An uncovered patent made by Apple reveals plans to create an iPod powered by light.

MacRumors reports that it has found a patent by Apple to create an iPod (and presumably an iPhone) with a solar panel under the LCD screen by which it can generate additional power.  The patent postulates a thin three-level sandwich of sorts that incorporates a touch sensitive layer, a display and a photovoltaic panel. The unique Apple twist is that by doing so it won’t have to create a separate charging panel; it’ll look the same, only you don’t have to charge it as often, or at all. With its giant screen, the iPhone’ll be especially energy-efficient.

The patent also mentions that the multiple solar cells would be coupled directly with specific components within the device, including the memory and the data-processing system.

Talk about hot gadgets. This is way cool, but don’t hold your breath just yet.

The chief executive of Intel Germany has revealed that Apple is developing a touchscreen device similar to an iPhone, but larger, and with a bigger touchscreen.

Hannes Schwaderer made the statement at an event held in Munich, Germany that this alleged tablet-device-phone-pda-something will be using his company’s new Atom processor for mobile devices. This supports rumors circulating the net that Apple is indeed developing a tablet gadget for general computing that may or not be a new iPhone model. Whether this announcement is based on fact or on one too many brewskis is yet to be determined.

Can you say Newton 2.0?

(Via Electronista)

Rumors are rolling in about the next gen iPhone!

Engadget’s Ryan Block’s trusted source’s test unit (whew!) is alledgedly slightly thicker than the original, but retains almost everything else - size, shape, screen resolution, non-user-replaceable battery, save for a few marked differences: an all glossy non-metal black back, chrome volume buttons, a regular, unrecessed earphone port (thank God), and the much-awaited 3G and GPS features.

Also, no word on storage capacity (anyone for 32gb?) or battery life. Power is a major concern because of the newly introduced 3G and GPS and how those’d affect power consumption (which was the reason they were left out in the first place). Might make the Mophie Juice Pack (which we mentioned in a previous post) a bigger deal - if the new unit would be compatible with it, that is.

Of course, as Ryan says, no one can tell with Apple if this’ll be the one that’ll come out this year (as early as July, they say). For all we know, knowing Steve Jobs, this might well be a red herring he’s throwing out to get us off track. It could be totally different. Abangan!

The entire Mac world is going nuttier than the fruitcakes we got for Christmas that we aren’t touching, now that the Macworld Keynote is just a little over a week away.

Normally I don’t entertain these pointless rumorfests and try not to jump on the bandwagon, but I must admit, the fever is high and I’m starting to have a temperature myself. I think the heightened expectations are fueled by the advent of the iPhone and the related tech that came with it, notably the multi-touch interface. Which is why a multi-touch Mac is one of the popular, though least likely, candidates for the “one more thing” shtick of Steve this year.

A site called AppleTell has floated a roundup of predictions, from the Very Likely (Mac OS 10.5.2 and the sub-notebook), the Possible (iPod HiFi and 3G/16gb iPhone) and the Improbable (multi-touch tablet Mac).

The three things that have me in a tizzy are the updated iPhone, the multi-touch Mac and the subnotebook, particularly the latter. A lot of my friends who want to upgrade to a newer laptop have been holding out for Macworld just in case a Macbook Lite comes out (me included). Small form factors seem to be a big deal for some Mac users - personally I miss my old 12″ Powerbook and have been looking for something like it for a while now.

(While I wait, I’m currently satisfying my UMPC craving with an Asus EeePC running Xandros, a Linux variant, for the moment, and I am so enamored with the lightness, portability and convenience of the thing that I actually started a new blog for it, just for fun. If reading it won’t hurt your Mac sensibilities, check out my new EeePC blog here.)

I know one thing for sure - I’m staying up late for Macworld 08 live online coverage by our usual suspects next week (in Manila it starts about 1AM on the 16th, or thereabouts). And the following morning, me and other Mac blogs will be writing up a storm for sure. I love this time of the year.

For the full Macworld rumor roundup, click here.

Stocks too, actually.

It’s been found that Apple has been spying on iPhone users by sending back info on your IMEI and iPhone usage by secretly phoning home the information everytime an iPhone user uses the Weather and Stock widgets built into the phones.

Say what?

Website uneasysilence claims that there is code embeded in the widgets (and presumably others as well - is Mail part of this?) that tracks the information and sends it back to the mothership via a special URL, and the site says it has proof. So when you update the Weather or check on your AAPL stock on the phone, Apple knows the specific phone you’re using, your IP address, your weather interests - and your stocks. And this info collection is done worldwide. Huh?

Fine print in your iPhone EULA says you actually agreed to this invasion of privacy:

When you interact with Apple, we may collect personal information relevant to the situation, such as your name, mailing address, phone number, email address, and contact preferences; your credit card information and information about the Apple products you own, such as their serial numbers and date of purchase; and information relating to a support or service issue.”

If you use the iPhone legally, there’s hope that you might be able to do something about it, but those among us with unlocked and jailbroken units might not have a leg to stand on as far as this invasion of privacy is concerned.

If this is true, it’s the height of irony that the original Mac ad about Big Brother watching is true - and that Apple is Big Brother.