent information, the 2014 Macbook Air and MacBook Pro may run on solar power and feature electrochromis glass. Apple has been acquiring patents recently giving people a glimpse on what they can expect. Can a soloar-powered MacBook work? What has Apple in store for its next line of laptops?

While much of the attention has been on the iPhone 6, the MacBook Pro has slowly been getting a share of the spotlight especially with the recent patent applications of Apple. According to a report by Apple Insider, Apple has filed a patent with describing a touch-sensitive MacBook chassis. This means the device can recognize and responds to a user's touch across its bezel.

This will allow Apple to remove the physical buttons and provide a more intuitive computing experience. It appears Apple has been focusing on touch input. The company was reportedly investing on a new trackpad as well according to the patent. The patent went by the name "Housing as an I/O device," U.S. Patent No. 8,654,524.

It features a notebook housing that serves both as a protection for the internal parts and as an input/output device. This will allow users to control the Macbook via the chassis. They simply need to touch the chassis to control the device.

Despite the new patent grant, this is not the first time the tech giant has looked into touch control extension. The company has been interested in extending the surface area of touch control over MacBooks for quite some time now.

Last January, Apple got a patent describing a rear touch input concept. The patent also featured a different kind of solar-powered MacBook sporting a two-sided display. The company has also discussed about creating a trackpad independent of the usual "clickable" button. The company wants to offer instead a tactile feedback using an actuator. There will at least four sensors recognizing the clicks.

Another Apple patent features notebook housing with the external walls capable of accepting and responding to user input or touch. For instanve, users can touch the USB port of the MacBook and the device will instantly provide a window listing USB-specific options. These are just some of the patents proving Apple has been working intensely on the touch features of its upcoming MacBook selection.

People will have to wait for the company's announcement about the next MacBook line.