The idea of the iPhone 5 using wireless charging technology is actually not a new one, as news sites were reporting it as far back as last fall when the world was waiting for Apple to release the next iPhone (which was ultimately dubbed the iPhone 4S and not iPhone 5 as many expected). News site IBTimes.com is the latest to report that the iPhone 5 is likely to be enabled for wireless charging.

According to IBTimes, “One of the best features that iPhone enthusiasts can expect in the iPhone 5 is the inductive wireless charging technology for the device.” While IBTimes didn’t cite a source for this tidbit, it still seems pretty likely that Apple will give the iPhone 5 wireless charging as Apple knows the demand for it and has been steadily moving away from the reliance on cables.

What the iPhone 5 Wireless Charging Technology Could Look Like

It’s too early to tell what the wireless charging technology could look like, as there are so many different ways that Apple could implement it in the iPhone 5. However, it’s possible that Apple may go the Powermat route with a built-in charging receiver and a mat that is either purchased or included with the iPhone 5. This mat would be plugged into a wall connector.

As you can see from the image above of the Powermat, essentially the iPhone wears a case that is connected to the dock connector. When the case is placed on the mat (which is plugged into an outlet), the phone is able to charge through the case. It’s presumed that Apple won’t force iPhone 5 users to wear a clunky case (like Powermat users have to), but rather that this charging ability will be built in and will work even if third party cases are applied.

The big question is, will Apple charge extra for the charging mat? It’s possible that Apple may include the wireless charging capability with the iPhone 5 by default, but force users to either stick with the traditional charging cable method or pony up extra for the mat to fully take advantage of wireless charging. However, given Apple’s tendency to want to please people, they might just include all of the wireless charging accessories with the phone.

Why It’s Useful For You

We’ve all been there: we go to charge our iPhone 4S or iPhone 4, only to discover our cable has gone bad. Maybe it’s been chewed up by an animal or has just died after a long life. Regardless, it’s an inconvenience. And replacing a data sync cable can actually be pretty expensive, with Apple charging over $20USD for an official charging cable.

With a wireless charging iPhone 5, users would not have to worry about replacing the cable. They wouldn’t have to rush out to the store for a replacement and fork over $20—all they’d have to do is stick it on the charging mat to charge the device. Simple.

Another nice thing about a wireless charging iPhone 5 is the fact that it would reduce clutter and may even help the environment, as it’s one less cable to dispose of after it’s no longer useful.
What Do You Think?

Does an iPhone 5 with wireless charging capabilities interest you? What other iPhone 5 features would you like to see? Leave us a comment below and let you thoughts be heard.

via:iphone5latest.com

Rumors of iOS 5.1 including native Facebook integration first surfaced in January when iMore found a contact field for your Facebook ID within the contacts app in iOS 5.1 beta 3. Now, we have come across some more evidence that should confirm this rumor.

Thanks to some super sleuthing by the guys at Techie Buzz, they have noticed that updates being sent from the native iOS Facebook app once again show up as sent via ‘Facebook for iPhone’ or ”Facebook for iPad’, depending upon your device. If you remember, Facebook stopped showing this message a while back and would only show sent via ‘Mobile’, which is also what you see when you post an update through the Android app. This happened around the same time when Apple dropped Facebook sharing option from Ping.

But now it seems in preparation for the Facebook integration within iOS, Facebook has changed the way updates sent from the iOS app are being reported. And this is happening just a few hours before the iPad 3 event, where Apple is likely to also announce iOS 5.1. Meanwhile, updates sent from the Android app continue to be shown as sent via ‘Mobile’.

So it seems Apple and Facebook have finally put aside their differences and decided to work together. The Facebook integration should come as a welcome addition and will benefit everyone involved, the user, Apple as well as Facebook.