Passcode lock feature on iOS, which is found in Settings.app, is definitely one of the most used preferences for the security conscious, but in certain situations it can become cumbersome and a bit of a bore to activate or deactivate. TapTapPass for iPhone essentially allows users to assign a different action to toggle the passcode feature on and off from anywhere on the OS.
One of the most exciting features of Facebook Home, the social network's new Android launcher set to hit the Google Play Store later today, is the new 'Chat Heads' feature, which allows all SMS and Facebook messages to manifest themselves from within a single interface. The main idea behind it, of course, is to lessen the need for you to keep flitting between Facebook Messenger and your native SMS app, and although Home is itself limited currently in how many devices it will cater to, Chat Heads has just arrived to the standalone Facebook Messenger app by means of an update. Details next.
The iPad mini is, by and large, deemed to be a consumption device, and although it surely has some productive qualities, it's definitely seen as more of an entertainment package than its larger sibling. With this in mind, a group of creative individuals have started a Techdy campaign to gather support for their rather beautiful gaming controller for the fledgling slate, and as well as doubling up as a smart cover when not in use, it also looks robust enough to keep your iPad mini securely in place when it is.
Rockstar Games and their Grand Theft Auto franchise have always managed to split public opinion right down the middle. The game, originally created by David Jones and Mike Daily, has managed to court with controversy ever since the original 2D release back in 1997. With the latest installation of GTA set to hit our shelves later on this year, Rockstar could be forgiven for sitting back and getting their heads down to finalize and polish the game, but instead they have taken the time to release part of the franchise's greatest appeal - the music.
There's been a lot of chatter in the dev community over the last few weeks regarding the complexities which iOS developers face in integrating iCloud sync functionality into third-party apps. A lot of big name dev studios have controversially taken the decision to shy away from adding iCloud sync in their apps and games, with the general consensus being that the iCloud APIs are overly complex and are nothing short of black magic. Still, it seems that we can always rely on Cydia to pump out some iCloud based goodness for those iPhone, iPad and iPod touch users who have the luxury of being jailbroken.
iOS 5 brought native Twitter integration to the iPhone, iPad and iPod touch, and this was followed up nicely with a deal to bring a similar offering to iOS 6 with Facebook. But while this deep affiliation has done wonders for seamless sharing of various content, the Notes app is missing this ability to share a note via Facebook or The Twitters. Thanks to a nifty little tweak called ShareNotes, this restriction needn't stop you sharing your notes with your followers and friends, and although Twitter's 140 character restriction will also apply to your notes as well, at least you won't have to be cutting and pasting anymore.
Google celebrated Gmail's ninth birthday with a nostalgic little infographic yesterday, but, not being one to rest on its laurels, the company is back with a brand new feature pertaining to the Google account in general. From now on, if your little patch of the Big G's vast Web landscape just so happens to fall into a period of inactivity, you can decide exactly how you want your data to be handled from then on, and by whom.
Apple is largely expected to release a Retina-displaying version of its iPad mini this year, along with an incrementally-improved iPhone dubbed the "iPhone 5S". According to a research note from Ming-chi Kuo of KGI Securities, both have hit delays, and with the iPhone 5S release date initially being touted for announcement in June in preparation for a July release, it now appears as though neither will be hitting the market anytime soon.
Amsterdam's Hack in the Box security conference regularly offers us a fascinating insight into what can ensue when modern tech is pushed to the very limit, and today, seasoned security professional Hugo Teso has certainly done that. Drawing upon twelve years as an airline pilot before his transition to the bustling world of tech security, Teso demonstrated just how easy it could be to essentially take control of a plane remotely using little more than an Android smartphone. While infinitely cool, it's also worrying how unsecure some airline software systems currently are, and although Teso only used a virtual Boeing jet to demonstrate his achievements (hijacking planes is, after all, illegal), it's a pretty incredible bit of ingenuity.
The existence of an entry-level iPhone, at least in concept, has been a matter of fierce debate over the past couple of months. It is widely thought Apple could use such a device as bait in a push to increase its presence in developing markets, but with the Cupertino company ever reluctant to sell less-capable devices to meet that low price point, there have been quite a few naysayers. Today, however, the guys over at Japanese blog Macotakara have gotten their hands on a previously-unseen dual-head vibration motor, which, due to its low-end nature, is not the kind of thing you'd expect Apple to be packing into the eventual successor to the iPhone 5.
