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Ever wonder why Apple requires an Apple ID linked to a credit card to download free apps on the App Store? Obviously it makes sense when you're purchasing something, but there are so many free apps that many iPhone owners never buy anything.

iDownloadBlog now says the latest beta of iOS 6 has dropped the requirement to sign in for free apps, meaning if you aren't interested in linking a credit card to your App Store downloads, you won't have to. This is a welcome change for many iPhone users watching their wallet, and their security.

Apple has recently been awarded a long list of patents related to the iPhone according to a report from Patently Apple. One of the most important is a patent detailing the user interface that iOS uses to display electronic lists and documents. It may not sound like much, but this covers a wide range of functions seen on many smartphones today.

Not only this, but a patent for a smaller dock connector looks similar to leaked parts and rumors suggesting that the next generation iPhone will sport a 19-pin connector. The iPhone 5 renderings above reflect an artist's conception of the port, which would shave valuable space off of the existing 30-pin connector.

Now that Apple's nano-SIM card standard has been approved by the European Telecommunications Institute (ETSI), reports are coming in that European carriers are stocking up on the cards. The reason? Apple's next generation iPhone will utilize the smaller SIM. So much for those larger iPhone 5 SIM trays that purportedly leaked out to parts sellers in Asia.

Apple's nano-SIM card design is pictured above from The Verge, inside the outline of a standard SIM card. By shaving 40 percent of the size from the SIM card, Apple can free up space for other things in the device. BGR confirms from multiple sources that Apple is supplying carriers with nano-SIM adapters so they can test the cards on their networks.

AT&T has followed Verizon Wireless by offering their own version of shared data plans for multiple mobile devices. These plans all come with unlimited texting and voice minutes and allow laptops and tablets to connect with an additional fee.

The plans are called Mobile Share plans, and they come in different tiers based on how many GB of data you're interested in using. To subscribe for a plan, you must have at least one smartphone connected along with a minimum of 1 GB of data.

Now that next generation iPhone production has ramped up, we've seen diagrams, engineering samples, and spare parts leak. Case manufacturers don't want to be left out of the fun and now there are several of the accessories available on Alibaba.

These inexpensive silicone cases reflect the expected dimensions of the iPhone 5, with a taller form factor and thinner profile. One has to wonder, what if Apple has other plans up its sleeve? Many manufacturers were stuck with inventories of unusable cases after the launch of the iPhone 4S.