Guess what new dope patent Apple filed
We've seen our fair share of eyebrow-raising patent filings from Apple, but this one from Cupertino might be the most unexpected yet.
The company has filed a patent application for a vaporizer, yes a vaporizer.
The application, which was first spotted by Digital Trends, was published on Thursday, although it was originally filed in July 2016. It describes "an apparatus for vaporization or sublimation of a substance." The filing doesn't speculate how the vaporizer may be used or what type of substances would be vaporized.
Though vaporizers have been used in a number of settings for decades, vaping -- the act of consuming nicotine or marijuana via personal vaporizers -- has become its own kind of subculture as technology costs have dropped.
But while the thought of a Jony Ive-designed vape is intriguing, that may not be what Apple has in mind. The image accompanying the patent looks more like a device that would be used in an industrial setting than toking on your couch.
It also goes without saying that a personal vaporizer wouldn't exactly be "on brand" for the controversy-adverse Apple, which is rumored to be eyeing a bigger play in the healthcare industry.
Still, if Apple ever did decide to make a company-branded vaporizer, we're pretty sure it would be an instant hit.
Karissa was Mashable's Senior Tech Reporter, and is based in San Francisco. She covers social media platforms, Silicon Valley, and the many ways technology is changing our lives. Her work has also appeared in Wired, Macworld, Popular Mechanics, and The Wirecutter. In her free time, she enjoys snowboarding and watching too many cat videos on Instagram. Follow her on Twitter @karissabe.
