It's time for another installment of "This Week In Apple Rumors," where we bring you the latest speculation and gossip about the machinations and iWidgets coming out of the notoriously secretive company in Cupertino, Calif. Recently we heard rumors about the iWatch, a release date for a bigger iPad, a Siri-enabled smart dock, Apple-designed eyewear and more.
Wireless charging on the iWatch?!
A December report from Ctech, a Chinese site, relayed by G4Games, says that wireless charging could be coming to the so-called iWatch, Apple's wrist-worn device that we keep hearing about, but never see. According to G4Games, the watch, which reportedly will come with a 100-mAh battery, can charge from up to a meter away from a charging station.
But you're going to have to wait for it ...
Even though we've seen reports that the iWatch could arrive in the second quarter of 2014, the Ctech report, via G4Games, says it's not coming until October.
iOS 7.1 Coming in March
BGR's Jonathan Geller reported recently that iOS 7.1, the update to Apple's latest mobile operating system, will be released in March. The details are scant at this point, though according to reports the new version could include, along with bug fixes, iOS in the Car integration and more accessability options, like a a darker keyboard.
Larger iPad Release Date
We've previously heard that a 12.9-inch iPad (iPad Pro?) would be released in the second half of this year, and now a report in DigiTimes is claiming a release date of October. Apple's iPad has a 9.7-inch display while the iPad Mini has a 7.9-inch display.
A Siri-enabled "Smart Dock"
AppleInsider last month pointed us toward a patent application that was filed for an always-listening "smart dock" that could allow people to use Siri, the voice-activated personal assistant, without ever picking up an iPad or iPhone. The dock, according to AppleInsider, would have a microphone, a speaker, and even a touchscreen and wireless inductive charging capability. To do anything beyond being a basic clock radio, though, it would need an iOS device.
Of course, there are already Android phones, namely Motorola's Moto X and some Droid handsets, that have "always-listening" functionality.
A "Desk-Free Computer"
It's not a desktop, it's not a laptop and it's not a tablet. (And no, it's not a Surface 2.) According to AppleInsider, Apple on Dec. 17 got a patent for a "desk-free computer" that would be "externally wire-free." And instead of using a monitor, the box would project (via a light bulb, LED or maybe even "laser-diode") onto a wall or other surface.
But as AppleInsider explains, this would be more than a traditional projector. It would be equipped with a camera, accelerometer, and ambient light and depth sensors to "collect data regarding a display surface's color, texture and other features to dynamically produce an optimized image."
Apple Glass ...
Well, it's more Oculus Rift, the virtual reality 3D gaming headset, than Google Glass, the search giant's Internet-connected eyewear. According to Patently Apple, in December a patent was published for a head-mounted display for watching media and perhaps playing games in 3D.
The display, which according to the patent "may resemble ski or motorcycle goggles," could one day have a pretty cool feature: The device could adjust an image so someone who wears prescription glasses could use the headgear without wearing their specs.
It's certainly not the first time Apple has received patents for this type of technology, as Patently Apple notes, but it's clear the company is taking wearable tech seriously.
Check out the images from the patent on Patently Apple.