The Boy Genius Report has uncovered an iPhone video from Youtube via Global Direct Parts, who claim to have the parts for the next generation iPhone. If this report is true, internally some of the changes could be speed bumps (such as we saw between the 3G and 3GS). On the outside, the steel band will see a relocation of the dividers that separate the antennas. Externally, we don’t imagine a visual difference between the iPhone 4, and the iPhone 5 (4G?). There’s been slight internal retooling of the next generation iPhone antenna, which may give customers with dropped calls some relief. Lastly, we can expect incremental improvements all around the board, but as you’ll see in the video after the break, we haven’t seen everything yet.
To The Future! Apple Granted Liquid Metal Patent For Fuel Cell Casing→
To The Future! Apple Granted Liquid Metal Patent For Fuel Cell Casing
Apple’s new patent describes “amorphous alloy” collector plates for fuel cells, an electrochemical battery that uses hydrogen to generate electricity. Although the patent doesn’t reference the Liquidmetal trademark, the material is an amorphous alloy or “ metallic glass.”
Last year, Apple signed an exclusive agreement to use the Liquidmetal Technologies’ IP in consumer electronic products. But of course, the ever-secretive company hasn’t hinted at its plans for the material. The possibilites are endless. Liquidmetal is a super lightweight, high-strength, scratch-proof metal that NASA says is “poised to redefine materials science as we know it in the 21st century.”
I don’t think we’ll see anything like this our next iPhone, but the prospect of having a fuel cell iPhone is intriguing. If you thought battery life was excellent now, just imagine not having to charge your iPhone for an entire month. The collector plates enable the chemical reaction that generates power - liquid metal is preferred because of it’s strong qualities as being durable and anti-corrosive.
Zeppelin Air Brings AirPlay To Bowers & Wilken’s Sound Blimp
If you have an appreciation for really sexy speakers, Apple products, or both, Bowers & Wilkens’ top-of-the-line Zeppelin is about to receive an undoubtedly fantastic upgrade. Featuring the same chassis you know and love with completely reworked acoustics, the Zeppelin Air is your living room’s prime wireless companion for listening to uncompressed audio over your network’s airwaves. If you’re more fancy than the average gentleman, you can purchase a gaggle of Zeppelins and chain them together for AirPlay throughout the household. One should be enough, however, and we can expect to see this pricey football hit the market around March. In the meantime, you can register for product news on B&W’s website by clicking here.
[via Bowers & Wilkens]
Roots Rock Boombox Is For The Bob Marley Fan In You
At first glance I couldn’t quite figure out what the Roots Rock Boombox was supposed to be. Sold under the House of Marley, this boombox appears to be part cargo pant - part cargo bag - and part smoke machine all in one. This iPhone boombox is clearly designed to bring a little of Bob Marley’s heart and soul to life in over-the-top fashion, and I could see myself having this on my tailgate at party or something - just please don’t get caught in the cargo straps. Proceeds go to the 1Love charitable foundation, so if you’re thinking about a killer post-Christmas gift, you might be able to make up for your belated gift giving by purchasing this or another of the House of Marley’s products through their website.
[House of Marley via Gizmodo]
WebCamera Puts iSight On Your iPhone, iPod For Video Chatting
The iSight is actually pretty darned good when it comes to taking photos and video. My Twitter avatar? That’s totally done with just the iSight. When I was asked to check out WebCamera, I had my doubts about how well it would function as a disembodied iSight. Turns out it works pretty decently, though I can’t see myself deploying WebCamera full-time. It’s handy when you need to show off pics of your family in real time - you’d look kind of silly walking around with a MacBook, prying the lid back, and trying to aim the darned thing everywhere. WebCamera gives you the freedom to move and record over your local network by turning your iPhone into a WebCam, making it useful to revisit all the relatives who already miss you from the Holidays.
Joby’s GorillaMobile Yogi Gives Your iPad Legs
The iPad is only as versatile as a flat piece of cardboard when it comes to holding or propping the device against your pillow. While many cases have hit the market in the past month in an attempt to give our iPads some additional ergonomic superpowers, Joby has stepped outside of the box by bringing our favorite camera tripod, the GorillaPod, to our iPads. Via a slotted sleeve that can accept a pair of curvy legs in portrait or landscape orientation, Joby promises your iPad is adaptable to just about anything. While I wouldn’t be so ballsy to leave my iPad hanging from a cupboard (if that things hits the floor…), but this would really great for propping on the arm of a chair, in the backseat of a car, or even wrapping it around your forearm as an anti-little-brother mechanism. You can check out the video above for a slightly creepy product demo of Joby’s latest creation, or you can skip past the nonense and buy it direct for $49.95.
Let a SuperHero Back Up Your iPhone While You Sleep
At MacStories, we tend to sync our various Apple gadgets to our Macs quite often because we’re blanketed in apps to review. But you guys might not have to deal with the kind of chaos we deal with between iTunes, 6 shots of espresso, and sync cables, so we’ll offer a middleman.
The Iomega SuperHero cuts out iTunes as a dock you won’t be ashamed to sit your iPhone in. As a bonus, this slick gadget backs up your iPhone so iTunes doesn’t have to! Wake up in the morning knowing that your data is backed up and safe at home - that’s the kind of convenience we aim for right? The SuperHero Backup and Charger is now available for $69.99, and works in combination with Iomega’s SuperHero app for the iPhone.
Logitech’s HD Pro Webcam Adds Mac Support - FaceTime in Hi-Def
The iSight is okay if you’re casually chatting with friends and family, but why not kick it up a notch with Logitech’s version of Microsoft’s 1080p LifeCam Studio?
The Logitech HD Pro Webcam C910 gains Mac support, allowing you to record 1080p video, while streaming live in glorious 720p. Compatible with Skype, FaceTime, Gmail Voice and Video Chat, the Logitech HD Pro Webcam autofocuses to produce the best images while recording stereo audio thanks to its dual mics. Logitech’s Webcam Software enables simple one-click uploading to Facebook and Youtube as well for sharing those awesome MacStories product reviews, and if you’re into photos, you can snap 10 megapixel shots of that morning mug.
This is a solid offering from Logitech (especially for iMac owners) that brings high-definition to your favorite Macintosh. You can read the full press-release over at BusinessWire for more information. [via BusinessWire]
HandBrake Updates To 0.9.5 In Time For Post-Holiday DVD Ripping
If you’ve been stuck in airport with a luggage case full of DVDs, you might be happy to be returning home to a brand-spankin’ new HandBrake. PowerPC users will no longer be supported from this version on, so don’t update if you’re still toting an old PowerBook. Intel users now have available some delicious new features like dragging and dropping videos onto the main window for scanning, mp3 audio support in mp4 files, improved DVD Main Feature detection, and BluRay disc structure support. Our friends at TUAW noted the latest update wasn’t accessible through the app’s built in updater, so you can check out the remaining release highlights along with a download-link by clicking right-here. You can also check our source below for more information (a commenter noted subtitle-support was still wonky).
[Handbrake 0.9.5 via TUAW]