Tech blogs and websites are recirculating a rumor that's been around since August 2010, when Apple to license a jazzy new technology from a startup, LiquidMetal Technologies. The alloy, dubbed "liquidmetal," would soon be used to create awesome new cases for MacBooks, iPhones, and just about anything else bearing an Apple logo.

As is often the case in the iOSsphere, the rumors were premature.

But now they've surfaced again, for iPhone 5, .

Instead of the crystalline atomic structure common to most metals, liquidmetal has an that can be manipulated to optimize it for specific . The resulting alloy is superior to steel and titanium and other metals in a wide range of measures. It potentially makes possible a casing that's stronger than aluminum or glass but lighter and thinner, potentially making more room inside for components and offering a greater range of external design opportunities and finishes.