It’s well documented that late Apple mastermind Steve Jobs worked on projects many years before they would ever land in the hands of tech fans, and a new report suggests that Jobs may even have had a hands-on approach with the design of the rumoured iPhone 5 handset prior to his death.

Bloomberg states that Jobs is thought to have been closely tied to the development of the next Apple smartphone, the second to be released since the iconic tech leader died.

Which makes some of the report’s other snippets of information all the more interesting. Bloomberg are citing several sources who claim that the next iPhone is to ditch the range’s traditional 3.5 inch size in favour of a screen approaching the 4-inch mark.

Jobs often stated that the 3.5 inch handset size was the “sweetspot” for mobile phone design; big enough to produce detailed, legible graphics, but small enough to fit comfortably in the hand and pocket.

If a new iPhone bumps up the screen size, does that mean Jobs had a change of heart? Of course it also depends upon what other tech makes its way into the phone that justifies or can only be facilitated by a larger size. Or had the visionary Jobs felt forced to join the screen-size race that Samsung’s Galaxy Note is the poster-boy for?

Other interesting tidbits from the report suggest a return to the angular design of the iPhone 4 and 4S rather than the older “teardrop” look of the 3GS, as well as a possible metal backplate.

Via: MacRumours

ViewQuest have updated their range of retro-styled radios. The Retro Radio Wi-Fi adds, you guessed it, wireless connectivity to the range, while a special edition Union Jack Retro Radio (without the Wi-Fi connectivity) has also been put together in time for this summer’s patriotic festivities.

Looking firstly at the Retro Radio Wi-Fi, you get wireless connectivity for accessing web radio stations and local weather and stock news through the backlit LCD display, an iPhone/iPod dock, Aux-in, DAB/FM radio and 10 channel presets. Packing 2×10 watt speakers, it’s available in two styles: ‘Black with Grey’ front and ‘Black with Cream’ front. It’s a penny shy of £149.99.

Next, the Union Jack Retro Radio offers similar connectivity, barring the wireless option. For £129.99 you’re getting an iPhone/iPod dock, DAB/FM radio, 10 presets, Aux-in, auto scan tuning, a backlit LCD screen and 15 hours of juice from four C size batteries, all wrapped up in leather Union Jack casing. It two uses 2×10 watt speakers.

We had the pleasure of a brief hands-on play with the Wi-Fi Retro Radio this week, and came away pleasantly surprised by the quality of its build and solid sound. We particularly liked the nifty pop-out iPod dock, keeping connections safely tucked away when not in use.

We’ll be getting the Wi-Fi equipped radio in for a review shortly, so keep your eyes peeled for that when it touches down on Tech Digest in the coming weeks.

For more infor, visit the ViewQuest website.

It’s been a long time coming, but we’re finally getting word in of the release of the Canon EOS 650D. Though expected to have hit this Spring (based on the back of Canon’s yearly product cycle) it now looks like we can expect to see the mid-level DSLR touch down in June.

And with that news also comes some leaked specs! The successor to the Canon EOS 600D (pictured above) that was released last year, expect to find an 18-megapixel CMOS in the 650D, as well as a 9-point AF system, with continuous auto focus in live and and video recording modes. All these features were included with the 600D, so we’re expecting to see improved variants on the systems.

An all-new touchscreen LCD however looks to be the key differentiator based on the leaked specs.

We’ll have a full run-down on the camera once it’s officially revealed this summer.

Via: Canonrumors

After months of speculation, Facebook will finally begin trading tomorrow morning at $38 (£24) per share, in what will be the biggest IPO from a web firm in history.

Friday’s listing will see $16 billion (£10bn) raised for Facebook’s NASDAQ index. It’ll also put a pretty penny in founder Mark Zuckerberg’s pocket, who will be selling 30 million shares for an expected $1.1bn (£700m). At that price, the 503.6 million shares and options Zuckerberg owns are valued at $19.1 billion, making him wealthier than Google Inc co- founders Sergey Brin and Larry Page, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index. He’ll also be the 29th richest man on the planet.

The $38 shares will be available to the public, which will see the entire company valued at a staggering $104 billion (£66bn) overall, with $81 (£51bn) market capitalisation.

Previously, Google held the largest web IPO, landing on the stock market in 2004 and raising $1.67bn (£1.05bn).

Though Facebook are in an entirely different league, not everyone is convinced the valuation is a worthy one.

David Menlow, president of IPO Financial.com, a company that tracks new public offerings, said that at $38 per share, Facebook is far too costly.

“Is it worth this much? No,” Menlow said, though admitted that as a long term investment the company could be worth buying into, adding “I think you’ve got some incredibly brilliant people working at this company.”

Comparisons are being made to Amazon’s initial début price, also thought to have been way overpriced at the time but paying dividends for shrewd, risk-taking investors who bought in at the time.