This weekend there was much drama around the fourth-generation iPhone prototype that was leaked into the world. Was it real? Was it not? And sure enough, it was real. The guys at Gizmodo got their hands on it, and examined it, erasing any doubt.

Sadly, they couldn’t get it to boot out of recovery mode, but several new features and changes are obvious. It’s thinner than the 3GS, with smaller internal components and a larger battery inside the metal frame. There’s a front-facing camera, a larger and better camera with a flash on back, a higher-res display that’s a bit smaller, a second mic for noise cancellation, and a new back that appears to be glass or ceramic.

We told you the other day about how Kevin Rose had some “news” that a new iPod nano is coming. A slimmer longer sexier device. Not exactly hard evidence, but there are some new developments.

These two case-related designs are supposedly destined for Apple’s next PMP. News is that Chinese accessory-maker Beelan has a silicon sleeve ready to ship through Alibaba, and iDealsChina has renders of the 4th gen nano as well as another case from an unknown Canadian company. Neither design can be confirmed what with the fact that they appeared on the heels of the Rose rumor, but who knows. What do you think?