Concept designers have been creating renderings of bevel-free iPhones – where the display extends all the way to the edges of the phone – for years now. One major barrier to realizing this vision has, of course, been the Home button with its embedded Touch ID sensor.

Third-party companies have already developed transparent fingerprint sensors capable of being embedded into a smartphone display, and an Apple patent filed in March of last year but only published yesterday describes the exact same approach …

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Filed under: iOS Devices Tagged: Apple patent, Bevel-free iPhone, home button, iPhone, iPhone 7, iPhone 8, Patent, Touch ID

Apple this evening has announced that it is opening a new iOS App Design and Development Accelerator in Bengaluru, India. Apple says that the city is the “home of India’s startup scene,” while there are tens of thousands of developers in India building apps for iOS.

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Filed under: iOS Devices

Last week, a blog post from James Pinkstone in which he described how iTunes Match deleted 122GB of his personal music collection went viral. Apple confirmed the issue on Friday and rolled out a potential fix with iTunes 12.4 yesterday, but Pinkstone today has shared a new blog post detailing the extreme lengths to which Apple went in order to track down what exactly caused the problem in the first place.

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Filed under: Apple Music Tagged: Apple, Apple Music

Yahoo today has announced a feature-rich update to the Yahoo Mail app for iOS. The company says that the update dramatically improves the ability to share content like links in emails thanks to the addition of share sheet support while there are also new personalization options.

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Filed under: iOS Tagged: update, Yahoo Mail

Belkin’s “Wemo” lineup of app-controlled smart home accessories is getting support for the Works with Nest program, which means you can now interface the smart thermostat with Belkin’s Wemo products in various ways.

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Filed under: Apps Tagged: Belkin, insight switch, light switch, Maker, Nest, WeMo, works with nest

Earlier this month we reported that Apple Music on iOS 10 is set to receive several visual tweaks and feature enhancements intended to make using the subscription music service easier and attract more customers. Changes expected include a more static black and white user interface in place of today’s album art color-matching UI, lyrics integration, and a tweaked tab bar for navigation. We expect Apple Music to rename the ‘New’ section as ‘Browse’ to further highlight curated content found within. A 9to5Mac reader has since discovered this change in the wild thanks to the tvOS Apple Music app on the new Apple TV.

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Filed under: iOS Devices Tagged: Apple Music

If you’re still waiting for your bank to add support for Apple Pay, you may be in luck today. Several additional banks across the United States have joined Apple’s growing list of over a thousand partners that work with the mobile payment service. These are the latest banks to work with Apple Pay:

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Filed under: Apple Pay Tagged: Apple pay

Apple has released a minor update to its TestFlight beta distribution app for iOS. Version 1.4.0 hit the App Store today and includes what Apple describes as ‘more robust support’ for watchOS beta apps for testing on Apple Watch. There’s also a bug fix and general improvements:

What’s New in Version 1.4.0
Includes more robust support for installing watchOS beta apps and a fix for when copies of the same devices are being displayed on the settings screen.

Minor stability and performance improvements.

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Filed under: Apps Tagged: Classroom, TestFlight

Leaks regarding the iPhone 7 have been plentiful so far this year. We’ve seen a handful of schematic drawings, component pictures, and a few purported photos of the device itself. Now, another set of images has appeared on Chinese social media site Weibo claiming to show the upcoming 4.7-inch iPhone 7 variant. As has been reported in the past, the design is largely similar to that of the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6s, but with a few tweaks. (via LettemSvetemApplem).

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Filed under: iOS Devices Tagged: Apple, iPhone, iPhone 7

Keep up with the best gear and deals on the web by signing up for the 9to5Toys Newsletter. Also, be sure to check us out on: Twitter, RSS Feed, Facebook, Google+ and Safari push notifications.

TODAY’S CAN’T MISS DEALS:

Apple 27-inch Retina 5K iMac 3.2GHz/8GB/1TB Fusion (newest) $1,899 shipped (Reg. $1,999), MacBook deals, more

Amazon’s taking up to 40% off everything you need for rock solid Wi-Fi at home & on the road

LifeProof FRĒ Waterproof Case for iPhone 6 (Various Colors) $30 shipped (Reg. $60)

Best Buy hands Apple’s 9.7-inch iPad Pro its first significant discount, 128GB model now $650

Apple 12-inch MacBook 1.1GHz/8GB/256GB (2015): $899.99 shipped (Orig. $1,299)

Apple 13-inch MacBook Air 1.6GHz/8GB/128GB (newest model): $850 shipped (Reg. $999)

iTunes $50 Gift Card for $42.50 shipped – save 15% on games, apps, subscriptions, more

App Store Free App of the Week: King Rabbit goes free for the first time (Reg. $1)

Adventure/platformer Swordigo goes free on iOS for the first time in over a year (Reg. $3)

Call of Duty iOS titles matching all-time lows: Strike Team $2 (Reg. $7), Zombies $1 (Reg. $5), more

Grand Theft Auto iOS Sale: Liberty City Stories $3, China Town Wars $3, San Andreas $4, more

Roundup: The best power strips w/ USB ports to quickly (and safely!) charge all of your devices

MORE NEW GEAR FROM TODAY:

Keep the Wi-Fi running during power outages w/ this APC UPS System + USB Power Supply: $80 shipped (Reg. $110+)

• Daily Deals: SanDisk Ultra Plus 128GB microSDXC Memory Card $38, more
• Smartphone Accessories: Kmashi 10000mAh Dual-USB Power Bank $9 Prime shipped (Reg. $14)
• The Bose Multimedia Speaker System gets a rare discount: $172 shipped (Reg. $249), more
• Amazon’s Fire TV will gain Alexa voice-activated features in the coming weeks
• Black + Decker launches app-connected Bluetooth batteries w/ USB port
• Games/Apps: Rise of the Tomb Raider $28, iOS freebies, more
• Amazon Gold Box: up to 50% off Lucky Brand-premium jeans
• Amazon offers snack bar/energy drink sample boxes from $5 w/ free $5 credit (Prime only)

MORE DEALS STILL ALIVE:

Get Nomad’s premium Italian leather Apple Watch Strap for just $100 shipped (Reg. $150)

The 2016 Roku Streaming Stick receives its first discount: $40 Prime shipped (Reg. $50)

• AmazonBasics Ultra Thin 50-mile HD Antenna for $32 Prime shipped (Reg. $40)
• LG 4K OLED Ultra HDTVs w/ webOS 2.0: 55-inch $1,950 (Reg. $3,000), more
• Motorola’s SURFBoard DOCSIS 3.0 Cable Modem (Cert. refurb) $40 (Orig. $100), more
• Full 1080p HD 27-inch Displays: LG Ultra-Thin Bezel $160 (Reg. $250+), more
• Smartphone Accessories: JBL Synchros Over-Ear Headphones $99 (Reg. $300), more
• Acesori 3-in-1 Smartphone Camera Lens Kit: $10 (Orig. $50)
• TarDisk adds 64GB of integrated storage to your Macbook Air: $100 (Orig. $149)
• LEGO Deals: City Racing Bikes + Transporter $15, Police Hovercraft $28, more
• DJI Phantom 3 Advanced Quadcopter Drone w/ 2.7K HD Camera: $599 shipped (Reg. $799)
• RAVPower’s 4-port 40W 8A USB Power Station: $11 Prime shipped (Reg. $17)
• Add a 40-inch Samsung 1080p Smart HDTV to your bedroom or den for $280 (Reg. $400)
• Green Deals: Snap-On 1600PSI Electric Power Washer $90 shipped (Reg. $120+), more
• Philips Friends of Hue Bloom Wireless LED Bulb $45 shipped (Reg. $60)
• iTunes $0.99 HD Rentals (Reg. $5): Sicario, Prometheus, much more
• Sprint’s 40GB/mo Better Choice XXL plan now includes 12 free months of Amazon Prime
• GOOLOO Dual-Port Mini USB Car Charger $3 Prime shipped (Reg. $7), more
• Jimmy Fallon’s Blow Your Pants Off (Deluxe Version) MP3 album for free (Reg. up to $11)
• Sam’s Club One-Year Plus Membership w/ $25 Gift Card and Free Food: $45 (~ $245 value)
• iFixit 64-Bit Screwdriver Kit lets you open phones, tablets and more: $35 (Orig. $50)
• iPad Pro (9.7-inch) Case with Auto Wake/Sleep in two colors: $8 Prime shipped (Reg. $14)
• SanDisk SSD PLUS 480GB 2.5-inch Internal Solid-State Drive: $105 shipped (Reg. $120+)
• Nintendo announces official 2DS handheld price drop, more
• Google Play $1 MP3 albums: Goo Goo Dolls, Pantera, more (Reg. up to $10 ea)
• Fitbit Aria Wi-Fi Smart Digital Scale in Black or White (Refurb) $55 shipped (Orig. $130)
• Save big on your next delivery of Lärabars, get a 16-pack for as little as $12 Prime shipped
• iPhone 5 16GB refurb with OtterBox Defender case: $100 shipped
• RAVPower 3000mAh 2A MFi Battery Case for $24 Prime shipped (Reg. $36)
• Get a head start at work: learn-to-code learning bundle $59 (Orig. $924), more
• New Google Express customers can grab a $40 credit for $15 with email delivery (42% savings)
• Keep your pet in the back seat w/ a 2-pack of Etekcity’s Dog Car Seat Belt for $6 (Reg. $12)

NEW PRODUCTS & MORE:

Garmin’s new vívosmart HR+ opts for GPS-tracking and heart rate monitoring over battery life

• The Tap Bluetooth wearable turns nearly any surface into a functioning Bluetooth keyboard
• The Vuze Camera brings an affordable point-and-shoot design to virtual reality
• Review: Samsung’s KS9500 65-Inch curved 4K TV is pretty amazing [Video]
• The newest Garmin Fitness Tracker delivers a ‘Suffer Score’ after each of your workouts
• The Thin Ice wearable cools your body in hopes of burning an additional 1,000 calories per day
• This Hybrid Tube Amp system for Raspberry Pi is ideal for DIY Audiophiles
• Vans and Nintendo team up for epic new line of NES-themed sneakers
• NERF’s upcoming Terrascout RC Drone Blaster is going to be a menace in your home
• Straight out of Chicago, this mid-century modern Bluetooth stereo cabinet is beautiful
• Garmin goes classy with its new smartphone-connected vívomove fitness tracker
• Moog brings its $10,000 Model 15 synth to iPad and iPhone w/ new $30 app
• Erato’s Apollo 7 is the latest Kickstarter project with a goal of completely wireless earbuds
• SeeNote puts your iPhone notifications and smart home controls on an e-ink display
• Leica’s latest $6,000 digital camera drops the built-in display for a throwback look

Filed under: Tips and Tricks Tagged: 12-inch MacBook, 13-inch macbook air, 27-inch, 9to5Toys, Amazon, APC UPS System, app deals, Best Buy, Daily Deals, free apps, Gold Box, iPad Pro, iTunes Gift Card, Lifeproof Fre, Retina 5K iMac, Roku Streaming Stick, video games