If you've followed the Apple rumor mill even peripherally, there are a few rumors that are persistent. We've been hearing for the past two iPhone cycles that there would be NFC in an iPhone. Before Apple added LTE, that rumor held for a couple cycles as well. The rumors of Apple using an unbreakable LiquidMetal casing began with the iPhone 5, but it looks like it may be real for the 5S and the next-gen iPad.

The rumor started with the iPhone 5, but never had much traction, because the technology couldn't really provide anything more than smaller components made of LiquidMetal. This time around, things are looking different. It started with a patent filing that was approved yesterday for "bulk amorphous alloy sheet forming processes". In plain English, it is a process which would allow the manufacture of sheets of metallic glass of variable thickness between 0.1mm and 25mm and in widths of up to three meters, which could be used in "any electronic device known the art".