The numerous speculations and rumor mills about the iPhone 5 have been going around for quite a while now, from the look of the phone, the upgrades, design changes to its release date. Many even suspect whether the sixth member of the iPhone family would even be called iPhone 5! There have been plenty scattered leaks although none from the core Apple team. Recent news flash tells us that September 12^th is the date set to announce the release date.

The iPhone 5–An Evolutionary Step-Up

The iPhone 5 is expected to be a radical upgrade from the iPhone 4S. Design wise the phone may display a bigger picture with probable screen size popularly predicted to be up to 4 inches. The back plate may go two-tone with the elongated size although the phone is also said to hit the record in being the slimmest smartphone on the markets once released.

With plenty of mock-ups appearing from all over the place, a consensus can be achieved of a major redesign. This would mostly involve the dock connection getting smaller which are supported by hardware leaks like those related to new set of USB cables with smaller 8-pin connectors. This would also make space for the 3.5mm headphone jack at the base. The butterfly effect of such redesign can be expected to lead to high quality iPhone 5 accessories.

Further speculations by multiple sources also converge on areas such as the new iPhone’s processing power going for a quad-core first and about 1 GB RAM which does sound like Apple. Internally it is also likely that they upgraded the efficiency of their chipsets for delivering better battery life. For it will definitely be required considering the probability of an HD front-facing camera! Moreover since the new iPad brought along 4G, it’s only natural to expect the same from the new phone.

Considering the pricing trends by Apple, the phone is likely to be priced in the same range as the others although a higher capacity such as 128 GB might be made available resulting in a higher price. Surely the price won’t be the sole determinant of the real value of this phone which will call for protective additions like screen protectors, faceplates and stylish iPhone 5 covers from CellphoneAccents ensuring classic detailing, clean lines and four-corner protection.

Will it be Revolutionary?

There have been muffled talks about Apple heading for a liquidmetal armature bringing forth a superlative premium consumer product. Don’t be surprised to find these clad in the designer iPhone 5 cases from CellphoneAccents.

Yet another speculation points at the inclusion of NFC (near field communication) that will revolutionize mobile payments. Basically the phone will also work as the credit/debit card. Although NFC being a definite future may not mean being available in the new iPhone.

Citizens of the wireless world, make room for fashion as Jil Sander has just released a designer cell phone using Windows Phone 7.5 ‘Mango’ on an LG handset.

Jil Sander, based out of Germany, brings her eye for design to the world of smartphones. Her designer cell phone rivals that of HTC’s plum-faced Rhyme and ultimately those who are accustomed to the iconic iPhone-centric design seen with many smartphones.

What’s notable is that Jil Sander’s designer cell phone is not just an overpriced display for your cell phone charms or a blantantly bourgeois bling phone. Instead, it utilizes the latest version of the Windows Phone 7 operating system (codenamed Mango) and handset hardware from LG Electronics — both of which are underdogs in the current wireless market.

Though the phone was released in Europe, it serves as a precedent for fashion designers to search for markets outside of textiles to sell their brand names. The Jil Sander designer cell phone displays the German fashion house’s namesake where you would normally see an LG (or otherwise) logo. The ‘home button’ sports the telltale Windows logo as Mango’s easy-to-use smartphone interface is highly touted by Jil Sander Mobile.

Jil Sander Mobile released a video touting the phone’s fashionable features. At face value, they claim ‘modernity, purity, and understated luxury’ allowing one to ‘communicate in style.’ The phone is shown to be encased in a blue leather (faux or not is unknown) and when revealed, one can see the model-skinny inspiration Jil Sander took to her namesake designer cell phone. Aesthetics aside, the phone comes pre-loaded with a Jil Sander app, keeping you up to date with the latest fashion going-ons with the fashion house.

The Jil Sander phone bypasses the need for fashionable cell phone covers as it was designed with the intention of fashion-forward functionality. Mango, paired with LG’s hardware, should provide its Jil Sander supporters with the designer cell phone experience they have been waiting for.

Chiropractors have issued warnings against a condition plaguing those of us who are constantly tethered to our mobile devices.

‘Text neck’ is caused when one flexes their neck for extended periods of time, as we do when we are staring at the screens of our mobile devices. Chiropractors warn that arthritic damage may occur if the affliction is untreated. Extreme cases of text neck can make straightening one’s neck a very painful ordeal.

Repetitive strain on the neck has been on the rise with mobile devices like tablets causing users to strain for better viewing angles.

Rachael Lancaster, of Freedom Back Clinics in the UK, says joints and tissue in the neck are not meant to be in a flexed position for prolonged amounts of time, so staring down at mobile devices puts your neck under stress. ”Imagine sitting on your ankle sideways for 10 minutes. It would feel stiff and sore when you returned it to its natural position. That is exactly what people are doing with their necks. If people continue to put their necks in these positions, the body will gradually adapt to the stresses.’

To avoid the condition, The Telegraphgives us a couple pointers:

• take regular breaks from your mobile devices.
• sit straight and look straight ahead while tucking your chin back towards your neck
• rotate your shoulders with your arms at your sides

While using your phone, continue to sit up straight and hold the phone to your eyes so that you can maintain proper posture. The British Chiropractic Association, as stated in The Telegraph, claim that doctors were seeing more and more patients with text neck as a result of too much screen time on mobile devices and too little regular exercise.

Health Canada has developed guidelines for safe cell phone usage, explaining that exposure to the radiofrequency (RF) energy emitted by a cell phone should be reduced as much as possible. RF energy is given off by phones similar to what’s found with AM/FM radio and television broadcast signals. With the ever-increasing adoption of cell phones across the world it is important to perform in-depth research on the health risks devices may pose so that regulation may be imposed to ensure safety for all users.

Market Watch, who reported on Health Canada’s guidelines, gives a little background on RF energy risks stating that ‘there are a small number of epidemiology studies that have shown brain cancer rates might be elevated in long-term/heavy cell phone users;’ however, ‘other epidemiology studies on cell phone users, laboratory studies and animal cancer studies have not supported this association.’

The International Agency for Research on Cancer recently classified RF energy as ‘possibly carcinogenic to humans’ acknowledging that limited data exists suggesting RF energy increasing the risk for cancer in cell phone users.

Health Canada’s guidelines, in light of inconclusive research on RF energy emission, suggest the following:

• limiting the length of voice calls, especially encouraging those 18 years or under to limit usage
• replace calls with texts
• use cell phone headsets and hands-free kits

Health Canada’s suggestions are basic changes that consumers can implement with their cell phone usage. Their guidelines sets general public exposure limits to RF energy ’50 times lower than the threshold for potentially adverse health effects,’ according to the press release.

Data and calls are transmitted and received from cell phone towers, using minimal power to keep RF energy exposure levels well below safety limits. However, the transmitting power of a cell phone may vary depending on the type of cellular network it uses and distance from the nearest tower. Transmitting power typically increases the further away you move from the nearest cell phone tower.

Though services such as Health Canada continue to research on the potential effects of exposure to RF energy, it wouldn’t hurt to purchase a Bluetooth headset just in case your cell phone turns out to be harming you in the long run.