Apple takes down Fingerworks.com in nod to tablet
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Apple has finally taken down the Fingerworks.com Web site after acquiring the company and hiring its founders five years ago.
Fingerworks was co-founded by John Elias and Wayne Westerman (pictured) with a mission of delivering computing speed and productivity via simple gesture-based shortcuts. The concept blended software and hardware that was probably ahead of its time
The duo has since been hired as senior engineers at Apple and little has been heard from them since. For whatever reason, Apple allowed the Fingerworks Web site to remain online long after the company's acquisition.
Up until last week, Fingerworks.com retained photographs and details about their multi-touch keyboards and gesture pads they released for Macs years ago. In fact an old press release describes the benefits of their Multi-Touch system in a combination keyboard/touchpad
It stands to reason that the Apple tablet will include major advancements in the multi-touch gesture technology that it rolled out in the MacBook and iPhone. MacRumors reminds us that Westerman's name is on many of Apple's multi-touch patent applications, including advanced gesturing implementations for Mac OS X.
Pulling down the Web site just two weeks ahead of a confirmed media event kinda is out of character for Apple. Cupertino either just gave us a huge hint or they're bluffing and intentionally trying to throw us of the path. Cruel, but not out of character for Cupertino.
Apple bet big on the Fingerworks acquisition and it looks like it's paying off in a big way. I guess we'll find out what Elias and Westerman have really been doing all this time on January 27.