When Apple released iOS 9.3.1, it removed the ability to keep Night Shift and Low Power Mode enabled simultaneously. The ability to turn on both features was already hidden and only possible by using Siri, but the iOS 9.3.1 update made it so that Siri would disable one of them before enabling another.

We’ve found a workaround that once again allows you to use both modes at once. It’s not as easy as it once was, but it’s still fairly straightforward for those of you who desire to use Low Power Mode and Night Shift mode at the same time. more…

Filed under:
How-To, Tips and Tricks Tagged: how to, Low Power mode, Night Shift, Night Shift mode, Siri, Tips and Tricks, video

Our top stories this week include our hands-on coverage and real-world testing of the new iPhone SE and iPad Pro 9.7-inch, as well as the latest on what to expect from the next generation iPhone 7 and iPhone sales going forward. Apple also attracted some attention with the announcement of new Hermès Apple Watch bands this week, and we had a handful of notable iOS and Mac app launches and updates.

Stories surrounding the Apple and FBI controversy over encryption came to a slow this week as the FBI officially confirmed the hack it discovered does not work with the iPhone 5s or later iPhones. Head below for the handy links to all of this week’s top stories. 

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Filed under: AAPL Company, iOS, iOS Devices Tagged: Apple watch, hermes, iPhone 7, iPhone SE, top stories

Have you noticed that virtually every aspect of the personal information on our iPhones can be restored individually via iCloud? Things like photos, mail, contacts, calendars, Safari bookmarks, and notes can all be individually recovered on a fresh install of iOS.

The one thing that sticks out like a sore thumb is text messages and iMessages. Sure, it’s possible to restore text messages if you’re willing to backup and restore the entire contents of your iPhone, but what if you wish to perform a fresh install of iOS and then restore messages?

Fortunately, backing up and restoring SMS texts and iMessages on an individual basis is possible, as long as you’re willing to take some time to follow our step-by-step guide.

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Filed under:
How-To, iOS Devices, Tips and Tricks Tagged: backup, iBackupBot, icloud, iCloud backup, iMessage, iTunes, restore, SMS, Text messages

Apple’s recently open-sourced programming language, Swift, may be seeing itself get adopted into Google’s Android platform in the future. Sources have told The Next Web that Google is “considering making Swift a ‘first class’ language for Android”.
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Filed under: Developers, iOS Tagged: Android, Apple, Google, IBM, Kitura, Swift

If you ask me, Apple’s current color palette for the iPhone lineup is starting to look a bit dated. If it doesn’t introduce anything new in terms of colors with the next-generation iPhone 7 this fall, the device will have pretty much the same color options since the iPhone 5s (rose gold aside), and  not much to get excited about aesthetically for current iPhone users. And the fact that the iPhone 7 is said to retain the same metal design as the previous generation doesn’t help things…

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Filed under: iOS Devices Tagged: iPhone 7, poll

SteelSeries is well known around Apple circles for its iOS and Apple TV gaming controllers, but the company specializes in other gaming-related hardware ventures as well, such as mice, headsets and keyboards.

After browsing SteelSeries’ site to find some information on its popular Nimbus controller, I stumbled upon its keyboard line. Anyone that knows me understands that I have a special affinity for mechanical keyboards, and that’s exactly what I found on the SteelSeries website.

The Danish hardware manufacturer’s marquee mechanical keyboard, the SteelSeries Apex M800, is not your ordinary mechanical keyboard. It’s a fully customizable, gaming-centric experience that lets you assign an overwhelming variety of functionality and colors to individual keys. While the Apex M800 ships configured for Windows, it’s fully compatible with the Mac, and even comes with OS X key cap replacements. more…

Filed under: Mac, Reviews Tagged: Accessories, alternative keyboards, Keyboards, LED lights, Mac, Mechanical Keyboard, OS X, review, SteelSeries, video

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:

Daily Deals: 13-inch MacBook Air 1.6GHz/4GB/128GB $800, Canon Mono Laser Printer w/ AirPrint $80, more

Apple 12-inch Retina MacBook 1.1GHz/8GB/256GB: $990 shipped (Reg. $1,299), more

Apple 15-inch Retina MacBook Pro (Newest Version) 2.2GHz/16GB/256GB: $1,600 shipped (Reg. $1,999)

Apple Watch Leather band knockoff in 5 colors for a tenth of the price ($14.49 Prime shipped)

What if I told you that you could get a great Apple Milanese Loop knockoff for a tenth of the price ($16 Prime shipped)?

Apple Watch 42mm Space Gray Milanese Loop Band + Aluminum Dock: $27 Prime shipped (Reg. $35)

Audio-Technica ATH-M30x Professional Studio Monitor Headphones: $49 shipped (Reg. $69)

Apple Deals:

Apple iPad Pro 12.9-inch Wi-Fi 128GB in all colors: $760 shipped (Reg. $949)

Apple TV 4th gen: 32GB $109 (Reg. $149), 64GB $154 (Reg. $199) w/ VISA Checkout

Apple’s Pay Once & Play 50% off iOS game sale: Transistor, Brothers, Rules!, Implosion, Radiation Island, more

App Store Free App of the Week: Cut the Rope Time Travel for iPhone and iPad goes free for the very first time (Reg. $1)

Digits, the calculator for humans on iOS is now available for free (Reg. $4)

Brothers A Tale of Two Sons iOS puzzle-adventure game gets its first price drop: $2 (Reg. $5)

Apple offers Day One 2 iOS journal app for free ($10 value)

MORE NEW GEAR FROM TODAY:

Acer Super-Thin 23-inch 1080P Display with HDMI (man. refurb): $70 shipped

• Smart 3D 120Hz HDTVs: Samsung 55-inch Curved 4K $1,449 (Reg. $2,000), more
• Smartphone Accessories: Apple MFi Certified OLALA 13000mAh Power bank $32, more
• Control up to 15 devices with Logitech’s Harmony Touch Universal Remote: $100 (Reg. $130)
• PS4 Call of Duty Black Ops III Bundle + Sharp 43-inch Smart LED Roku TV: $500, more
• Games/Apps: BioShock 1 & 2 for Mac $5 each, PlayStation Plus 1 year $40, more
• DJI Phantom 3 Advanced Quadcopter with built-in 2.7K camera: $629 (Reg. $730+)
• Watch your TV from anywhere with the Sling Media Slingbox M1 for $90 shipped (Reg. $118)
• Yamaha 7.2-Ch. 4K A/V Receiver with Bluetooth/AirPlay (certified refurb): $300 (Orig. $550)
• Amazon Gold Box – Dyson Cinetic Big Ball Vacuums (cert. refurb) from $290 (Orig. up to $700)

MORE DEALS STILL ALIVE:

Beats Solo2 Wired On-Ear Headphones (multiple colors) $90 shipped (Orig. $200), more

Add Bluetooth to nearly any speaker w/ the Mpow Streambot Mini for $14 Prime shipped

• Audio-Technica’s best selling ATH-M50x studio headphones + FiiO A3 amp $130 ($180+ value)
• Smartphone Accessories: GOOLOO Car Jump Starter Power Bank $64 (Reg. $100), more
• LEGO Deals: Big Bang Theory Living Room $46, Minecraft Ender Dragon $49, more
• Onkyo’s 4K A/V Receiver and 5.1-Ch. Speaker bundle for $300 shipped (Reg. $400)
• Mojang reveals 27 new skins for Minecraft Story mode, here’s how you can get them for free
• Browse reddit like a boss with a free 3-month gold membership upgrade ($12 value)
• Green Deals: Philips hue LED Starter Bundle w/ HomeKit Bridge $170, more
• Logitech Ultrathin Bluetooth Keyboard Case for iPad mini 1/2/3: $17 (Orig. $80)
• Harman Kardon Onyx Studio Wireless Bluetooth Speaker (Refurb) $60 (Orig. $400)
• ESPN magazine + digital Insider access 1-year subscription: $4.50 (Reg. $26+)
• iPhone SE and Galaxy S7/Edge cases in a variety of styles/colors from $3 shipped
• Walmart launches iPhone SE $100 discount, other Apple/Samsung devices too!
• Smartphone Accessories: Bose SoundLink Bluetooth Speaker III $249 (Reg. $300), more
• Learn to build amazing apps with the Apple TV Developer Course: $19 (Orig. $199)
• Buy 3 accessories, save 20%: iPad Pro Keyboard $143, Apple Pencil $87, more
• Aukey Aluminum USB-C Hubs w/ Prime shipping: 7-ports for $19 or 4-ports for $8
• Google Nexus 5X 16GB now just $230 shipped (Reg. $349)
• Discounted fans: Vornado 660 Whole Room Air Circulator $82 (Reg. $100), more
• Green Deals: 25% off Natural Magnetic Wooden Block Sets from $24, more
• Free Small Fry and Drink with the purchase of an Arby’s Sandwich!
• Grab a free Kindle download of Jane Austen’s ‘Mansfield Park’ w/ Audible Narration
• You can now live stream an MLB game every day for free courtesy of Yahoo
• Home Theater: Pioneer 4K 3D AirPlay A/V Receiver $400, more
• UE BOOM 2 Waterproof Bluetooth Speaker in all colors: $150 shipped (Reg. $200)
• T-Mobile offering $200 off any iPad when you buy an iPhone on installment plan

Buy a refurbished Apple AirPort Express Wi-Fi router w/ 1-yr warranty for $49 shipped (Orig. $99)

NEW PRODUCTS & MORE:

Epson’s latest ‘Small-in-One’ printer weighs in at a fraction of the competition

• Twelve South introduces new TimePorter capsule for Apple Watch and charger
• Ryobi’s new Ultra Quiet Garage Door Opener has a Bluetooth speaker and more
• Roku introduces a new quad-core streaming stick with a slimmed down design
• Apogee releases its most affordable full-featured Mac recording interface yet
• The Yecup 365 travel mug uses your iPhone to heat or cool your drink
• ROAM-e follows you around in the sky and takes selfies on demand
• Sprint customers can now (but probably shouldn’t) pay monthly for Amazon Prime
• Seagate unveils the “world’s first” USB-powered 8TB desktop hard drive
• Sony’s new RX10 III digital camera goes big with a 24-600mm lens and 4K capabilities
• Unboxing the awesome, pricey C-3PO and Stormtrooper Bluetooth speakers [Video]
• QWERKYWRITER is a mechanical Bluetooth keyboard that takes us back to simpler times

Filed under: Tips and Tricks

Microsoft is updating its Translator app today with some notable features, including support for offline translations, that could give it the upper hand on Google and the competition.

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Filed under: Apps Tagged: Microsoft, translator

The San Bernardino iPhone case over encryption may be over for now after the FBI managed to break into the iPhone 5c used by one of the shooters, but the same isn’t true for another high-profile case in New York involving an encrypted iPhone that cannot be unlocked. Bloomberg reports that the United States Department of Statement has decided to indeed continue its demand that Apple help unlock the encrypted iPhone of an alleged drug dealer.

The U.S. government is pressing a demand that Apple Inc. help it crack a drug dealer’s phone in Brooklyn, New York, even after it said it successfully accessed a California shooter’s iPhone without the company’s help.

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Filed under: iOS Devices Tagged: Encryption

Microsoft Garage, Microsoft’s experimental projects team, has finally released their much anticipated Hub Keyboard for iOS today. This specific keyboard lacks the expected special one-handed typing mode, along with the previously reported Swype-like typing functionality. The latter feature may have been related to Microsoft’s recent purchase of SwiftKey, although it appears some of SwiftKey’s features made its way into Hub Keyboard in the form of autocompletion suggestions.

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Filed under: Apps Tagged: Microsoft