Apple has just acquired a patent for a touch sensitive bezel. This will hopefully be utilized in the iPad and possibly the iPhone. Patent 7,656,393 makes use of the touch sensitive bezel and allows hot corners to quickly launch applications or other features.

Here is an abstract of the patent:

An electronic device has a display and has a touch sensitive bezel surrounding the display. Areas on the bezel are designated for controls used to operate the electronic device. Visual guides corresponding to the controls are displayed on the display adjacent the areas of the bezel designated for the controls. Touch data is generated by the bezel when a user touches an area of the bezel. The device determines which of the controls has been selected based on which designated area is associated with the touch data from the bezel. The device then initiates the determined control. The device can have a sensor for determining the orientation of the device. Based on the orientation, the device can alter the areas designated on the bezel for the controls and can alter the location of the visual guides for the display so that they match the altered areas on the bezel.