New iPhone 5 Clue: Will It Have a 4-Inch Screen?

As we get closer to the rumored release date of the iPhone 5, yet another clue about its true nature has surfaced today.

Here’s a new set of extrapolations, taken to a speculative conclusion by our friends at MacRumors. When they snagged a couple of publicly available third-party cases that purport to fit the iPhone 5, they noticed that the case is so much wider that it strongly suggests a 4-inch screen on the new iPhone, larger than the iPhone 4′s 3.5″ display.

This is a different case from the iPhone 5 case we showed you yesterday, which was a soft case with closed ends that also suggested that the iPhone 5 will be significantly wider and thinner than its predecessor, also pointing to the possibility of a 4-inch screen.

MacRumors did more precise measurements with this particular case, noting that while the iPhone 4 is 2.31 inches wide, with its 3.5″ screen measuring 1.95 inches wide, an iPhone fitting into this case would have a display measuring a significantly wider 2.24 inches. So if this indeed is the final case design, the iPhone will have a 4-inch screen.

However, given the secretive nature of Apple and the possibility of fake case specifications passed around to various manufacturers accused of leaks in the past, we can’t be sure of the dimensions of the iPhone 5 just yet. This is just one piece of info, but add this to all the other iPhone 5 clues, and most are pointing to the same thing: As the evidence mounts, it points to a wider, thinner iPhone 5 with a larger screen and tapered bottom.

I think the current iPhone’s 3.5″ screen is way too small, and I would like to see a display that’s even larger than 4 inches. I think Apple will be enlarging the iPhone’s screen, to get closer to the even-larger screen sizes of many of its competitors. What do you think? To be sure, we’ll have to wait till later this month for the alleged introduction of the iPhone 5, with the rumored release in October.

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5 Android Apps to Turn Your Phone Into a Mobile Document Scanner

This post originally appeared on the American Express OPEN Forum, where Mashable regularly contributes articles about leveraging social media and technology in small business.

Even if you’ve done everything you can to banish paper from your office, those little white sheets can still creep up on you.

You’ll want to digitize those crinkly analog fugitives post haste, but you may not be keen on splurging for a scanner — especially when you’re only taming the occasional receipt or intake form.

The solution — wait for it — could be in the palm of your hand. Your Android smartphone has all the photographic and processing power you’ll need to snap up those docs and get them into the cloud where they belong.

Here are a few mobile document scanning solutions we put through their paces.

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HOW TO: Use Your Social Media Skills to Earn Extra Money

Alexis Grant is a journalist and social media strategist. She tweets as @alexisgrant and recently launched an e-guide,How to Build a Part-Time Social Media Business.

Inside the social media bubble, it seems like everyone knows how to use Twitter, Facebook and Google+. But the truth is, while most businesses and organizations realize they would benefit from having an online community, many don’t know how to grow one or lack the time to do it.

If you’re awesome with online tools, this is a huge opportunity. Whether you already have a job and want to earn some cash on the side, or need a stop-gap income while you look for the right position, this demand for social media help can work in your favor — if you’re bold enough to step up to the plate.

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Top 10 Twitter Trends This Week [CHART]

I believe I speak for everyone, everywhere, living and dead, when I say: “Twitter, you so crazy!”

This week’s bag of trends is again mixed, with a strong skew toward entertainment. Soccer returns to the top slot thanks to a few high profile matches. The 10th anniversary of R&B singer Aaliyah’s tragic death caught tweeters in a wave of nostalgia. Fans reminisced about her music and films, bringing her name in at number two.

And of course, the growing concern over Hurricane Irene landed that topic at number three as she continues her pummeling tour up the East Coast of the U.S.

See the full list below. Note that hashtag games and memes have been omitted from the data. You can check Twitter trends from the past in our Top Twitter Topics section.

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3 New Mobile Apps Offering a Twist on the Expected

The Spark of Genius Series highlights a unique feature of startups and is made possible by Microsoft BizSpark. If you would like to have your startup considered for inclusion, please see the details here.

Each weekend, Mashable hand-picks startups that we think are building interesting, unique or niche products.

This week’s selection of startups have created mobile applications for iPhone and Android that offer a twist on the expected.

EyeEm is a mobile photo-sharing application unique in its ability to surface similar photos in real time. Life Is Crime mixes up mobile gaming with location-based gameplay, and Liquid Fare, perfectly suited for barhoppers, offers an updated interpretation of the mobile reviewing app.

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