Apple’s latest patent filing is for a silicon gel-skin like case that can add additional functionality to your smartphone or tablet, including adding the required hardware for a full hardware-based QWERTY keyboard or a game controller. The gel skins would serve dual purposes, protecting the device from daily operations against dents and scratches as well as augmenting the usefulness of the device to different applications. Rather than be stuck with the same hardware, such as a keyboard, users can quickly swap out the keyboard skin and change their smartphone into a portable gaming system with game controllers on a second skin.

(via: TUAW)