First, Apple has filed a patent for a handle with an integrated heatpipe - Patent No. 7508662. Most probably, this will appear in some future MacBooks. Of course, the heatpipe poses a limitation in the sense that it cannot get too hot, otherwise the "handle" function could not be fulfilled. Apple could use the heatpipe to cool the chipset or similar, low-power, low heat-output components.



The second patent concerns biometric security and is described in detail here.

The biometric identification should work by simply placing your finger on the touch screen in the case of an iPhone or iPod - in the case of a notebook, a palmrest, touchpad and webcam could be used. Alternatively, saying something to the microphone, or tilting the iPhone in a pre-defined sequence could also be used as a security measure.

Source: Cult of Mac and Apple Insider