You Can Touch This

Today’s big iPad 3 (or is it “iPad HD?”) rumor is that it will feature a touch screen you can really feel:

A series of last-minute rumors and speculation are suggesting that the iPad 3 might include haptic technology that would give on-screen objects texture. The rumors have linked Finnish company Senseg with Apple and have been fueled by Apple’s media event invitations carrying the tagline “We have something you really have to see. And touch.”

While speculation about Senseg and Apple has been floating under the radar for some time and a rationale for it was posted in our forums last week, The Guardian was the first major source to put forward the specific claim yesterday, noting that conversations with Senseg executives earlier this year left The Guardian with the impression that the company was indeed working with Apple.

All my usual go-to tech sites are reporting the rumor this morning, just hours ahead of today’s 10AM Pacific Apple event. Impressive, if true. I’d call it a game-changer, but the year-old iPad 2 is still so far ahead of the competition, there’s not much game to change.