Even though Apple’s next iPhone is unlikely to launch until this fall, there’s already been a mountain of speculation about the device, such as that it may feature a new unibody design with a larger screen. There are many ways that Apple could incorporate a larger screen (a 4-inch screen seems to be the most common rumor), but one recent line of thought strikes me as especially interesting.

A reader of the Verge posted an idea in their forums, suggesting that Apple could move to a 4-inch display by increasing only the height of the display, which could enable Apple to pack in a bigger screen without increasing the size of the iPhone itself (or making it only slightly larger).

The trouble is that if you increase the size of the entire display without increasing the resolution, you would no longer be able to call it a Retina display, but if you altered the resolution, developers would have to rewrite their apps. so how could you build a 4 inch display for the iPhone?

The reader explains his idea as follows:

“Change the aspect ratio. As I mentioned above, all iPhones (and iPod touches) have had an aspect ratio of 3:2. could Apple change the aspect ratio to increase the screen size while maintaining the same 326ppi (pixels per inch)?

…For those of you who are good with numbers I’m sure you’ve noted that 1152 x 640 has an aspect ratio of 9:5 and the 1152 pixels is an increase of 192 from 960 and that’s 20% more than on the iPhone 4 and 4S.”

The trouble here is that altering the aspect ratio of the screen would likely cause problems for developers as well. while the reader points out that many apps use only standard interface elements, such as a title bar and a menu, with the actual content in between, a future version of iOS could simply detect apps build using standard elements and automatically adjust the interface.

But what about apps that don’t use standard elements? the reader suggests that these apps could simply be letter-boxed to the current 960 x 640 area until they are redesigned for the new larger screen.

While it seems like an interesting idea (and the mockups over at the Verge do look pretty good), changing the aspect ratio of the screen could lead to fragmentation problems. If a developer redesigns their app for the new form factor, either users of current iPhones would be left out, or the developer would have to create a second interface just for the new iPhone.

Any developer that doesn’t like the idea of their app being letter-boxed (or doesn’t appreciate the way iOS “rearranges” their content) would be burdened with creating an all-new version of the app just to keep up.

In the end, while it is an interesting thought experiment, it doesn’t seem likely that Apple would make such a major change to the next iPhone. First, the increased screen size wouldn’t really have much of a practical point – what would the user really gain from this? And second, it would put a number of developers at a disadvantage.

Nevertheless, it’s great to see people thinking about this issue and coming up with ideas. what are your thoughts?

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Could the Next iPhone Have a Taller 4-inch Display?

Plus Google Music losing users?, Microsoft’s clumsy lobbying, good commenting style, see yourself being tracked and more

A quick burst of 9 links for you to chew over, as picked by the Technology team

Android ‘Key Lime Pie’ comes after Jelly Bean >> the Verge

We’ve been tipped by a reliable source today that Google will be using the name “Key Lime Pie” for the version of Android that comes after Jelly Bean.

That’s the version after the version that hasn’t yet been officially announced, and after the one that has just started to appear on devices.

Microsoft v Google: How not to win friends and influence people | the Economist

The latest seminar was a textbook example of how not to lobby. ICOMP invited Christopher Graham, Britain’s information commissioner, and Georgina Nelson, a lawyer with Which?, a consumer-rights group, to give the event a veneer of respectability. but the aim of the evening seemed to be to give Pamela Jones Harbour, a former commissioner at the Federal Trade Commission, a platform from which to attack Google.

not very subtle. the smart thing would be for Google to apply to join ICOMP. if it gets rejected, that pretty much shows ICOMP up as biased. if it gets in, it can try to adjust the agenda. (Thanks @modelportfolio2003 for the link.)

Anonymous, decentralized and uncensored filesharing is booming >> TorrentFreak

The RetroShare network allows people to create a private and encrypted file-sharing network. Users add friends by exchanging PGP certificates with people they trust. all the communication is encrypted using OpenSSL and files that are downloaded from strangers always go through a trusted friend. in other words, it’s a true Darknet and virtually impossible to monitor by outsiders. RetroShare founder DrBob told us that while the software has been around since 2006, all of a sudden there’s been a surge in downloads. “The interest in RetroShare has massively shot up over the last two months,” he said.

It’s serverless, so it’s like Limewire and other decentralised networks. but the PGP swapping is going to be a big hurdle; this isn’t going to get big in a hurry.

Retina display Macs, iPads, and HiDPI: Doing the Math >> TUAW

Richard Gaywood does the maths. You may be surprised at the Apple non-phone that in effect already has a retina display; and the non-Apple product which does too.

Why Google+ doesn’t care if you never come back >> TechCrunch

Isn’t it curious that Google+ doesn’t actually show you any ads? It’s because the time-on-site and page views there are trivial. Hit the road, Jack. Don’t you ever come back and post an update, upload a photo, or add anyone to your Circles. It doesn’t matter. What’s important to Google is getting your biographical data.

Logically consistent.

Our comments policy >> Hacker News

We like this:

The test for substance is a lot like it is for links. does your comment teach us anything? there are two ways to do that: by pointing out some consideration that hadn’t previously been mentioned, and by giving more information about the topic, perhaps from personal experience. whereas comments like “LOL!” or worse still, “That’s retarded!” teach us nothing. empty comments can be ok if they’re positive. There’s nothing wrong with submitting a comment saying just “Thanks.” what we especially discourage are comments that are empty and negative–comments that are mere name-calling.

Interactive demo: how sites track you across the net >> Collusion

HTML5 demo showing how you get tracked by cookies across various sites. Available as a downloadable add-on for Firefox. more than a little creepy:

If you haven’t realized it yet, companies are tracking you across most of the sites you visit daily on the web. It’s quite likely that these companies know more about you than your government. some of them might even know more about you than your best friends.

Sony’s Comeback >> Seeking Alpha

Derek Cheung, money manager of Honny LP:

The screen of the Xperia has the same resolution as the iPhone 4s (330 pixels per square inch)! That’s one of the iPhone’s biggest selling points, and something to this day unmatched by phones like the Samsung Galaxy S2. the Sony’s aluminum body gives it the best build quality of all Android phones. believe me when I say that this is going to take share of mind.

Let us know how things are going if Derek is managing your money. (Thanks @rquick for the link.)

Google Music Losing Users Weekly >> Wayne’s World

According to a highly placed digital music executive, Google Music has actually been losing customers week over week-consistently-since it’s launch last November. “I’ve never seen anything like it”, the source said.”It’s astounding. It’s hard to believe that with an install base of over 200 million Android handsets they’re actually losing customers.” Evidently some label execs are very concerned that things are so bad at Google Music that the mothership might just decide to pull the plug on the whole service, except for the geniuses at Warner Music who have refused to license it. the thinking is that the industry needs for Google Music to be successful so that the whole sector prospers. A failure of Google Music would be perceived as a setback and, of course, a loss of much-needed revenue for the labels.

Rosso has tended to have an inside track from the music industry, so this is worth noting. unlikely that Google would pull the plug – there’s always the chance of a miracle – but comments suggest that Amazon’s music locker does it better.

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Boot up: filesharing rises again, Google+’s data grab, Retina displays analysed and more

The company, as it has in the past, has taken down its online store to prepare for the launch of Apple’s nexttablet.

The Apple Store is down.

(Credit:Screenshot by Don Reisinger/CNET)

Apple’s online store is down, which can only mean one thing: new products are launching soon.

In just a couple of short hours, Apple will be holding itsiPad event in San Francisco. as it has in the past with other product launches, the company has taken its online store down to update it with the goodies it plans to unveil today.

And what might those goodies be? Apple has already made it clear it’ll be showing off a new iPad, though there is some question whether it will be called the “iPad 3″ or the “iPad HD.” just yesterday, The Verge reported, citing sources, that Apple will also show off a new Apple TV at the event.

Apple’s online store won’t be back up until the iPad 3 event is over. But if you want to find out what the company unveils before then, be sure to come back for CNET’s live blog, which starts at 9:30 a.m. PT.

Apple online store taken down as iPad announcement looms

Plus what it’s like to pitch to Amazon’s Jeff Bezos, and new York Times reviews Windows Phone

A quick burst of 10 links for you to chew over, as picked by the Technology team

Acer’s AcerCloud unveil is a blatant iCloud ripoff | the Verge

“Which is which? Acer just showed off its AcerCloud service, something that already sounded suspiciously like Apple’s iCloud. Even the “PicStream” element sounds a lot like Photo Stream. Still not convinced? Acer basically ripped off Apple’s slide wholesale, outside of the font, which is a simulacrum of Apple’s font of yore. Check out both slides below.” the slides are indeed a ripoff, though it’s hard to argue that the idea of having a cloud storage system is unique to Apple. although the key point here is that this isn’t connected to Google, and it’s like Apple’s iCloud in that it abstracts the file system away – you have photos and you have documents.

Microsoft, defying image, has a design gem in Windows Phone >> NYTimes.com

Microsoft’s team draw an interesting analogy with the plight of the hiker who got his arm trapped under the boulder and had to cut it off.

The Restart Page – Free unlimited rebooting experience from vintage operating systems

Does what it says. Amazing. This is what the web was made for. Or something.

Real QR Statistics from TfL >> Terence Eden

People have been scanning the QR code to get live bus updates. Helpfully, TfL has used a public shortener, which means the platform (haha) and other statistics are available.

Steve Yegge: how to present to Jeff Bezos (without dying) >> Google+

Entertaining description of what it’s like to present to Bezos (ie very scary). He is one of the least-profiled people around.

Yahoo seeking new board members >> WSJ.com

“Yahoo Inc. is searching for several new board candidates to replace possible outgoing directors and has hired executive search firm Heidrick & Struggles International Inc. to assist in that effort, people familiar with the matter said. “The search for board candidates is aimed at possibly replacing directors who have been on the board for a long time, the people said.” just go back and check whether the first letter of each paragraph spells out R-O-Y-B-O-S-T-O-C-K and J-E-R-R-Y-Y-A-N-G.

Motorola Mobility says Holiday quarter wasn’t so jolly >> AllThingsD

“Motorola Mobility on Friday warned that fourth-quarter sales won’t be what many were expecting. “The cellphone maker said it estimates its sales totaled $3.4bn, and that it will post ‘modest profitability’, excluding various items. Motorola said it shipped about 10.5m mobile devices in the quarter, just over half of which were smartphones. “While Motorola itself hadn’t given a forecast for the quarter, analysts were expecting sales to be a lot closer to $3.9bn.” Its last of four quarters as an independent company? (And: giving out mobile phone figures? how declasse.)

Windows 8 Storage Spaces: pooling redundant disk space for all >> Ars Technica

“When Microsoft killed Windows Home Server’s “Drive Extender” technology, we mourned its loss but held up hope that the company would persevere with the concept. the company has done just that with a new Windows 8 feature called Storage Spaces, described in a lengthy post to its Building Windows 8 blog. “With Storage Spaces, physical disks are grouped together into pools, and pools are then carved up into spaces, which are formatted with a regular filesystem and are used day-to-day just like regular disks. “Unlike RAID systems of old, but in common with other modern storage technologies such as Solaris’ ZFS and Linux’s btrfs, pools can use disks of different interface technologies–USB, SATA, Serial Attached SCSI–and different, mismatched sizes. new disks can be added to a pool at any time. Pools can also include one or more hot spares: drives allocated to a pool but kept in standby until another disk in the pool fails, at which point they spring into life.” That’s very cool.

Join the fight against phishing >> Phishtak

Worthy, but one feels that it needs a bigger, more automated effort to make it effective.

The Nielsen Company & Billboard’s 2011 Music Industry Report >> Yahoo! Finance

“Total [US] Album sales were up for the first time since 2004 (1.3%) with sales totaling 330.6 million, compared to 326.2 million in 2010.” You have Adele and the internet to thank for that.

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Josh HallidayCharles Arthurguardian.co.uk © 2012 Guardian News and Media Limited or its affiliated companies. All rights reserved. | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds

Boot up: Acer’s ‘iCloud clone’, Motorola Mobility reports (un)jolly Christmas, and more