Possible iPhone 7 Dummy Unit Showcases Removed Antenna Bands, Smart Connector, and Flush Camera

An anonymous tipster has submitted a photo of a possible preproduction iPhone 7 dummy unit that could easily be fake, but offers a good visual representation of rumors surrounding the next-generation smartphone.

The unverified photo shows what appears to be a silver iPhone 7 with a similar form factor as the iPhone 6s, beyond at least three notable differences.

The first is the absence of rear antenna bands, giving the rear shell a cleaner all-metal look. Earlier this year, a previously reliable source informed us that Apple would indeed remove the antenna bands across the rear of the iPhone 7.

The antenna bands would instead be repositioned along the top and bottom edges of the iPhone, as shown in a number of mockups such as our own below. The bands slightly extend to the side edges of the iPhone akin to the current design.

The second is the inclusion of a Smart Connector, first introduced on the iPad Pro, that could allow for both data and power transfer between the iPhone 7 and accessories. Speculation about the port’s exact role on the iPhone 7 has ranged from battery case connectivity to wireless charging.

Multiple reports have claimed the next iPhone will feature a Smart Connector, supported by a purported image of the iPhone 7 Plus featuring the port, but the latest word from oft-reliable Japanese website Mac Otakara suggests Apple may have ditched those plans until at least next year or perhaps indefinitely.

A third difference is what appears to be a flush camera lens, without the infamous protruding ring found on the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6s series. Early rumors pointed towards a flush design, but more recent rumors suggest the camera could remain slightly convex. The photo does not depict a dual-lens camera system, which could be exclusive to the iPhone 7 Plus. The microphone and LED flash remain unchanged.

A possible fourth but less distinguishable change may be the absence of a 3.5mm headphone jack, which multiple sources claimed would be removed on the iPhone 7. This rumor also carries some uncertainty with it after images of a possible Lightning cable assembly with a headphone jack, considered to be appropriate for the next iPhone, surfaced last week.

However, despite rumors claiming the iPhone 7 could also have stereo speakers, there still appears to be only one grille to the left of a Lightning port and microphone on the bottom. If ever realized, dual speakers could possibly be exclusive to the larger iPhone 7 Plus/Pro or delayed until the 2017 iPhone with an OLED display and glass casing.

Earlier today, a claimed design drawing of the iPhone 7 pointed towards the next-generation smartphone having the same length and width as the iPhone 6s. The device’s overall form factor is expected to resemble the iPhone 6 from 2014, resulting in three consecutive generations of the same design beyond minor tweaks.

Other rumored features for the iPhone 7 series include a faster TSMC-built A10 chip, touch-sensitive home button, waterproofing and dustproofing, faster Intel LTE modems, and a slightly larger battery. At this point, however, it is still not entirely clear which features are designated for the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus, expected to be announced in September, or the OLED-based iPhone due in 2017.

Related Roundup: iPhone 7
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You can now enjoy Nintendo Virtual Boy games on Google Cardboard

The Nintendo Virtual Boy was ahead of its time, sort of. It was a VR system by Nintendo that essentially flopped badly. Some titles from the old 3D console were actually pretty good and now you can enjoy them on your Google Cardboard setup thanks to a modified unofficial Virtual Boy emulator. Reddit user The-King-of-Spain has managed to get a selection of old titles working on Cardboard. To work the magic you’ll need the Android vintage emulator RetroArch, including ROMs you wish to load up), Google Cardboard VR headset and a compatible smartphone.

What makes this rather awesome is how you’ll be able to experience titles like Wario Land on Google Cardboard. There’s little investment aside from configuring the emulator on your smartphone. Here’s a video of it all in action:

Thankfully, The-King-of-Spain notes that he has not experienced motion sickness or any issues while enjoying certain Virtual Boy titles on Google Cardboard. As noted in the Reddit post:

“After about 30 minutes of play time, I’m not experiencing any of the Virtual Boy’s trademark motion sickness. There’s also something to be said for playing the games in grayscale instead of the headache-inducing red. It’s pretty cool to see Virtual Boy games in their full stereoscopic glory, but the added depth doesn’t seem to add much value gameplay-wise.”

There are some detailed instructions available for those who wish to take the plunge. Be sure to read through them all carefully to get everything working right. Have you managed to enjoy Virtual Boy titles on Google Cardboard? If so, let us know in the comments!

T-Mobile customers will be able to use their phones in Cuba this summer

T-Mobile has announced it has signed a interconnect and roaming deal with Empresa De Telecomunicaciones De Cuba. It will allow T-Mobile customers to use their phones for calls, texts and data while they are traveling in Cuba sometime later this summer.

T-Mobile’s press release states the new agreement will also allow T-Mobile Simple Choice customers to call landlines and wireless phones in Cuba from the U.S. for just $0.60 per minute if they are signed up for the “Stateside International Talk” feature, which costs $15 a month. It added:

More than a third (36.6%) of Cuban-born wireless customers are with T-Mobile, more than AT&T and triple the number of Verizon customers. And, customers in Cuban-American hubs like Miami are choosing T-Mobile and MetroPCS nearly twice as often as AT&T or Verizon. Not surprisingly, Cuba is the #1 requested addition to T-Mobile’s international roaming on social media. Naturally, the Un-carrier is listening and responding to its customers.

There’s no word yet on what the roaming rates will be for T-Mobile customers traveling in Cuba.

Lenovo aims to change how you think about and use your personal devices

Lenovo has announced that it will be holding its second annual tech world conference on June 9 in San Francisco, CA. The company will be launching the first Project Tango-enabled phone with Google, as well as unveiling some new tech that was designed by Motorola. With this new technology, Lenovo hopes to be able to change the way we interact with and feel about our most personal devices.

From Lenovo’s announcement:

Tech World 2016 will also host major product announcements; we’ll launch the world’s first consumer Project Tango-enabled smartphone in partnership with Google. Project Tango brings augmented reality to your smartphone, including gaming, navigation, and other utilities. This device gives you a totally new way to experience the world – enabling you to do things never imagined, from indoor mapping your way around a museum to creating a 3D gaming environment to visualizing how a new refrigerator fits into your kitchen.

Lenovo will also announce new mobile technology designed by Motorola that will dramatically change the way people think about and use their most personal devices – in a snap.

The conference will be held on June 9 in San Francisco, California. It will be interesting to see what Lenovo brings to the table, and how the company will use its Motorola acquisition to further its product lines.

Personal electric plane won’t need an airport

Now that hoverboards are an honest-to-god thing, we have to say we’re pretty disappointed with how flying cars have worked out. Another company has jumped into the fray with a vertical take-off plane called the Lilium that can soar at 400 km/h (250 mph). We’d normally say they’re dreaming with the specs: A 10,000 foot ceiling, 500 km (310 mile) range and helicopter-like takeoffs, all on battery power. However, it’s hosted by a European Space Agency (ESA) incubator and the team from the Technical University of Munich plans manned tests next year.

The Lilium has wings and flies like a regular plane, but takes off like a helicopter by swiveling its ducted fan engines, much like DARPA’s VTOL X-Plane concept. The engines, batteries and controllers are all redundant for safety, and it can take off in a space as small as 50 x 50 feet. The inventors want to certify it in the light sport aircraft (LSA) category, meaning pilots with as little as 20 hours training could fly it in good weather conditions. To start with, though, it would be confined to airfields and take off like a regular airplane.

The plan is to eventually get it approved for vertical takeoffs, which would be fully controlled by a computer rather than a pilot. It will feature fly-by-wire joystick controls and a touchscreen, panoramic windows, a retractable landing gear and recharging system that could plug into regular power. Thanks to the ducted engines, it’ll be much quieter than helicopters during takeoff and landing.

Despite the ESA’s backing, the project has a lot of hoops to jump through. As we’ve mentioned, certification for regular airplanes is already time-consuming and expensive, and the Lilium hardly qualifies as regular. Getting it approved for vertical takeoffs is really a stretch, as the only comparable aircraft is the V22 Osprey, which cost billions to certify. Also, 500 km on battery power sounds very dubious, considering the high performance.

However, the inventors have already flown a half-scale prototype (above) and plan to fly a full-scale model this summer, with manned flights ambitiously scheduled for 2017. However, we’ve heard that tune before from Terrafugia, AeroMobile and numerous other wannabe flying cars, and we’re still waiting.

Source: ESA

Spotify is making its own video shows

Spotify is rapidly scaling its video ambitions with a slate of original series. The Swedish company has announced a dozen new shows which it says will be available later this year for both free and premium users in four countries — the US, the UK, Germany and Sweden. As with its current video offerings, which include TED Talks and clips from The Daily Show with Trevor Noah, you’ll only be able to watch them on an Android or iOS device. Notably, all of them will be music themed, centering around live performances, artist interviews or documentary-style narration.

Some of the highlights include Rush Hour, a show which challenges two hip hop artists to make a new remix or collaboration in the back of a van. Stuck in Los Angeles traffic, they’ll need to put the track together before arriving at a secret stage in a parking lot. There, they’ll have to perform the track to a crowd of rambunctious fans. Another, Landmark, will be a documentary series explaining moments or movements in music history. Along with exclusive interviews and archival footage, there will be a companion podcast breaking down the tracks in each episode.

Spotify is the leader in music streaming. To continue growing, however, and beat back its rivals, the company is expanding into other types of media. It wants the service to be known as a destination for podcasts and video, not just an app for listening to the new Kanye West record. Whether people want that functionality is, for now, unclear, but that hasn’t stopped other companies from making similar moves. Google Play Music now offers podcasts, for instance, while Tidal and Apple Music are developing their own original video series. Everyone hopes that all, or some of these features will convince people to subscribe or switch services.

“We are developing original content that is rooted in music, pop culture, and animation that is driven by the passion and sense of humor of our audience,” Tom Calderone, Global Head of Content Partnerships at Spotify said. “We are working with artists, producers and partners who understand that the Spotify audience has a strong connection to artists and wants to go deeper into their worlds, see their performances and expressions, and hear their stories.”

Source: Spotify, Bloomberg

Hyperloops tap into government research to float pods

One of the two competing Hyperloop companies has made a major announcement concerning how it’s going to make high speed transport a reality. Hyperloop Transportation Technologies has signed a deal with the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory to harness Inductrack, a form of passive repulsion technology. Traditional MagLev systems require a constant supply of power, adding cost and complexity to most bullet train systems. By comparison, passive repulsion operates with a single series of magnets that can be mounted on each capsule. That’s going to make Hyperloop a lot cheaper and easier to maintain, which should hopefully encourage more cities to consider buying one.

If you’ve ever held a magnet against something metallic and felt it try to push itself away, then you understand the basic principles of passive repulsion. In this context, the Hyperloop capsule would have a series of magnets aligned around the outside of its frame. The magnets would be arranged in a Halbach array, which would align the magnetic force outwards, rather than in towards the passengers. If successful, then each pod would hang in mid air, not touching any surface and ensuring friction-free travel. That lack of resistance, combined with the Hyperloop’s near-vacuum environment, is what enables it to reach such high (theoretical) speeds.

It looks as if passive repulsion is going to be a key component of Hyperloop projects, and this isn’t the first time it’s been discussed in this context. Earlier this year, Arx Pax, the makers of the Hendo Hoverboard demonstrated how its magnetic field architecture technology could be used to keep a pod afloat. There are cost implications either way, however, since Arx Pax’s system only works against surfaces covered with aluminum. Inductrack, by comparison, requires braided copper wire to be run along the inside of the Hyperloop tube.

If you’re not all caught up with the current state of Hyperloop, then now is as good a time as any to check out our detailed explainer on the subject.

Apple Accepting Red Cross Donations for Alberta Fires Relief

Apple is now accepting donations to the Canadian Red Cross through iTunes in Canada to help people affected by large wildfires in the Fort McMurray, Alberta area.

iTunes donations to the Canadian Red Cross can be made in the amount of $5, $10, $25, $50, $100, or $200. iTunes Store credit cannot be used to make a donation and no tax receipt will be provided.

The Fort McMurray wildfires began on May 1 and have since grown to reach over 200,000 hectares in size, damaging communities and forcing over 80,000 residents to evacuate to southern cities such as Edmonton and Calgary.

Apple facilitates Red Cross donations to support many relief efforts worldwide, including for the recent earthquakes in Japan and Ecuador.

Tag: Red Cross
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