Solid State Drive Data Storage

                      Solid State Drive Data Storage

A solid-state drive (SSD) is a type of computer storage. SSDs work just like a normal hard drive, only much faster. They allow your computer to boot in seconds, and  complicated software will load and run much
faster. SSDs have no moving parts, so they're more reliable too, although they aren't available in the same large capacities as some normal hard drives.

Reliability

As they've got no moving parts, SSDs are more reliable than regular hard drives. They can withstand more extreme temperatures, stand up to shocks and suffer less wear and tear. They're also compact and lightweight, so laptops featuring SSDs are usually thinner and lighter.

Laptop with a solid state drive View all SSD laptops
Speed and wake-up time

SSDs run much faster than regular hard drives. Computers with SSDs are more responsive and work faster than those without. A computer with an SSD can boot in as little as three seconds, so you can get to work much quicker. An SSD is the ideal storage device for a high-performance PC, and helps run photo editing, music production and graphic design software at their best.

Battery life

A laptop with a SSD uses significantly less power than one with a regular hard drive. This is because there are no moving parts in an SSD to power, so you get a longer

battery life along with increased performance. They generate less heat too, so you can work with a laptop on your knee in comfort for longer.

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2 in 1 Laptop and Tablet

                            2 in 1 Laptop and Tablet

If you want the portability and touch control of a tablet, but need the performance and keyboard of a laptop, a 2 in 1 is the perfect choice. All 2 in 1s feature  laptop and tablet modes, so you can switch from shopping online using touch control, to typing an essay on a full-size keyboard in seconds.

The Surface Pro 4 is a portable tablet with the performance of a high-end PC. They are available in different specs to suit different needs, but whichever one you  choose, you can expect a serious performance that lets you fly through all your daily computing.

It is the slimmest, lightest Surface tablet to date and is made from a premium magnesium alloy. Whether you need to write an essay, give an important presentation, or edit photos, the Surface Pro is a tablet that really can replace your laptop.

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Emerging Technologies

                              Emerging Technologies

Emerging technologies are technologies that are perceived as capable of changing the status quo. These

technologies are generally new but include older technologies that are still controversial and relatively undeveloped in potential, such as 3D printing, preimplantation genetic diagnosis and gene therapy which date to 1981, 1989 and 1990 respectively. Emerging technologies are characterized by radical novelty, relatively fast growth, coherence, prominent impact, and uncertainty and ambiguity. In other words, an emerging technology can be defined as "a radically novel and relatively fast growing technology characterised by a certain degree of coherence persisting over time and with the potential to exert a considerable impact on the socio-economic domain(s) which is observed in terms of the composition of actors, institutions and patterns of interactions among those, along with the associated knowledge production processes. Its most prominent impact, however, lies in the future and so in the emergence phase is still somewhat uncertain and ambiguous.".

Emerging technologies include a variety of technologies such as educational technology, information technology, nanotechnology, biotechnology, cognitive science, psychotechnology, robotics, and artificial intelligence. New technological fields may result from the technological convergence of different systems evolving towards similar goals. Convergence brings previously separate  technologies such as voice (and telephony features), data (and productivity applications) and video together so that they share resources and interact with each other, creating new efficiencies.

Emerging technologies are those technical innovations which represent progressive developments within a field for competitive advantage; converging technologies 

represent previously distinct fields which are in some way moving towards stronger inter-connection and similar goals. However, the opinion on the degree of the impact, status and economic viability of several emerging and converging technologies vary.

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Panpsychism takes hold in SCIENCE

                    Panpsychism takes hold in SCIENCE

Are humans living in a simulation? Is consciousness nothing more than the firing of neurons in the brain? Or is

consciousness a distinct entity that permeates every speck of matter in the universe? Several experts grappled with those topics at a salon at the Victorian home of Susan MacTavish Best, a lifestyle guru who runs Living MacTavish, here on Feb. 16. The event was organized by "Closer to Truth," a public television series and online resource that features the world's leading thinkers exploring humanity's deepest questions.

The answer to the question "what is consciousness" could have implications for the future of artificial intelligence (AI) and far-out concepts like mind uploading and virtual immortality, said Robert Lawrence Kuhn, the creator, writer and host of "Closer to Truth." 

Materialism to panpsychism

Philosophers have put forward many notions of consciousness. The materialist notion holds that consciousness can be fully explained by the the firing of neurons in the human brain, while mind-body dualism argues that the soul or mind is distinct from, and can potentially outlive, the body. Under the notion of panpsychism, a kind of re-boot of ancient animistic ideas, every speck of matter has a kind of proto-consciousness. When aggregated in particular ways, all this proto-consciousness turns into a sense of inner awareness. And other, Eastern philosophies have held that consciousness is the only real thing in the universe, Kuhn said. Neuroscientists and many philosophers have typically planted themselves firmly on the materialist side. But a growing number of scientists now believe that materialism cannot wholly explain the sense of "I am" that undergirds consciousness, Kuhn told the audience. One of those scientists is Christof Koch, the president and chief scientific officer of the Allen Institute for Brain Science in Seattle. At the event, he described a relatively recent formulation of consciousness called the integrated information theory. The idea, put forward by University of Wisconsin-Madison neuroscientist and psychiatrist Giulio Tononi, argues that consciousness resides in an as-yet-unknown space in the universe. 

Integrated information theory measures consciousness by a metric, called phi, which essentially translates to how much power over itself a being or object has. "If a system has causal power upon itself, like the brain does, then it feels like something. If you have a lot of causal power upon yourself, then it feels like a lot  to be you," Koch said. The new theory implies a radical disconnect between intelligence and consciousness, Koch said. AI, which may already be intelligent enough to beat the best human  player of the Go board game, may nevertheless be basically subconscious because it is not able to act upon itself. One critic in the audience noted that there is currently no way to test this theory, and that integrated information theory fails some common-sense tests when trying to deduce what things are conscious. (A thermostat, for instance, may have some low-level consciousness by this metric.) But Koch said he was not troubled by this notion. Many objects people think of as conscious may not be, while some that are considered inanimate may in fact have much greater consciousness than previously thought, Koch said.

Implications for AI and virtual immortality

If Koch and others are correct that strict materialism can't explain consciousness, it has implications for how sentient a computer might be: A supercomputer that re-creates the connectome, or all the myriad connections between neurons in the human brain, may be able to simulate all the behaviors of a human, but wouldn't be conscious. "You can simulate the mass of the black hole at the center of our universe, but space-time will never twist around the computer itself," Koch said. "The supercomputer can simulate the effect of consciousness, but it isn't consciousness. Such simulated consciousness may a kind of AI zombie, retaining all of the outward appearance of consciousness, but with no one home inside, Kuhn said. That implies that uploading one's mind to a computer in order to achieve virtual immortality may not work the way that many people anticipate, Kuhn added. To create truly conscious AI, researchers may need to develop technologies that can act upon themselves, perhaps more akin to neuromorphic computers, Koch said. (Such computers would operate without any pre-programmed code, instead somehow sensing and reacting to changes in their own physical states.)

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Why study Computer Science and Information Technology

      Why study Computer Science and Information Technology

CoursesStudying OnlinePathwaysHelp to Apply

The IT landscape is constantly changing. In order to adapt easily and quickly to these technological changes, you will require a solid foundation in core computing concepts and software development skills. The
computing degrees at UNE provide you with this foundation, covering topics such as software engineering, operating systems and computer algorithms, as well as units that provide the technological skills that are in high demand throughout the IT industry including web and network technologies, multimedia and game programming.

The computing courses are taught by dedicated and highly qualified professionals who are active computer science researchers. Areas of research include image processing, data mining, machine learning, fuzzy logic, web engineering and distributed and parallel systems. The Bachelor of Computer Science has professional-level accreditation from the Australian Computer Society.

Bachelor of Computer Science

The IT landscape is constantly changing. In order to adapt easily and quickly to these changes, the Bachelor of Computer Science teaches students strong programming, technical, mathematical, and problem-solving skills. The course is particularly designed with software development and computational science roles in mind, but as computing has become so important to so many different fields, it allows the flexibility to take a number of units from other disciplines if students choose to.

The course includes a core of units that gives all our students a solid programming, mathematical, and software engineering background. From the core units, students will learn multiple programming languages as well as the modern collaborative tools and practices that software teams use to design, develop and deliver software that solves problems for their users. They will also take a team capstone project, in which they must develop solutions to real world computing problems drawn from community organisations and industry. The degree has two majors:

Software development - Topics include artificial intelligence, functional programming, development for the modern web, mobile development, and interaction design.
Applied Modelling - Includes topics that are of particular relevance to applying computing to science, such as statistical machine learning, distributed computing, and computational science. You can also take both majors, or a single major with your own customised set of additional units.
The Bachelor of Computer Science has a professional-level accreditation from the Australian Computer Society.

Master of Computer Science

This course provides an opportunity for graduates to upgrade or extend their qualifications in areas not covered by their undergraduate studies.

Emphasis is placed on the structured design of algorithms for computer-based implementations of real-life tasks. The expression of algorithms in Java, and the interactive execution, analysis and use of programs are also discussed. Practical elements of basic hardware components are introduced.

Master of Information Technology

This degree is designed for students who do not have a computing background and who are seeking to achieve qualifications in information technology. Study is available in areas such as internet publishing, operating systems, software engineering, GUI programming and interaction design, internet security, data mining, wireless networks, and game programming.

Master of Information Technology (Business)

This course provides an opportunity for those who are looking for a change of direction in their career, or those who want to enhance their IT qualifications and gain an understanding of the fundamental principles of business. You can come in without any background in IT or business and graduate with a sound knowledge and understanding of IT and business principles. For those with an IT background, can update your qualifications and gain an understanding of the fundamental principles of business.

UNDERGRADUATE
Bachelor of Computer Science
Double Degree
Bachelor of Computer Science/Bachelor of Laws
POSTGRADUATE
Master of Computer Science
Graduate Certificate in Information Technology
Graduate Diploma in Information Technology
Master of Information Technology
Master of Information Technology (Business)

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World's cheapest smartphone Freesom 251

               World's cheapest smartphone Freesom 251

Ringing Bells said their Freedom 251 phone would cost just 251 rupees ($3.67; £2.56), and there was huge

demand in the first hours of sale. But sceptics have raised questions about the device and the company's price strategy.India is the world's second-largest mobile market and has one billion mobile phone subscribers. Freedom 251 is expected to target a market already dominated by low-cost handsets. Is India's $3.6 smartphone too good to be true? The phone has 8GB storage and cameras in the front and back, and its model resembles Apple's iPhone 4, including the home button and icons. "This is our flagship model and we think it will bring a revolution in the industry," the AFP news agency quoted a spokeswoman as saying.

Jump media playerMedia player helpOut of media player. Press enter to return or tab to continue. Media captionShilpa Kannan takes a closer look at the Freedom 251 The smartphone went on sale on Thursday morning but, just hours later, the company had to stop accepting orders after its website crashed due to huge demand: 600,000 hits per second, it said.

Ringing Bells said the phone would be produced locally, even though it still has no factory in India. The prototypes handed to journalists were, actually, of a Chinese-made phone with its brand name, Adcom, covered with white paint. It has promised to deliver the first devices in four months.

The company had initially said the device would cost under 500 rupees (£5; $7.3), before revealing a much cheaper price at the launch on Wednesday. But critics have raised questions about the smartphone, saying the price is far lower than what its components would cost, let alone costs with production, distribution and marketing.

"It looks like it is highly subsidized by the company and it is not clear how they plan to sustain this," Tarun Pathak, an analyst with Counterpoint Technology Research, told the Reuters news agency.

The Indian Cellular Association reportedly wrote to the country's telecoms minister Ravi Shankar Prasad saying it was not possible to sell a 3G phone below 2,700 rupees.

Ringing Bells was set up a few months ago and recently launched one of India's cheapest 4G smartphones at 2,999 rupees, the Press Trust of India reported.

Android phone Freesom 251 price only Rs. $3 

How much are you willing to spend for a smartphone? In case you’re not ready to shell out more than $600 for a brand new iPhone 6 or Galaxy S7, then you’re probably shopping for something more affordable. But what if there was a new mid-ranged Android phone that cost just over $3? Would you order one?

DON’T MISS: Humiliation: JebBush.com redirects to Trump’s official website

This isn’t some joke; the Freedom 251 Android handset is as real as they get. Unfortunately, you won’t be able to get your hands on one unless you’re already living in India, or ready for a trip to the country.

The device costs just $3.6 (251 INR in the local currency) but offers specs that were once considered to be of flagship status. The handset has a 4-inch display with 960p IPC LCD and packs a 1.3GHz quad-core processor, 1GB of RAM, 8GB of storage, 3.2-megapixel camera, and 0.3-megapixel front-facing camera. There’s also 3G support, dual-SIM slot, and a 1,450 battery. Best of all, the handset runs Android 5.1 out of the box, which is more than a decent default operating system, considering that not many other Android handsets have been updated to Android 6.0.

The phone goes on sale on February 18th, and it’ll probably sell like hot cakes.

So what’s the trick here, you ask? Do you have to sign your soul over to the devil to obtain this $3 Android handset? Nope, that’s hardly the case. Phone Arena speculates that the phone might be connected with the Indian government, which probably subsidizes it, part of an imitative to make technology available to the masses.

The company that makes the phone is called Ringing Bells and was incorporated just five months ago. The Freedom 251 website says that the phone should “empower citizens, even in the remotest rural and semi-urban centers of India, with the latest in digital technology.”

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Launch MyShake Smartphone App into Earthquake Detector

Launch MyShake Smartphone App into Earthquake Detector

Seismologists and app developers are shaking things up with a new app that transforms smartphones into personal earthquake detectors. By tapping into a smartphone's accelerometer  the motion-detection instrument  the free Android app, called MyShake, can pick up and interpret nearby quake activity, estimating the earthquake's location and magnitude in real-time, and then relaying the information to a central database for seismologists to analyze. In time, an established network of users could enable MyShake to be used as an early- warning system, the researchers said. 

Crowdsourcing quakes

Seismic networks worldwide detect earthquakes and convey quake data to scientists around the clock, providing a global picture of the tremors that are part of Earth's ongoing dynamic processes. But there are areas where the network is thin, which means researchers are missing pieces in the seismic puzzle. However, "citizen- scientists" with smartphones could fill those gaps, according to Richard Allen, leader of the MyShake project and director of the Berkeley Seismological Laboratory in California.

"As smartphones became more popular and it became easier to write software that would run on smartphones, we realized that we had the potential to use the accelerometer that runs in every smartphone to record earthquakes," Allen told Live Science.

How it works

Accelerometers measure forces related to acceleration: vibration, tilt and movement, and also the static force of gravity's pull. In smartphones, accelerometers detect changes in the device's orientation, allowing the phone to know exactly which end is up and to adjust visual displays to correspond to the direction it's facing.

Fitness apps for smartphones use accelerometers to pinpoint specific changes in motion in order to calculate the number of steps you take, for example. And the MyShake app is designed to recognize when a smartphone's accelerometer picks up the signature shaking of an earthquake, Allen said, which is different from other types of vibrating motion, or "everyday shaking."

In fact, the earthquake-detection engine in MyShake is designed to recognize an earthquake's vibration profile much like a fitness app recognizes steps, according to Allen.

"It's about looking at the amplitude and the frequency content of the earthquake," Allen said, "and it's quite different from the amplitude and frequency content of most everyday shakes. It's very low-frequency energy and the amplitude is not as big as the amplitude for most everyday activities."

In other words, the difference between the highs and lows of the motion generated by an earthquake are smaller than the range you'd find in other types of daily movement, he said.

Quake, rattle and roll

When a smartphone's MyShake app detects an earthquake, it instantly sends an alert to a central processing site. A network detection algorithm is activated by incoming data from multiple phones in the same area, to "declare" an earthquake, identify its location and estimate its magnitude, Allen said.

For now, the app will only collect and transmit data to the central processor. But the end goal, Allen said, is for future versions of the app to send warnings back to individual users.

An iPhone version of the app will also be included in future plans for MyShake, according to Allen.For seismologists, the more data they can gather about earthquakes, the better, Allen said. A bigger data pool means an improved understanding of quake behavior, which could help experts design better early warning systems and safety protocols, things that are especially critical in urban areas prone to frequent quake activity. With 2.6 billion smartphones currently in circulation worldwide and an anticipated 6 billion by 2020, according to an Ericsson Mobility Report released in 2015, a global network of handheld seismic detectors could go a long way toward keeping people safe by improving quake preparation and response.

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Microsoft's HoloLens with Holographic Technology

        Microsoft's HoloLens with Holographic Technology

On the TED stage in Vancouver, Canada, Alex Kipman demoed his newest baby: the Microsoft HoloLens. And he did it with a visual bang. Kipman teleported a hologram of a  NASA scientist onto the stage. Here's a look at the new technology and how it could transform your world. 

A new reality

Kipman onstage during his TED talk in Vancouver, Canada, wearing a HoloLens headset.

Kipman onstage during his TED talk in Vancouver, Canada, wearing a HoloLens headset.

The headset

 The HoloLens headset.

The HoloLens headset, which is equipped with loads of sensors, a fish-eye-lens camera and a holographic processing unit.

Mixed reality

HoloLens Demo

Kipman demonstrates how the HoloLens lets you overlay holograms onto the real word, which the headset maps out with spatial mapping technology at five frames per second, in real-time. With hand gestures the wearer can move and modify the holograms.

Imaginary realm

HoloLens Color Demo

And those holograms can be unlike real life, as Kipman demonstrates with the fairy (or elf) onstage with him. 

Trippy world

HoloLens Magic Forest

With HoloLens the wearer can transform their room (or a TED talk stage) into a glowing make-believe forest that the person can walk through and explore.

Holographic teleportation

HoloLens Teleportation Demo

NASA scientist Jeff Norris was teleported, or at least a hologram of him was, onto the stage with Kipman. "I'm actually in three places," Norris said. "I'm standing in a room across the street while I'm standing on the stage with your while I'm standing on mars a hundred million miles away."

He added, "This is a precise holographic replica of Mars built from data captured by the Curiosity Mars rover".

HoloLens for science

HoloLens Scientist Teleportation

NASA is using HoloLens to allow astronauts to explore other planets like Mars with their feet planted firmly on Earth. 

HoloLens in space

NASA and Microsoft engineers test Project Sidekick on NASA’s Weightless Wonder C9 jet.

NASA and Microsoft engineers test Project Sidekick on NASA’s Weightless Wonder C9 jet. Project Sidekick will use Microsoft HoloLens to provide virtual aid to 

astronauts working on the International Space Station.

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The First Immortal Storage Quartz Hard Drive

           The First Immortal Storage Quartz Hard Drive

For all our accomplishments as a species, we've never found a storage medium that can last forever. Tapes, CDs, film ... they all fade with time.  Even our hard drives, and our digital history, may eventually fade away. But thankfully, researchers at Southampton University are here with a solution: a quartz hard drive that can  last 14 billion years and store 360 terabytes.

Given that that's long, long after the sun will have consumed the Earth, it's possible that the tiny optical disk could outlast humanity, so we might as well put the next Golden Record on it. The tiny discs are etched with a nanoscale laser in a microstructure about five microns tall, with each pulse creating a series of three lasers. By reading the polarized light passing through the discs, the massive treasure trove of data can be revealed. 

The university is calling it the "Superman memory crystal." The Large Hadron Collider produces about 30 petabytes of data annually, or about 30,000 terabytes or about 83 of the Superman discs. In addition, the Library of Congress estimates that the entire Internet is 74 terabytes (as of 2009, at least.) Each human's genome is 200 GB of information, give or take a few gigabytes, so with 9 billion people on Earth right now, so that's 1.8 trillion gigabytes or 1.8 million petabytes, which translates to 5,000 of these quarter sized discs.

So a nice big warehouse full of these disks, buried deep underground with all the thermal protection in the world, could be the ultimate time capsule of humanity, if we get to work with the massive task of storing all of the data into a new Library of Alexandria. Regardless, these definitely have a few billion years worth of

advantage over using DNA hard drives. 

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Sub Hunters & Robot

                                     Sub Hunters & Robot

Pin It The concept for the Anti-Submarine Warfare Continuous Trail Unmanned Vessel, an unmanned seafaring ship that would hunt quiet diesel submarines. Space battles, unmanned submarine hunters and artificial intelligent systems that help human commanders make split-second decisions may sound like science fiction fodder, but military researchers are hard at work trying to make them a reality. The U.S. military's Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) has put millions of dollars into projects to develop such technologies, as well as other projects to make cheap, reusable rockets and war technology, officials with the agency said Wednesday (Feb. 10) in a news briefing.

New foes, new technology

The U.S. has typically faced big, monolithic adversaries (think the USSR during the Cold War) or hostile nation states (like Iraq during the Gulf War), and over the past few decades, it has been incredibly dominant, said Steve Walker, the deputy director of DARPA. (Humanoid Robots to Flying Cars: 10 Coolest DARPA Technologies) In the future, however, "we can't pick the next hotspots in the world and we can't necessarily focus on the fights we can win," Walker said. Instead of a limited set of well-known foes, the U.S. now faces a myriad of quickly shifting and interconnected threats, from traditionally hostile nation states to criminal organizations to terrorist networks. Fighting those enemies may require something beyond the large, expensive military systems that take ages to desig and build.

"We need to mix it up," Walker said.

Robot and man

Toward that end, DARPA is investing in a number of technologies that make warfare cheaper and more flexible. For instance, the agency is investing in the development of a futuristic, relatively cheap space plane called the XS-1. The reusable plane would launch into suborbital altitudes, flying at hypersonic speeds of Mach 10, to deliver fleets of mini-satellites, then return to repeat the process.

Other proposed projects would take humans out of at least some of the equations of modern warfare. For instance, the agency is designing an unmanned warship that could hunt down ultraquiet diesel submarines  all without a human aboard. The first prototype, dubbed the Sea Hunter, is a 130-foot-long (40 meters) behemoth that took its maiden voyage in the waters off Portland earlier this month and will be christened in April. Such ghost ships could be connected in an invisible grid with other manned vessels, constantly communicating to dynamically assess threats. Another project aims to put artificial intelligence (AI) in the cockpit with human pilots. The AI would then be used to sabotage the enemy's communication networks. "The way we would do that is by first of all scouring the spectrum in real time and then second of all applying some of the most amazing technology from the frontiers of artificial intelligence and machine learning to learn what the adversary is doing in the electromagnetic spectrum, start making predictions about what they're going to do and then adapt the on-board jammer," said Arati Prabhakar, the director of DARPA.

Currently, completely unknown signals must be sent back to a central command station, where they sometimes take months to decode, she said. And the newly proposed Hallmark program would leverage artificial intelligence systems to rapidly assess dynamically changing data in futuristic space battles  then present a set of two or three decisions to a human commander, who would be able to make decisions more quickly than he or she otherwise would. "You don't want to overload the human; you want to give them exactly what they need to make the decision," Walker said.

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10 New Technology of The World

10 New Technology  of The World

We have seen great leaps in digital technology in past the past five years. Smartphones, cloud computing, multi-touch tablets, these are all innovations that revolutionized the way we live and work. However, believe it or not, we are just getting started. Technology will get even better. In the future, we could live like how people in science fiction movies did.

Today’s post is about 10 upcoming, real-life products that is set to revolutionize the world as we know it. Get ready to control the desktop and slice Ninja fruits

with your eyes. Get ready to print your own creative physical product. Get ready to dive into the virtual world, and interact with them. Come unfold the future with US.

1. Google Glass

Augmented Reality has already gotten into our life in the forms of simulated experiment and education app, but Google is taking it several steps higher with Google

Glass. Theoretically, with Google Glass, you are able to view social media feeds, text, Google Maps, as well as navigate with GPS and take photos. You will also get

the latest updates while you are on the ground.

google glass

It’s truly what we called vision, and it’s absolutely possible given the fact that the Google’s co-founder, Sergey Brin has demo’ed the glass with skydivers and

creatives. Currently the device is only available to some developers with the price tag of $1500, but expect other tech companies trying it out and building an

affordable consumer version.

2. Form 1

Just as the term suggests, 3D printing is the technology that could forge your digital design into a solid real-life product. It’s nothing new for the advanced

mechanical industry, but a personal 3D printer is definitely a revolutionary idea.

Everybody can create their own physical product based on their custom design, and no approval needed from any giant manufacturer! Even the James Bond’s Aston Martin

which was crashed in the movie was a 3D printed product!

form 1

Form 1 is one such personal 3D printer which can be yours at just $2799. It may sound like a high price but to have the luxury of getting producing your own

prototypes, that’s a reaonable price.

Imagine a future where every individual professional has the capability to mass produce their own creative physical products without limitation. This is the future

where personal productivity and creativity are maximized.

3. Oculus Rift

Virtual Reality gaming is here in the form of Oculus Rift. This history-defining 3D headset lets you mentally feel that you are actually inside a video game. In the

Rift’s virtual world, you could turn your head around with ultra-low latency to view the world in high resolution display.

There are premium products in the market that can do the same, but Rift wants you to enjoy the experience at only $300, and the package even comes as a development

kit. This is the beginning of the revolution for next-generation gaming.

oculus rift

The timing is perfect as the world is currently bombarded with the virtual reality topic that could also be attributed to Sword Art Online, the anime series featuring

the characters playing games in an entirely virtual world. While we’re getting there, it could take a few more years to reach that level of realism. Oculus Rift is our first step.

4. Leap Motion

Multi-touch desktop is a (miserably) failed product due to the fact that hands could get very tired with prolonged use, but Leap Motion wants to challenge this dark

area again with a more advanced idea. It lets you control the desktop with fingers, but without touching the screen.

leap motion

It’s not your typical motion sensor, as Leap Motion allows you to scroll the web page, zoom in the map and photos, sign documentss and even play a first person shooter

game with only hand and finger movements. The smooth reaction is the most crucial key point here. More importantly, you can own this future with just $70, a price of a

premium PS3 game title!

If this device could completely work with Oculus Rift to simulate a real-time gaming experience, gaming is going to get a major make-over.

5. Eye Tribe

Eye tracking has been actively discussed by technology enthusiasts throughout these years, but it’s really challenging to implement. But Eye Tribe actually did this.

They successfully created the technology to allow you to control your tablet, play flight simulator, and even slice fruits in Fruit Ninja only with your eye movements.

eye tribe

It’s basically taking the common eye-tracking technology and combining it with a front-facing camera plus some serious computer-vision algorithm, and voila, fruit

slicing done with the eyes! A live demo was done in LeWeb this year and we may actually be able to see it in in action in mobile devices in 2013.

Currently the company is still seeking partnership to bring this sci-fi tech into the consumer market but you and I know that this product is simply too awesome to

fail.

6. SmartThings

The current problem that most devices have is that they function as a standalone being, and it require effort for tech competitors to actually partner with each other

and build products that can truly connect with each other. SmartThings is here to make your every device, digital or non-digital, connect together and benefit you.

smartthings

With SmartThings you can get your smoke alarms, humidity, pressure and vibration sensors to detect changes in your house and alert you through your smartphone! Imagine

the possibilities with this.

You could track who’s been inside your house, turn on the lights while you’re entering a room, shut windows and doors when you leave the house, all with the help of

something that only costs $500! Feel like a tech lord in your castle with this marvel.

7. Firefox OS

iOS and Android are great, but they each have their own rules and policies that certainly inhibit the creative efforts of developers. Mozilla has since decided to

build a new mobile operating system from scratch, one that will focus on true openness, freedom and user choice. It’s Firefox OS.

Firefox OS is built on Gonk, Gecko and Gaia software layers – for the rest of us, it means it is built on open source, and it carries web technologies such as HTML5

and CSS3.

firefox os

Developers can create and debut web apps without the blockade of requirements set by app stores, and users could even customize the OS based on their needs. Currently

the OS has made its debut on Android-compatible phones, and the impression so far, is great.

You can use the OS to do essential tasks you do on iOS or Android: calling friends, browsing web, taking photos, playing games, they are all possible on Firefox OS,

set to rock the smartphone market.

8. Project Fiona

Meet the first generation of the gaming tablet. Razer’s Project Fiona is a serious gaming tablet built for hardcore gaming. Once it’s out, it will be the frontier for

the future tablets, as tech companies might want to build their own tablets, dedicated towards gaming, but for now Fiona is the only possible one that will debut in

2013.

project fiona

This beast features next generation Intel® Core i7 processor geared to render all your favorite PC games, all at the palm of your hands. Crowned as the best gaming

accessories manufacturer, Razer clearly knows how to build user experience straight into the tablet, and that means 3-axis gyro, magnetometer, accelerometer and full-

screen user interface supporting multi-touch. My body and soul are ready.

9. Parallella

Parallella is going to change the way that computers are made, and Adapteva offers you chance to join in on this revolution. Simply put, it’s a supercomputer for

everyone. Basically, an energy-efficient computer built for processing complex software simultaneously and effectively. Real-time object tracking, holographic heads-up

display, speech recognition will become even stronger and smarter with Parallella.

parallella

The project has been successfully funded so far, with an estimated delivery date of February 2013. For a mini supercomputer, the price seems really promising since

it’s magically $99! It’s not recommended for the non-programmer and non-Linux user, but the kit is loaded with development software to create your personal projects.

I never thought the future of computing could be kick-started with just $99, which is made possible using crowdfunding platforms.

10. Google Driverless Car

I could still remember the day I watch the iRobot as a teen, and being skeptical about my brother’s statement that one day, the driverless car will become reality. And

it’s now a reality, made possible by… a search engine company, Google.

While the data source is still a secret recipe, the Google driverless car is powered by artificial intelligence that utilizes the input from the video cameras inside

the car, a sensor on the vehicle’s top, and some radar and position sensors attached to different positions of the car. Sounds like a lot of effort to mimic the human

intelligence in a car, but so far the system has successfully driven 1609 kilometres without human commands!

google driverless car

“You can count on one hand the number of years it will take before ordinary people can experience this.” Google co-founder, Sergey Brin said. However, innovation is an

achievement, consumerization is the headache, as Google currently face the challenge to forge the system into an affordable gem that every worker with an average

salary could benefit from.

Read More

Microsoft publishing Windows 10 patch notes

          Microsoft  publishing Windows 10 patch notes

When Microsoft launched Windows 10, it introduced a number of changes to the traditional Windows update model. Instead of offering a range of recommended and optional updates and explaining what each did, Microsoft declared that it would only explain security updates. All other OS changes would take place under the hood.

Users and businesses were less than thrilled with this arrangement. While Windows 10 has taken some heat simply for being different than previous versions, the ability to troubleshoot a problem with the operating system is crippled if the end-user or IT staff have no idea what an update did. Microsoft agreed last fall to begin publicly releasing the private patch notes they were sending to OEM customers and it began making good on that promise this week. While there’s nothing earth-shattering in today’s release, it does illustrate why people value patch notes in the first place. Here are some of the fixes going in with the February 9 update.

Fixed issues with authentication, update installation, and operating system installation.
Fixed issue with Microsoft Edge browser caching visited URLs while using InPrivate browsing.
Fixed issue that didn’t allow simultaneous install of apps from the Windows Store and updates from Windows Update Fixed issue that delayed the availability of songs added to the Groove Music app in Windows 10 Mobile.

We could still use more granularity on some of these topics, but these are all problems that a person could plausibly encounter in Windows 10 and have no idea how to resolve. Conversely, if these updates cause a problem in Microsoft Edge or with Groove Music in Windows 10 Mobile, the end-user now at least knows that Microsoft updated that application in its latest patch. The company loses nothing simply by making this data available to its users and it saves them a considerable headache by doing so.

Read More

iPhone 7

                                       iPhone 7 

iPhone  is a line of smartphones designed and marketed by Apple Inc. They run Apple's iOS mobile operating system. The first generation iPhone was released on June 29, 2007; the most recent iPhone models are the iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus, which were unveiled at a special event on September 9, 2015.

The user interface is built around the device's multi-touch screen, including a virtual keyboard. The iPhone has Wi-Fi and can connect to cellular networks. An iPhone can shoot video (though this was not a standard feature until the iPhone 3GS), take photos, play music, send and receive email, browse the web, send texts, GPS navigation, record notes, do mathematical calculations, and receive visual voicemail. Other functions video games, reference works, social networking, etc. Can be enabled by downloading application programs (‘apps’); as of October 2013, the App Store offered more than one million apps by Apple and third parties and is ranked as the world's largest mobile software distribution network of its kind (by number of currently available applications).

News iPhone 7 release date & new features

iPhone 7 release date rumours, new features, patents  iPhone 7 could have a ceramic back

iPhone 7 rumours are flying, and we've picked up lots of hints about new features that could appear in the iPhone 7, from wireless charging to a touchscreen with built-in Touch ID. It's believed that Apple is going to ditch the 3.5mm headphone jack - and people aren't happy. And we've got our first leaked photos of iPhone 7 prototypes

When will the iPhone 7 come out? (And when will it launch in the UK?) What new features and design changes can we expect in the new iPhone for 2016 when it comes out? And what will Apple's next iPhone be called? iPhone 7, iPhone 7 Plus? iPhone 7 mini? Something new?

The iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus launched in September 2015, so now we're starting to excitedly think about what this year's iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus could bring. The web is full of speculation about new iPhone(s) that Apple will launch in 2016, and in this article we gather all the rumours about the iPhone 7: release date, design, specs and new features, from wireless charging to a touchscreen display with built-in Touch ID. Plus any leaked photos of iPhone 7 components we get hold of, and all the cool iPhone 7 concept illustrations and videos that designers have come up with.

We're sure to see a next-generation iPhone in 2016, but what will the new iPhone 7 look like? (Traditionally, Apple alternates between internal upgrades for the 'S' update, then a physical redesign for the full-number update, so a completely redesigned chassis is likely.) What new features should we expect? And when will the iPhone 7 come out? We round up the evidence to bring you everything there is to know about the iPhone 7 so far.

In this article we talk about the 4.7-inch iPhone 7 - the follow-up to the iPhone 6s. If you'd like to read about the 5.5-inch iPhone 7 Plus, take a look at our iPhone 7 Plus release date and new features rumour roundup.

Bookmark this page for a regularly updated summary of all the information currently available - and all the rumours doing the rounds - related to the iPhone 7: details, clues, hints and rumours, as well as any leaked photos of the iPhone 7 that emerge. We'll update the article whenever we hear worthwhile new information (or scurrilous but interesting gossip) on the subject of Apple's next iPhone.

In a nutshell: Macworld's verdict on the iPhone 7

In our iPhone 7 rumour roundup we cover a lot of ground: you'd be amazed by the clues, hints and general speculation about the iPhone 7 that people have managed to dig up. But for those who don't want all the detail, the following section sums up our verdict on the whole thing. Consider it a sort of TL;DR for the article as a whole.

In a nutshell, then, we reckon:

1) Apple will launch two new iPhones in September 2016, and just possibly three. The theory that Apple will push the main iPhone 7 launch forward to summer 2016 seems thin to us, but it is possible we will see an update to the 4-inch iPhone line earlier than the autumn, and maybe even as soon as March 2016.

2) We expect a 4.7-inch phone (called the iPhone 7), and a 5.5-inch model (the iPhone 7 Plus). If Apple does make another 4-inch iPhone (which, thanks to the success of the larger iPhones, is by no means a certainty) then we think it'll be called something like the iPhone 7 mini, but iPhone 6c, iPhone 6e and iPhone 5se are possibilities too.

3) The iPhone 7 is likely to get a substantial physical redesign after the largely identical iPhone 6/6s generations. It's too early to know what direction Apple will pick, but it's likely to be thinner than ever: removing the headphone jack would be one way to help achieve this, forcing music fans to use wireless Bluetooth headphones, or headphones that connect via the Lightning port, or an adaptor. The 'no headphone jack' rumour is starting to gather momentum, with multiple 'confirmations' via multiple (but anonymous) supply chain sources, although we've yet to see firm evidence ourselves. Other design tweaks could include a flush camera and the removal of the antenna bars.

iPhone 7 concept illustration

4) Battery life in the iPhone 7 may be a little better than in the iPhone 6s and 6s Plus, but Jony Ive's comments have made it plain that Apple doesn't consider a higher battery life to be worth significant sacrifices in other areas (we suspect that, if they're honest, most smartphone buyers would agree) and Apple's larger-screen iPhones have decent batteries already. You can always buy the lovely new battery pack case.

5) Higher screen resolution is a possibility - Apple undermined its own 'Retina is as sharp as your eyes can see' myth with the iPhone 6 Plus, and the company is playing catchup against many of its rivals in terms of screen resolution. Apple may well take the higher pixel density that was exclusive to the iPhone 6 Plus and 6s Plus (401 pixels per inch, as compared to 326ppi for all non-Plus iPhones), and apply it to all the models in the next generation; it could even raise the pixel density further than this, although we fear that this is unlikely. And a harder screen material would play well, whether Apple manages to resurrect the sapphire situation or goes with Corning's new Project Phire.

6) 16GB will surely be phased out as the lowest storage offering. It's nowhere near enough in this day and age. We hope and expect the iPhone 7 to start at 32GB, with 64GB and 128GB options.

7) The iPhone 7 could get a USB-C port, like the new 12-inch MacBook, but we think this is unlikely. The change from 30-pin to Lightning is recent enough (and was painful enough for many users) that to switch again now would be highly controversial.

8) And as for the other out-there rumours? 3D screen: no. Curved display: probably not. Flexible display: nope. Edge-to-edge screen: yes, quite possibly. Spring-out gaming joystick in the Home button: definitely not. Wireless charging: quite possibly. Better waterproofing: a reasonable bet, although the self-healing ports aren't likely to appear for a while yet.

iPhone 7 design rumours: Buttonless design

In mid October, Piper Jaffrey analyst Gene Munster (who is notorious for his Apple Television predictions, which have so far proved to be inaccurate) has suggested that the iPhone 7 won't have a Home button, thanks to the new 3D Touch technology found in the iPhone 6s display.

"3D Touch may provide Apple with a way to eliminate the home button on the phone and use the additional space to make the screen bigger or the device smaller," he said. "One barrier to this could be Touch ID, which is integrated into the home button currently. Apple would need to move the Touch ID reader to potentially the side of the phone to remove the home button."

As we discuss later in this article, an Apple patent has revealed that the company is investigating ways to build the Touch ID sensor into the screen itself, so Munster's theory doesn't seem implausible, but as proven with his Apple television predictions, Munster isn't always right... even he says that the odds of a buttonless iPhone 7 are 50%.

iPhone 7 design rumours: Could we even get a thicker chassis? (Probably not.)

We expect the iPhone 7 to be thinner, as explained above, but a lot of users feel that the iPhones have already reached the peak of useful thinness - in the sense that reducing the thickness of the devices any further is going to compromise on qualities such as physical robustness without offering any real benefits in terms of portability. It's even possible that the iPhone 7 could be a bit thicker, if Apple feels it can use this change to incorporate useful new features. We think this is unlikely, but let's run with the theory as a thought experiment.

One reason why the iPhone 7 may be thicker than the iPhone 6s, for instance, would be so that it can feature what Apple calls "sidewall displays".

Apple has published a patent relating to such displays, hinting that a future iPhone could feature a display that extends on to the sides of the device (or a slim second display sitting on the side of the device). This could give access to the slide-to-unlock functionality, music player controls, messaging readout, caller ID, system controls and more.

iPhone 7 design rumours: Non-metal body

The Weibo source who spills the beans on Apple's waterproofing tests in our new features section also reckons that the iPhone 6s & 6s Plus will be the last iPhones to be made of metal. The iPhone 7 will have a chassis made of something else.

But made of what? We don't know. Although liquid metal, ceramics, plastics and sapphire have all been thrown around as possibilities. We find it odd that Apple would ditch its metal design so soon after upgrading to 7000-series aluminium, but radical design changes cannot be ruled out for a full-number iPhone update, and as mentioned above a report from Business Korea in February seems to suggest that ceramic is indeed a possibility.

iPhone 7 design rumours: Curved wraparound screen

We're into the realm of patents here, which we would generally warn readers means we're talking about developments that could easily end up appearing in a shipped product several years down the line or not appearing at all - Apple, like most tech companies, routinely applies for far more patents than it's ever going to use. But this one has actually been granted (it was applied for a few years back) so it could be reasonably close to reality.

iPhone 7 release date rumours: Wraparound screen

Patent 9,146,590 refers to an "electronic device with wrap around display". And essentially it describes a curved screen that allows for more screen elements to be displayed without making the device significantly bigger. (Remember that the illustrations rarely represent what the designer has in mind. In theory the display could wrap entirely around the device, or at least extend over one edge like the Note Edge.)

While the patent talks about a "flexible display assembly", it's important to note that this isn't a patent for a bendable screen: the flexible portion of the display is attached to the interior surface of the curved transparent housing, which "provides a rigid support structure that prevents deformation".

This patent, like the wraparound display patent mentioned in the new features section, was spotted by Patently Apple.

iPhone 7 design rumours: The flexible iPhone

If we can return to the subject of patents, here's one that's pretty leftfield. We don't expect this to appear in the next generation of iPhone, but it's an intriguing insight into the design directions Apple is considering - or choosing to pretend it's considering.

Apple was recently awarded a patent for 'Flexible electronic devices', covering both flexible device bodies on the exterior and flexible components inside.

iPHone 7 launch rumours: Flexible iPhone 7 patent

"A flexible electronic device may include a flexible display, a flexible housing and one or more flexible internal components configured to allow the flexible electronic device to be deformed," the patent explains.

That really would be a bold riposte to Bendgate: transforming it from a bug to a feature, in effect (even though, as we've repeatedly pointed out, the iPhone 6 Plus is hardly unusual in its susceptibility to strenuous bending). The iPhone would bend, the screen would bend, the battery inside would bend, everything would be fine.

It's still hard to see exactly what this would gain us, though, as opposed to the converse rumour (discussed further down this section) holding that Apple will beef up the iPhone 7's durability by using the 7000 Series aluminium alloy from the Apple Watch Sport.

iPhone 7 design rumours: Samsung to make iPhone 7's flexible display

According to the latest reports, Samsung Display is set to make flexible OLED displays for the iPhone 7. The rumour stems from claims that Samsung is reaching out to display tech companies in South Korea that they're hoping will lend a hand with building the displays, as the order from Apple will be huge.

Samsung may even be intending to invest billions in an new factory in which it'll manufature the displays.

At present, iPhones use LCD displays, but the Apple Watch uses a flexible OLED so it's certainly possible that Apple intends to bring the tech to the iPhone. We're not talking flexible in the same way as the patent above, though. It'll simply mean that the screen could curve around the design of the iPhone 7 more accurately, hinting further at an edge-to-edge display. It'll also likely be used to improve 3D Touch.

iPhone 7 design rumours: Touch ID built into the screen

In the continuing march of miniaturisation, one of the elements of the iPhone design that's proved resistant to shrinkage is the bezel below the screen - it can't get much smaller than it already is because it needs to house the Home button. Which is why a recurring theory is that Apple will extend the screen down past the Home button, or even incorporate the Touch ID sensor that lives in the recent iPhones' Home button into the touchscreen.

Technology that would facilitate such a development was recently announced by a biometric R&D company called Sonavation.

"Sonavation," the firm declares, "has reached an industry milestone by successfully developing and bonding an ultrasound biometric sensor which is compatible with Corning Gorilla Glass, providing a high-resolution 3D fingerprint image."

This would enable Apple (which is known to use Gorilla Glass in its iPhones, even if the supplier is apparently not permitted to say this publicly) to run the screen vertically edge-to-edge, with no cut-out for the Home button. The Home button could occupy the same position but appear only when needed, much like the software keyboard; and the technology for Touch ID would be bonded to the underside of the screen at the appropriate point.

iPhone 7 design rumours: Touch ID built into screen

Last year Apple filed a patent that appeared to back up the theory that it's looking into ideas like this. Patent application number 20150036065, for "a  fingerprint sensor... incorporated in a display stack in an electronic device", was filed by a number of Apple's engineers in April 2014 and published recently. Here are some of the accompanying illustrations (although you should bear in mind that patent images are almost universally ugly, and shouldn't bear much resemblance to what the finished design would look like):

iPhone 7 new features rumours: Touch ID built into screen

We're still not completely sure what this design would achieve, since (as you can see in the iPhone illustration in Fig. 1) it doesn't even do away with the Home button, and therefore doesn't increase the amount of screen area.

And we've not been blown away by the reliability of the Touch ID sensor on the iPhone 5s, which seems to be hyper-sensitive to any quantity of grease sitting on the Home button. (Granted, the 6s and 6s Plus sensors seem more reliable, as well as faster.) Given how smudged an iPhone screen can get, this seems like it could be even worse, even before you factor in potential complications of embedded the sensor within the screen elements.

iPhone 7 rumours: New features

There's a lot more to the iPhone 7 than screen size, of course. What new features can we expect to see?

iPhone 7 could 'dry itself by shooting water out of its speakers'

One of the most-read articles on Macworld is a tutorial discussing ways of drying out an iPhone that's got wet: it's a distressing, and distressingly common, thing to happen to a device that costs several hundred pounds and contains important, sensitive and possibly unrecoverable data.

For this reason readers and pundits frequently speculate on the possibility that future iPhones will be waterproof. Indeed, the most recent generation of iPhone models are the most waterproof yet; but we still wouldn't be pleased if the iPhone 6s fell in a paddling pool.

A patent published on 12 November suggests a radical new solution to the water logging issue: a mechanism whereby the iPhone can dry itself by pumping water - or other liquid - out through its speaker grills.

iPhone 7 release date rumour: Water expelling patent

Patent application 20150326959, wonderfully, is called LIQUID EXPULSION FROM AN ORIFICE.

"The embodiments described herein are directed to an acoustic module that is configured to remove all or a portion of a liquid that has accumulated within a cavity of the acoustic modules," the patent's summary reads.

The concept is centred around modules within the speaker cavities that can be made more or less hydrophobic, depending on the charge applied to them: when liquid is detected, charges would be applied across the various modules in such a way that the liquid would be moved across the modules and ultimately expelled from the cavity.

We love the idea almost as much as the name of the patent, but as with most of the more interesting patents we hear about, it's unlikely to bear fruit in a real shipped product for a little while.

iPhone 7 new features: Self-healing ports

One solution to the waterproofing conundrum used on rival smartphones has been small removable caps that sit over the ports that are vulnerable to water. But these tend to be fiddly, and a bit ugly: not very Apple. What about if the ports were covered, but you didn't need to take anything out before plugging in your headphone or charging cable?

This sounds more sci-fi than R&D, but a patent application published on 10 December 2015 shows that Apple has been looking at the possibility of using port seals that can be pierced by a male plug connector, and then heal themselves back to waterproof integrity after the connector is removed.

Patent application 20150357741, called ELECTRONIC DEVICE WITH HIDDEN CONNECTOR, describes "a self-healing elastomer applied over one or more external electronic connectors" that may "provide environmental protection for the connector and the electronic device".

iPhone 7 release date & new feature rumours: Self-healing ports

The plug is forced through the elastomer seal whenever a connection is needed.

"Electronic probes may temporarily penetrate the self-healing elastomer to mate with the electronic connector," the application explains. "After removal of the probes the self-healing elastomer may elastically reform and self-heal."

Self-healing materials are currently used in a variety of products, such as smartphone cases and screen protectors, so this isn't quite as fanciful a concept as it might sound to the uninitiated. We haven't been particularly impressed by such products thus far, but part of the problem is aesthetic: when you've got a scratch on your iPhone's screen protector you would expect the self-healing mechanism to remove the scratch so effectively that you can't see it was ever there, but our experience suggests that isn't practical with current technology. But Apple's concept only needs the self-healing to be effective in a crude, broad sense - making the aperture waterproof again, without it having to look perfect.

For those who are interested in materials sciences, here's what Apple's application has to say about the self-healing elastomer:

"[0039] Self-healing elastomer 315 may be a polymer with elastic properties such as a low Young's modulus and a high failure strain. In further embodiments, self-healing elastomer 315 may comprise a silicone material, also known as a polymerized siloxane. In some embodiments, the polymerized siloxane may be mixed inorganic-organic polymers with the chemical formula [R2SiO]n, where R is an organic group such as methyl, ethyl, or phenyl. In these embodiments the silicone material may comprise an inorganic silicon-oxygen backbone with organic side groups attached to the silicon atoms. In further embodiments self-healing elastomer 315 may include one or more materials that change its color. In some embodiments self-healing elastomer 315 may approximately match a color of housing 150. Other formulations may be used without departing from the invention."

Via Cult of Mac

iPhone 7 new features: Waterproofing - and official waterproofing this time

And while we're on the subject of waterproofing...

It's been claimed on the Chinese micro-blogging site Weibo that Apple is testing out waterproof designs for the iPhone 7. (Mac Otakara, which picked up on the claims, says that dustproofing is also being looked at, although we can't spot any mention of this in the original posts. Perhaps it's an issue related to translation.) This is reportedly and unsurprisingly at a very early stage - "volume production is very low!", the (translated) post points out - but is being assessed ahead of work starting on prototype designs.

The claims remain just that at this point, of course, since we have only the word of a Weibo user to back this up. (A user who cites 15 years of experience in integrated circuit design and has - a presumably respectable - 32,904 fans on the site, but still.) If they are true, though, it's likely that more leaks and evidence will emerge in the months to come, and we'll update this article with any developments.

What we're talking here, at any rate, is proper official waterproofing, since brave early buyers have discovered that the iPhone 6s and 6s Plus are themselves much better at dealing with submersion than previous Apple devices. Apple evidently doesn't feel quite confident enough about this upgrade to name it as a new feature (which is odd, since this would be a big step forward to boast about). We saw similar reticence with the Apple Watch, which Apple would only claim as splash-proof but appears to be basically waterproof in any reasonable conditions.

Whether the iPhone 7, then, will be announced as Apple's first officially waterproof phone (regardless of its true capabilities) remains to be seen. Some commenters to the original Weibo post, indeed, predicted that waterproofing wouldn't be seen until the iPhone 7s… but now we're really getting ahead of ourselves.

iPhone 7 new features: Wireless charging

It's a perennial rumour for upcoming Apple devices, but wireless charging could be a reality this time around: it didn't arrive with the iPhone 6s as some had predicted, but was introduced to the Apple Watch as inductive charging.

As iMore's Rene Ritchie points out, inductive charging hasn't been practical for the iPhone in previous years because the technology available at the time didn't work through an aluminium backplate (the Apple Watch, which does offer wireless charging, has a ceramic back). But this could all be about to change in the near(ish) future. In July Qualcomm announced a wireless charging breakthrough that does work through metal. This came too late for the iPhone 6s and 6s Plus, but the technology may appear in a subsequent generation of Apple smartphone.

It has to be said that, whatever the reasoning behind it, Apple is behind a lot its rivals in this respect. The Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge both offer wireless charging, as does the Google Nexus 6 and the Motoroloa Droid Turbo, but the tech has been available in a handful of phones since around 2010. (Electric toothbrushes have had it since the 1990s.)

Indeed, there have been inductive charging cases available for the iPhone for some time, and nearly two years ago we were talking about the technology appearing in what we were then referring to as the iPad 5: iPad 5 patent: inductive Smart Cover contains battery.

Wireless charging sounds amazing, but we should stress that at the moment inductive charging has a very short range; so you wouldn't be able to just sit at your desk and have your iPhone (in your pocket) charge from the plug several feet away. Rather, you'd place the device on a wired mat. Convenient, but not quite as space-age as it might have sounded when we talked about 'wireless charging'.

The artist Yasser Farahi, whose work appears lower down in the images and videos section, has come up with a mocked-up advert for this feature:

iPhone 7 concept illustration by Yasser Farahi: wireless charging

iPhone 7 new features: Anti-overheating tech

Some iPhone 6s users have been complaining that their Touch ID fingerprint sensors have been overheating, causing the home button to become "burning hot," but that should soon be a thing of the past if Apple's latest patent is anything to go by.

On 13 October, a new Apple patent was published by the United States Patent and Trademark Office that describes a method of automatically capping its power usage in order to cool down. It would use a built-in temperature sensor that would monitor the heat of the iPhone and adjust its power usage accordingly.

This tech could well make its way into the iPhone 7 in order to address the overheating issues.

iPhone 7 new features: Gesture passcode

There was a small amount of mild irritation when iOS 9 launched and Apple started to ask us to set up 6-digit passcodes on new iPhones (instead of 4-digit ones) by default. Our tutorial explaining how to go back to 4 digits has been quite popular, but we should probably point out that improved device security isn't an entirely terrible thing.

Meanwhile, the next iPhone - or one a few generations down the line, since we're talking patents again - could entirely transform the way we unlock our devices. Apple has been granted a patent for a gesture-based passcode system.

iPhone 7 release date rumours: Gesture passcodes

The patent - number 9,147,058 - is labelled "Gesture entry techniques", and describes its claims thus:

"The present embodiments relate to the use of security measures based on non-alphanumeric inputs that are user configurable (as opposed to purely biometric inputs) to control access to restricted information or functions. For example, access to confidential information may be based on a gesture input via a touch sensitive input device, such as a touch sensitive display or touchpad. A gesture may be used to invoke one or more authentication screens, such as, a gesture entry screen, a gesture replay screen, and a gesture re-entry verification screen, for accessing confidential information or functions that may be otherwise unavailable."

We've seen this before in Android world, but it would be a nice option for iOS users. Apple's been on the case with this since 2012, but has finally been granted the patent, so we're hopeful that it could make an appearance at some point in the near future - whether touted as a feature of the iPhone 7, or as a software update as part of iOS 10, or as a feature that relies on both.

iPhone 7 new features: No SIM card…

Will Apple ditch SIM cards?

A report in the Financial Times [paywall] in late July suggests that smartphones with physical SIM cards may soon be a thing of the past, as Apple and other smartphone manufacturers come closer to agreeing a standard for a built-in software/electronic SIM.

The FT predicts that this project is more likely to bear fruit in the 2016 generation of iPhones than the ones released in autumn 2015; this year's iPhones (the iPhone 6s and 6s Plus, perhaps) are more likely to come with an Apple-branded hardware SIM like the iPad Air 2. The Apple SIM (which we discuss in the next section) works with multiple networks, offering many of the same benefits as a software SIM but requiring less wrangling with the networks.

iPhone 7 new features: or a pre-installed 'Apple SIM'

The same source who told AppleInsider about the RAM increase (in the specs section, above) also reckons that the iPhone 7 is likely to come with a pre-installed Apple SIM.

"[The Apple SIM], which also made its debut with the iPad Air 2, allows consumers to sign up for mobile data plans from any participating carrier directly from the Settings app without long-term contracts and to switch providers at any time," says the site.

This is unlikely to be a popular move with the carriers, although it may be a hit with users. Read more about the Apple SIM in this article:

Apple's new SIM and what it means to you in the UK

iPhone 7 new features: Dynamic Home button

This one sounds a little like the 'joystick Home button' rumour we look at below, but is rather more plausible.

Apple has published a new patent for a Home that is sensitive to gestures: you'd be able to swipe across it, or lean a thumb in one direction to scroll the screen of a game, for example, that way.

As BusinessInsider puts it:

"The patent details an iOS home button capable of detecting various gestures along with the force of each touch. In other words, imagine Force Touch , albeit applied to the home button as opposed to the device's display."

It certainly sounds less damage-prone than the 'pop-out' Home button we heard about earlier this year, and which we find very hard to imagine appearing in the iPhone 7. Then again, plenty of pundits have been speculating about Apple doing away with the Home button entirely - as is the case on a number of Android smartphones - and installing Touch ID on the screen itself. Colour us unconvinced.

See also: EE WiFi calling - What is it and how do I set it up on my iPhone?

iPhone 7 new features: 'Joystick'-style Home button for gamers

This rumour is pretty far out there, and we're not sure it's realistic to expect this to appear in any Apple devices for a while yet. But it's definitely an interesting idea.

Essentially the concept is this: the Home button on the iPhone 7 would be able to 'pop up' on a little spring and turn into a sort of mini-joystick for playing games. There are plenty of iOS games that would benefit from a hardware controller (this explains the enduring popularity of Bluetooth gaming controller accessories) and this sounds like a lot of fun.

But gamers remain only one section of the iPhone's audience, and it seems like a risky idea to potentially compromise the resilience of everyone's iPhone Home button (which has famously been very prone to breakage in the past) for a feature that would benefit only some users.

A wacky idea that we're not convinced by, then - but one that is backed up by an Apple patent: application 20150015475, originally filed on 9 July 2013 but only published by the US Patent Office on 15 January 2015. So somebody at Cupertino thinks the idea is worth a thought.

iPhone 7 release date rumours: patent for 'joystick' Home button

(Bear in mind, however, that Apple often patents ideas that it doesn't actually build - to cover itself for future changes of plan, to avoid patent trolling, and perhaps even to mislead rivals about its direction.)

Best iPhone (and iPad) games

iPhone 7 new features: New charger

In August 2014, rumours about a new iPhone charger emerged, suggesting that the USB part of the charger could be reversible, just like the Lightning connector.

A video showing what's believed to be a new charger for a future with a reversible fully reversible USB Lightning cable emerged on the web earlier in 2014. It shows the USB being plugged in to the adapter both ways, in the same way that the Lightning connector itself is reversible.

iPhone 7 new features: iOS 10

iOS 10 is also likely to introduce new features at a software level. Among the features we're hoping to see in iOS 10: improved parental controls and group FaceTime calls.

We should get our first glimpse of iOS 10 complete with plenty of clues about future iPhones and iPads during WWDC 2016 in June, where Apple will show off what it's been working on when it comes to software. You can find out more about what to expect from iOS 10 in our iOS 10 rumour round-up.

Interestingly, Apple has revealed new features in iOS 9.3, which is already available as a public beta and should be released in its final form soon. iOS 9.3 includes new Night Mode, new 3D Touch shortcuts, new tactic feedback and more. Read more in our iOS 9.3 article.

iPhone 7 new features: Apple patents

Looking closer at Apple's patent portfolio, we can come up with some further iPhone 7 features that could well be on the cards for 2015. Face recognition could be used to unlock the device, or the entire display of the iPhone 7 could be a Touch ID fingerprint sensor, eliminating the need for a Home button and making room for a larger display.

Take a look at our Apple patent round-up for more features that Apple is investigating for future products.

iPhone 7 rumours: Specifications

It's time to get a bit more technical. Let's talk iPhone 7 specs.

iPhone 7 specs rumours: LiFi

The latest rumour about the iPhone 7's specs relates to LiFi, a new wireless standard that boasts 100x faster download speeds than conventional WiFi connections. LiFi uses visible light communication (VLC) instead of radio waves like conventional WiFi routers.

Intrigued? Find out more about LiFi in our complete guide over at PC Advisor.

iPhone 7 specs rumours: Stacked battery cells

One rumour holds that Apple will take the battery developments it deployed in the 12-inch MacBook - whereby contoured, layered battery units are stacked inside the chassis in order to take up every possible inch of space - and use these to squeeze more battery volume inside the iPhone 7.

(According to Wired's write-up, Apple actually claims to adjust its battery contours on a machine-by-machine basis, by photographing the inside of the chassis and modifying the battery stack to fit all the tiny imperfections - which, if it's true, is amazing.)

Apple could even, thanks to the new battery technology, make more radical changes to the overall design of the iPhone, because its engineers no longer to base their work on a fixed battery shape; although the idea of Jony Ive coming up with a BlackBerry Passport-esque square design at this point in the iPhone's history is a little off-putting.

iPhone 7 release date rumours: Battery life

Smartphone battery life is one of those things that everyone says is important, and once again Apple will hear many requests for improved battery life in the iPhone 7 - but you do wonder how much of a compromise the average Apple fan would be willing to make in return. What if, in order to achieve a superb battery life, the iPhone 7 was twice the weight, or cost significantly more? What if the screen was less powerful or the processor scaled back?

Mirroring these thoughts somewhat, Jony Ive discussed battery life briefly in an interview with the Financial Times' 'How to spend it' supplement recently. And he gave fairly heavy hints that Apple doesn't think battery life is a high enough priority to make compromises in other areas worth it.

"Talking of performance, when the issue of the frequent need to recharge the iPhone is raised, [Ive] answers that it's because it's so light and thin that we use it so much and therefore deplete the battery. With a bigger battery it would be heavier, more cumbersome, less 'compelling'."

It's possible that will see conservative increases in battery life, as we did with the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus. But those advances were feasible because the bodies of those devices were larger, and they could therefore accommodate larger batteries. And it sounds like Apple won't be sacrificing portability to make the iPhone 7 have a significantly better battery life.

Sorry, everyone. Still, cheer up: as the Express reports, Apple was recently granted a patent that would allow it to embed solar panels under the screen of future iPhones, thereby doing away with the need to charge them up at all. No, it's not going to appear in the iPhone 7, but some day…

iPhone 7 specs rumours: What does the new battery pack tell us about iPhone 7 battery life?

In December 2015 Apple gave its critics an early Christmas present by unveiling a battery pack for the iPhone 6 and 6s that is, without wishing to be unpleasant and apologies for the language, pretty gosh-darn ugly. (To be fair, we've not yet got our hands on a review sample, so we may be won over by its feel, performance, usability and so on.)

iPhone 7 release date & new features rumours: Battery life

In a single surprising step the company put its famed sense of taste and design nous in doubt (coming after the suspect decision to put the charge port for the Magic Mouse 2 on its bottom), and simultaneously reminded everyone that iPhone battery life is generally felt to be subpar.

Is this a tacit acknowledgement that battery life is a problem for the iPhone range? Can we therefore expect the iPhone 7 to see improvements in this department as Apple looks for a more full-time and less bulky solution to the issue?

We might (battery technology is improving all the time), but this probably isn't the mea culpa some iPhone users were looking for. When discussing the new case, Tim Cook emphasised that it wasn't for everyone (at £80 you'd hope not), and that he felt that even those who did need the case would only use it in relatively extreme scenarios when power wouldn't be available for a long time: when hiking, for example.

I would agree that Apple is aware that battery life is a concern for a lot of its customers, but it knew that long before it released its battery pack. And battery life remains a question of compromises, such that increasing it always necessitates either making a device thicker, heavier or more expensive, or choosing not to make it thinner, lighter or cheaper when you could have done.

I still believe that most people would rather have a thin, relatively cheap iPhone than a fat, more expensive iPhone with an extra two hours of battery life. And now anyone who would be willing to make that compromise now has an officially sanctioned alternative: spend the extra money, make your phone fatter and uglier, and get the battery pack.

In a crazy sort of way, the ugliness of the battery pack almost makes sense as a demonstration of what drastically improved battery life actually looks like. "You want twice the battery life? Even if that means your iPhone has a massive lump on the back? Yeah, DIDN'T THINK SO."

iPhone 7 specs rumours: iPhone 7 to get 3GB of RAM

Unusually reliable Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo has predicted that the iPhone 7 Plus - but not the iPhone 7 - will feature 3GB of RAM, according to AppleInsider.

We weren't expecting an upgrade in this department just yet; three generations of iPhone (from the iPhone 5 to the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus) came with 1GB of RAM, and this was only bumped to 2GB last year for the 6s and 6s Plus. We expected at least one more generation with 2GB, and potentially two.

Still, Kuo is right more often than he's wrong, and the idea of offering an additional differentiator for the Plus model is appealing. (Other than a larger screen, the 6s Plus offers longer battery life than the 6s and optical image stabilisation for video. It's debatable whether this is enough to justify the extra £80 to £90.)

iPhone 7 specs rumours: Intel LTE chips

According to new reports, Intel has 1,000 people working to get its 7360 LTE chip ready for the 2016 iPhone. Currently, Apple uses Qualcomm's 9X45 LTE chips in all of its iPhones, so this could be a huge deal for Intel.

iPhone 7 specs rumours: A10 processor could be six-core... possibly

A Weibo-sourced rumour, this one - and one that requires even more pinches of salt that the chap who told us about the waterproofing tests. (The Weibo user we're going to quote has just 1,688 fans, compared to the 32,904 who follow our previous source.)

Be healthily sceptical, then, when we report the prediction that the A10 processor in the iPhone 7 will have six cores - a huge leap after sticking with dual-core systems-on-a-chip from the iPhone 4s to the iPhone 6s and 6s Plus. It goes without saying that this would create an absolute beast of a smartphone, but whether Apple would consider such gains worth the undoubted compromises and costs required to achieve this - we can't say we're convinced.

Via Cult of Mac.

Incidentally, Cult of Mac also reckons that Apple is already ordering supplies of the A10, 10 months ahead of the expected launch of the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus.

"Apple has placed LCD driver orders with Synaptics for the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus, indicating that the touch and display driver (TDDI) single-chip solutions its been developing in-house aren't quite ready for prime time," writes the site.

Further reports have emerged seemingly confirming the rumour that Samsung will be cut out of the processing supply deal for the iPhone 7's A10 chip, losing the entire contract to rival TSMC.

Samsung and TSMC shared the deal for the A9 processor in the iPhone 6s and 6s Plus, but a minor scandal (promptly christened, inevitably, 'batterygate') developed when it emerged that devices running TSMC's chip (which should in principle have been less efficient as a result of being made on a 16nm process instead of a 14nm one) were fractionally faster and had slightly better battery life. Some analysts believe that this minor victory will result in TSMC getting to make all of the A10s.

Indeed, this rumour is sufficiently credible for one analyst firm to lower its stock price target for Samsung - its chip supply business is vital to the health of the company as a whole, and the iPhone gig is clearly one of the biggest and most lucrative in the industry.

iPhone 7 specs rumours: Camera

iPhone 6 Plus camera

It's possible that the iPhone 7's cameras will see another bump in megapixel rating, after the iPhone 6s and 6s Plus went from 8Mp to 12Mp (rear-facing) and 1.2Mp to 5Mp (front-facing). But we tend to think that Apple prefers to change the way its iPhone cameras work rather than focusing on their specs. And if a patent published in March (but applied for back in 2011) is any indicator, Apple is pondering a bold new camera miniaturisation technology based on what it calls "a light splitter cube".

"The cube splits the incident light into first, second, and third color components that emerge from the cube through a first face, a second face, and a third face of the cube, respectively," the patent explains. "First, second, and third image sensors are provided, each being positioned to receive a respective one of the color components that emerge from the first, second, and third faces of the cube."

iPhone 7 rumours: New camera patent

Above: a selection of the illustrations provided as part of the patent application. That's an interesting placement for the dock connector, isn't it? (Note, too, that it appears to take the form of the old 30-pin connector, since Lightning wasn't introduced until 2012.)

As Business Insider points out, this isn't a wholly new development, but rather a miniaturisation of an existing system (used in video camera, for instance) in order to make it suitable for a smartphone or similar ultraportable device. If this does make an appearance in the iPhone 7, it could lead to improved colour and light capture and reduced blur when the camera moves.

On the other hand, patent-based rumours should always be viewed with a certain degree of scepticism, since the majority either never see the light of day as actual shipped products, or do so many years after the public hope or expect them to. It's widely believed that Apple routinely files patents it has little intention of using, in order to head off or mislead competitors, and in any case these were very much at the concept stage when the patent was filed. Who knows how the company's plans have changed since 2011.

A more reliable gauge of near-future camera upgrades - since Apple has spent $20m on it, and is therefore rather more commited to the idea - is its recent acquisition of a company called LinX, which makes 3D camera sensors.

LinX's cameras are tiny, but the company claims they are a match for digital SLR cameras in performance terms. And their depth-sensing capabilities make them ideal for facial recognition and 3D-scanning, as well as post-shot refocusing. The possibilities that this would open to developers - apps that translate 3D scans into plans for 3D printers, for instance - are highly appealing.

Daring Fireball's John Gruber has quoted a source who claims the iPhone 7's camera will have a two-lens system that could help allow users to capture "DSLR-quality imagery".

A dual-lens design offers a number of advantages over the present (admittedly highly acclaimed) iPhone camera setup, including the option to add an optical zoom. It's also been suggested that future iPhone cameras will have better performance in low-light conditions.

For a real-world example of the technology, the HTC One M8 already features a rear-facing camera that uses a dual-lens system. (See iPhone 6 vs HTC One M8 comparison.)

NEW: In February, further rumours about a dual-camera on the rear of the iPhone 7 emerged, but they suggest that the tech will be limited to the bigger iPhone 7 Plus and won't feature in the smaller model. Those rumours are backed up by Sony's comments about dual lens cameras: "Our so-called dual lens - dual camera - platform will be launched by, we believe, major smartphone players," said Sony's CFO. "The real start, the takeoff smartphone with dual lens camera will be in the year of 2017," he said, which could indicate that the iPhone

Plus, Digitimes has said that Largan Technology, which is believed to be one of Apple's main camera suppliers, has sent dual-camera samples to Apple for testing.

Optical zoom, based on multiple cameras (patent)

On 7 January 2016, an Apple patent was published that may have a bearing on future iPhone developments - although almost certainly not on the iPhone 7, except in the very general sense of 'this is the sort of development Apple has been considering recently'. (The application was published on 7 Jan; it was applied for back in June 2015, but it isn't likely to be granted for a good while yet, with another 6 to 18 months a reasonable ballpark figure.)

Apple is looking at ways to implement optical zoom in its iPhone (and possibly iPad) cameras.

Patent 20160007008, entitled MOBILE CAMERA SYSTEM, describes the use of "multiple cameras to provide optical zoom to a user". Needless to say, this means multiple cameras facing in the same direction, rather than the front- and rear-facing cameras already present on the current range of iPhone and iPad models.

iPhone 7 rumours: Optical zoom patent

"Increasingly," explains the patent, "as users rely on these multifunction devices [smartphones and tablets] as their primary cameras for day-to-day use, users demand features, such as zoom photography, that they have become accustomed to using in dedicated-purpose camera bodies. The zoom function is useful for capturing the details of a scene or alternatively capturing the context in which those details exist. The ability to change focal length to achieve zoom effects is sufficiently compelling to users of dedicated purpose cameras that it compels them to carry bags with an array of removable lenses, each of which weighs more and takes up more space than many common examples of a multifunction device, such as a phone."

In order to achieve this, Apple proposes the use of side-by-side cameras, potentially with different focal lengths, and adds that it may be desirable to store the images taken by each camera separately.

Via Techworm

iPhone 7 specs rumours: Storage capacity - The end of 16GB?

Each time the iPhones get updated we speculate about the possibility that Apple will boost storage: removing the 16GB baseline option and starting at 32GB. (At the moment, for the iPhone 6s and 6s Plus at any rate, there is a curiously isolated 16GB model, a gap, and then the 64GB and 128GB models above. You can buy a 16GB and 64GB iPhone 6 and 6 Plus (no 128GB option any more), while the iPhone 5s comes in 16GB and 32GB.)

We're hopeful that this will finally happen with the iPhone 7, and we'd be glad to see the back of the 16GB storage tier, which we increasingly find unrealistically restrictive for the average user.

Many iPhone users find that 16GB isn't enough for their day-to-day needs, but the price jump up to 64GB (the 32GB models have been phased out) puts them off shelling out for more storage.

Read next: Why is an iPhone's true storage capacity less than its advertised capacity?

iPhone 7 specs: Screen size

What screen size will the iPhone 7 have? There are a number of competing theories.

Of the three smartphone screen sizes Apple currently sells, the 4.7 inches of the iPhone 6 appears to be the favourite among customers. The iPhone 6s Plus and its 5.5-inch screen strikes many people as too big; the 4-inch iPhone 5s seems too old-fashioned and titchy to many more. 4.7 inches may be the sweet spot for the average Apple fan.

But it seems unlikely that Apple will give up on its other screen sizes as easily as that. For one thing, there are definitely smartphone users out there who still value smaller devices: those with smaller hands, those who prefer to use their smartphone one-handed, people who just don't like change. (That last category includes the author of this article, to be quite candid. I wrote a little about the significance of very small alterations in the size and shape of smartphones in an article that I called The handbag theory.)

iPhone 7 rumours: iPhone 5s and iPhone 6 Plus

Apple may seek to placate this market by updating its 4-inch line-up. And while they have been consistently outsold by the iPhone 6 and 6s, the Plus models haven't been a sales disaster either - and they're important products for Apple in terms of prestige and acquiring a foothold in new markets.

For simplicity, therefore, we're predicting three new iPhones from Apple over the next year or so. An update of the iPhone 5s with a 4-inch screen, which could be called the iPhone 7 mini; a 4.7-inch update of the iPhone 6, which we're calling the iPhone 7; and a new phablet, based on the iPhone 6 Plus, with a 5.5-inch screen. This last update is the one we're calling the iPhone 7 Plus.

Does the new iPod touch make an updated 4-inch iPhone more likely?

Our colleague Jason Snell, writing for Macworld US, discusses the theory that Apple’s recent refresh of its iPod touch line may signal a similar update to its line of 4-inch iPhones.

"The new iPod touch, for all its advancements, still sports the same 4-inch Retina display as the iPhone 5, 5s, and 5c. And it makes me wonder if maybe, just maybe, it's the first hint that we’ll be seeing an updated 4-inch iPhone this fall.

"My guess is that there will be a new 4-inch iPhone this fall. It might look more like a small iPhone 6, or it might take a cue from the new iPod touch and remain exactly the same on the outside, while being completely different internally. But will it be a "cheap iPhone"? I doubt it. More likely, it'll be outfitted with last year’s iPhone 6 technology and fill the slot that’s one step down from whatever replaces the iPhone 6."

There are plenty of fans of the smaller, 4-inch-screen form factor here in the Macworld UK office, and we think it would be unwise of Apple to abandon this market entirely. Read the rest of Jason's thoughts here.

iPhone 7 specs rumours: 3D display

The iPhone 7 could feature a 3D display, according to Economic Daily News, which claims that Apple supply chain partner TPK is working on a project that relates to "naked eye 3D screen" - in other words, a 3D screen that doesn't require glasses to see.

iPhone 7 specs rumours: OLED display

We leave this until last, because it's a rumour that apparently affects the iPhone 8 generation rather than the upcoming iPhone 7. Samsung, which supplies components for the iPhone range despite being a major rival in the smartphone market, has reportedly been pressuring Apple into using OLED screens rather than the LCD ones currently included.

BGR claims Apple will give in to this pressure and start using OLEDs in 2018, which (assuming Apple continues to follow current traditions) would be the year of the iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus, the 7s generation having launched in 2017.

OLED screens are more desirable than LCD in a number of ways: they produce sharper, more brightly coloured images, and are more power-efficient. (The Apple Watch uses an OLED screen.) But they cost more to manufacture, which explains Apple's reluctance to deploy them in iPhones thus far.

iPhone 7 images, leaked photos and videos

We can't wait to see what the iPhone 7 looks like. We won't know for sure until Apple reveals the new design in September, but there are ways to get a sneak preview before then.

Every year one or more factory workers in the Apple hardware supply chain gives into temptation and starts posting photos of prototype or even production units, and we'll post them here as soon as they emerge. There are also loads of talented designers and illustrators out there who have put their minds to work on coming up with iPhone 7 concept images: artists' impressions, if you like, of what the iPhone 7 could look like. (See also: The 10 weirdest Apple concept art designs.)

Here are the latest images, photos and videos of the iPhone 7.

Leaked photo of iPhone 7 prototype and components

Our first leaked photo of iPhone componentry appears to be here, thanks to postings from the Chinese-language site AppleClub.tw and the French site NowhereElse.fr, both sites that have provided legitimate component leaks in the past. For this reason we're treating these as unconfirmed but likely to be genuine images - of iPhone 7 prototypes at least, if not the final design so far ahead of the likely launch date.

iPhone 7 leaked photos

All this said, there's not a huge amount that can be gleaned from the photos. You can see the iPhone 7's backlight, whose components and connectors look largely the same as the backlight on the iPhone 6s but have changed positions; a few other ports and apertures have also moved around, and AppleClub reckons the 3D Touch 'wafer' is in a different position too. This is our first confirmation that, as expected, Apple has rethought the iPhone's physical design, but but the extent of the redesign remains unknown.

iPhone 7 leaked photos

AppleClub got the scoop (sourcing the photos from the micro-messaging service WeChat) and then NowhereElse republished the images, but the latter added useful annotations and comparison images for the iPhone 6s, which is why we're reposting from that site. Rest assured that any further leaks from the supply chain will be posted as soon as we hear about them.

What the iPhone 7 would look like 'if Apple was a democracy'

Joy Of Tech, a regular webcomic satirising the tech industry - and which once featured Macworld publishing director Simon Jary, although that's another story - covers the iPhone 7 in its 11 January 2016 update. This shows what the artists think the iPhone 7 would look like "if Apple was a democracy" - in other words, incorporating all the features people like us are always saying they should include. We've posted a small taster below, but you should go to the site to enjoy it for yourself - and then stick around to read the other postings, most of which are good too.

iPhone 7 rumours: Joy of Tech comic

iPhone 7 'leaked' in new viral video

Is is that time already? Somebody on the production supply chain has got an early prototype or unfinished unit, grabbed a quick video of it and posted it online. The iPhone 7 has leaked, everyone!

But hold on for a second, because we're pretty sure it's a hoax. Take a look at the video embedded above and you'll notice a few oddities:

1) Anyone working with a confidential prototype would surely have their phone confiscated beforehand. And be searched afterwards. And watched closely at all times. For someone to have their hands on the hardware, alone, with access to a phone, is a bit implausible.

2) The person doing the filming gets caught… and yet is still able to post the footage. Was this originally a Periscope-style live broadcast? Again: possible but unlikely, unless they knew they were going to get caught.

3) The person who shouts "Hey!" at the end sounds suspiciously American. An American supervisor in a Chinese factory is not impossible - a visiting inspector from Cupertino, perhaps? - but unlikely. (It's also, let's be honest, deeply, deeply unconvincing as a piece of dramatic acting. HEY!)

Any of these elements taken alone would make us raise our eyebrows, but between the three of them they leave us in little doubt that this is a fake. A conclusion confirmed by the fact that the sharer - matched by a watermark logo on the video itself - is a company named Viral Video Lab, which has been accused of posting hoaxes before.

Here is an article about a Viral Video Lab clip explaining how to make a paper plane float on the hot air above a stove, and another about a 'walk along glider'. Both are, the article argues, completely fake. And if you look at the Viral Video Lab channel, most of the videos are of the 'believe it or not' type, with sketchy believability.

iPhone 7 leaked in (probably fake) video

For what it's worth, the 'iPhone 7' in the video has a horizontally edge-to-edge screen, no Home button and a rear-facing camera in the centre of the back rather than on one side. (It's hard to make out, but the slot on the bottom looks a bit wider than a Lightning port - almost like the old 30-pin dock, as unlikely as that sounds.)

iPhone 7 leaked in (probably fake) video

Concept video shows iPhone 7 running iOS 10

A video by a design firm named DeepMind, shows an iPhone 7 running iOS 10 on a stunning edge-to-edge screen. Interestingly enough, it retains the traditional screen allocation most of the time, with the menu bar sitting across the top of the screen about an inch down from the top of the phone and what appears to be a blank bezel at the top and bottom of the device - but when required, these areas spring to life as spare screen area. It's a lovely bit of work. Take a look:

There are also a couple of similar concept images that have come from iPhone-Tricks.com, with an edge-to-edge screen and running iOS 10. The concept shows iOS 10 with bigger app icons that are a bit like Android widgets.

Next up is a fan-made concept video examining the 'dynamic Home button' concept that we talked about in the new features section (among other new ideas). It's really well-made; Jony Ive, eat your heart out and here's a rather terrifying iPhone 7 parody video. None of it is real (thankfully), but it's quite funny. If you've recovered from that, shall we look at some iPhone 7 concept illustrations?

iPhone 7 concept illustrations

First up is a truly remarkable set of designs that take a key element of the Apple Watch design - the digital crown control - and transplants it on to the side of the iPhone. It's really far out there, in terms of plausibility, but a fascinating imaginative leap. What do you reckon?

iPhone 7 release date rumours: iPhone 7 concept image by ADR Studio

iPhone 7 release date rumours: iPhone 7 concept image by ADR Studio

iPhone 7 release date rumours: iPhone 7 concept image by ADR Studio

A little radical for our taste, as we say, but what a great bit of lateral thinking! These renders are by ADR Studio. Visit their website to see the rest of the set. Design student Marek Weidlich has also created an iPhone concept that takes inspiration from the Apple Watch, particularly when it comes to the OS.

Designer Martin Hajek is well known for his work in this area. He's created some beautiful images of the next iPhone, and his designs, like ADR's work above, looks at the ways in which its design could be informed by the Apple Watch - but in terms of colour options rather than drastic changes to the controls. Here are his visualizations of a Rose Gold iPhone:

iPhone 7 release date rumours: Rose Gold concept images by Martin Hajek

We've also seen some beautiful concept renders from the artist Yasser Farahi. Here are some of Farahi's stunning designs:

iPhone 7 concept illustrations by Yasser Farahi

As you can see above, Farahi has come up with some smart new colour options for the iPhone 7 - more varied than on the iPhone 6 series, but more restrained and adult than on the iPhone 5c. Here are the new 'wine' and 'copper' options in more detail:

iPhone 7 concept illustrations by Yasser Farahi

Let's return to our old friend Martin Hajek for a moment. A slightly older iPhone 7 design concept that Hajek came up with is based on the idea that the screen of the next iPhone will reach all the way to the edges, allowing the phone itself to be slightly smaller than the current iPhone 6 while accommodating the same amount of screen space.

iPhone 7 release date rumours and leaked images: Concept image by Martin Hajek

The illustration above shows a second concept that Hajek has come up with: putting holes in the display for the Touch ID button, speaker and front-facing camera

They're lovely, aren't they? There are lots more iPhone 7 concept images on Martin Hajek's website.

If that's not enough for you, we're also starting to see concept images of the iPhone 8. (Yep, the iPhone 8. This is getting ridiculous.)

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