This new fingerprint tech could be the death of the iPhone home button

Where we're going, we don't need buttons or circles, just glass. Endless sheets of glass.

That is the promise of future smartphone technology, according to Synaptics, a company that builds they physical user interfaces for many devices, including fingerprint scanners, touchscreens and trackpads. (Synaptics was the company responsible for the iPod's legendarily usable scroll wheel.)

On Tuesday, Synaptics announced what it's calling the first-ever optical-based fingerprint sensor for smartphones. The new FS9100 sensor is designed to detect fingerprints through up to 1mm of glass. That means future phones will be able to dispense with the need for a stand-alone fingerprint sensor; instead the sensor will be built right into the display. Read more...