Tech Trend 247

A surfer from the South Coast of New South Wales, Australia, has captured footage of the aftermath of a car fire he claims was caused by his week-old iPhone 7 on Thursday. 

Mat Jones told media outlets he wrapped the phone in some clothes on the seat of his car, while he went for a surf. By the time he returned, his vehicle was severely fire damaged. 

Jones is adamant the flaming Apple product was responsible for the starting the blaze, telling 7 News he had not damaged the phone or used a dodgy charger since buying the new model. 

"Here's the phone. Total burnout," he says in the video he recorded of the incident. 

"As I look into my car you could not see inside the car. All the windows were just black," he said according to the news program. "Ash was coming from inside the pants. Once you unwrapped the pants, the phone was just melting inside of it." 

While there's currently no evidence to suggest that the iPhone 7 "exploded" as some publications are claiming, it wouldn't be the first alleged explosion on record, the most recent Australian example being when a Sydney man fell off his bike and onto his butt, claiming his iPhone exploded on impact like a "mini bomb."  

Overcharging, puncturing or otherwise severely damaging the phone are all possible reasons why an iPhone 7 might catch fire. 

Chances of this happening could very well be heightened if the phone were placed in an excessively hot environment, such as in the back of a hot car on an Australian beach.

Apple has confirmed to Mashable that they are aware of Mat Jones' complaint and are investigating the incident.  

If you have an iPhone 7, you should download the latest version of iOS now.

Apple just released an iOS update for iPhone 7 and 7 Plus devices, which fixes a bug that apparently caused some users to "temporarily lose cellular connectivity."

This is the second iOS 10 update that has addressed issues with cellular connectivity. Previously, during the initial iOS 10 rollout, T-Mobile reported a bug that caused some iPhone 6 and iPhone SE users to lose signal. Apple later addressed that bug in a subsequent update. 

The latest iOS  update includes other bug fixes as well, though Apple hasn't elaborated on them. The iOS 10.0.3 update includes the same security content as the iOS 10.0.1 update, according to Apple's website. 

Despite these issues, though, iOS 10 is seeing wide adoption just a few weeks after its formal release. The update is already installed on more than half of iOS devices, according to the latest numbers from Cupertino, and third-party estimates suggest adoption has been growing rapidly as well. 

Though an important update, iPhone 7 owners will still need to wait a little longer for an iOS update that brings new features to their phones. Notably, a forthcoming update will bring a new Portrait Mode to iPhone 7 Plus devices later this year. That update is currently part of the iOS 10 beta release, which suggests it should be getting an official release soon. 

Thanks to the good people at SquareTrade, we can now truly verify that both the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus are indeed water-resistant. 

Pro Surfer Kai Lenny took both coveted devices surfing with him, and they both lasted for a full half hour with minimal damage. 

He insists the iPhone 7 is "exactly the same as when [I] went in with it." However, after returning with the iPhone 7 Plus, he notes that the Plus is "water-resistant but not waterproof."

A representative from SquareTrade confirmed that for the Plus, "the water definitely had an impact on the audio." But, otherwise, it still worked.  

While Apple claims that the iPhone 7 is splash and water-resistant, it does also say on its website that the "resistance might decrease as a result of normal wear." And very importantly: "Liquid damage [is] not covered under warranty." 

For kicks, Lenny also took last year's iPhone 6S and iPhone 6S Plus to compare. They did not pass.

Apple may have slayed the headphone jack in one fell swoop, but the iPhone 7 rollout has not been entirely problem-free.

For one thing, those wee wireless AirPod headphones have been compared to everything from Snoopy to toothbrushes to tiny vibrators, and now there are reports the Lightning EarPods have a significant glitch. 

According to Business Insider, the wired headphones that come with the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus can seize up, seemingly at random, minutes after connecting via the iPhone 7's Lightning port. Although music still plays, at that point volume adjustments, Siri or phone calls can no longer be controlled via the headphone dongle.

Although the glitch does not seem to be affecting every product, an Apple spokesperson reportedly told the publication the bug would be fixed with a software update. 

Apple also supplies buyers with a 3.5 mm headphone jack to Lightning adapter, although it's not clear if the same glitch is affecting listeners converting their old headphones for use with the iPhone 7.

This isn't the only teething pain affecting Apple's latest smartphone offering. 

There have been some reports of the phone hissing when in heavy use, although it doesn't seem to affect its function. Likewise, updating to iOS 10 accidentally put some people's phones into recovery mode, requiring them to wipe the devices's memory.

Mashable has approached Apple for comment.

Following that black and white iPhone 7 teaser video from last week, Apple has launched a new series of commercials promoting the iPhone 7 and the Apple Watch Series 2 and each one is, in true Apple tradition, a tiny work of art. 

The first is titled "Midnight," and it takes us on a trip with a skateboarder who has an eye for night photography. Designed to show off the iPhone 7's low-light powers, the one-minute mini movie is oddly intimate, even while touting the most talked about technology product on the planet. 

Next there's "Morning Ride," a 30-second dip into the world of a cyclist who, suddenly called by nature's pull, decides to emerge from his garage and go for a ride. The spot ends on an epic frame of storm clouds gathering in front of the biker. The message: Yes, the newly water-resistant iPhone 7 can survive the looming downpour. 

Finally, "Go Time" is Apple's new take on promoting the powers of the Apple Watch, and the breathtaking visuals are not only convincing, they're a tad inspirational. 

From surfing to basketball to swimming to yoga, we see the Apple Watch Series 2, and the Apple Watch Nike+ (with that distinctive, perforated band), put through the rigors of all manner of sports, and even a bit of meditation. Next to the device's apparent durability, the message here also tends to focus on the device's newly water-resistant capabilities. 

All this action is set to the music of Nina Simone's "Sinner Man," which transports the video from common commercial into cultural message territory, familiar ground for Apple. 

That message appears to be focused on the notion of bringing our technology further into the natural parts of everyday life, whether that means thunderstorms, ocean waves or the usually dark, photo-obscuring pitch of night. 

However, there's something different about these latest spots. Sure, Apple is known for producing slick television commercials, but these feel a lot more like short films. The devices are at the center of each video, but you actually feel like you're peeking in on a part of a story. 

This could be a mere change in directors and/or producers, or it could be yet another indication of Apple's increasing interest in producing original content. 

If it's the latter, then we may be in for a interesting ride from Apple, as these new spots are about as well shot and visually engaging on a narrative level as your favorite cable television drama or indie film.  

Amidst all the crazy news at Apple's iPhone event last week, the announcement of new emoji may have gotten lost in the shuffle. (Remember the shuffle? RIP.)

As part of the iOS 10 update that rolled out this week, a slew of new – and for the most part, progressive – emoji are available on your iPhone.

With so many new emoji sliding into your DMs, we created a guide on when each is most appropriate to use. 

Here are our suggestions on when you should use all of the shiny new emoji. Happy texting!

The most controversial change on the new iPhone 7 will be the removal of the headphone jack. You'll either love it or hate it. Accept dongle hell, go Bluetooth or buy new Lightning-based headphones.

In the run-up to the announcement, which is widely expected to be Sept. 7, we've been trying to make educated guesses as to why Apple will drop the jack.

Here are some possible reasons Apple will use to defend its choice:

1. The headphone jack is analog and the iPhone 7 will support high-resolution audio so it needs a digital input.

2. Apple wants to make thinner iPhones and the port's thickness is a limitation.

3. Complete water-sealing.

4. To sell you new Lightning earbuds and headphones.

5. To squeeze in a bigger battery, the port had to die.

6. Bluetooth is the future, no matter what you think. Get over it!

The best hypothesis has been: stereo speakers. In all of the leaked images that have surfaced of the alleged iPhone 7 and 7 Plus there are two sets of speaker holes on the bottom flanking the Lightning port.

A new report from Nowhereelse.fr, with alleged design schematics of the new iPhones, suggests that may not be the case and there will be no secondary speaker. The iPhone, for those who don't know, only has a single downward-facing speaker.

iPhones prior to the iPhone 6 all had dual speaker grilles flanking the connector port, but none were stereo speakers. No iPhone has had stereo speakers. 

One of the benefits of the iPad Pro is its enhanced audio. Both the 12.9- and 9.7-inch iPad Pro have four speaker grilles that output stereo sound.

With less space to fit components, it would be tough to squeeze in a secondary speaker into the already tightly packed iPhone.

Stereo speakers would be a good, but not great reason to ditch the headphone jack. But if that's not the reason, then what will be? It's starting to sound like whatever the reason is, it won't be one we'll be thrilled with. 

A new survey by Quartz reveals that if Apple doesn't dramatically alter the iPhone 7 from the iPhone 6 or iPhone 6 Plus, nearly 90 percent of iPhone users will not upgrade. 

It's probably not the news Apple wants to hear since iPhone sales are on the decline. But now that we all have iPhones, and after nearly 10 years of using them, it's no surprise there's fatigue. Not only that, but the iPhone 7 in particular looks truly underwhelming.

The online survey, which involved 525 respondents through SurveyMonkey, showed that nearly 63 percent of users would be interested to see a revamped iPhone.

But less than 10 percent would be "very likely" or "extremely likely" to line up for the iPhone as it is. 

Rumors about the new iPhone hint at tiny changes most of which look super annoying (RIP, headphone jack). There are also fears of restricting all of the worthwhile updates to the 7 Plus/ Pro. 

Then again, CEO Tim Cook has said that 60 percent of iPhone users own a version older than iPhone 6. And iPhone is testing out a new program that lets users pay off a new phone on credit, and then update once a year. So who knows, things could change dramatically come November. We'll see soon enough.