Apple shuts Activation Lock checker tool, makes buying used iOS devices risky

Image Credit: Amazon

By tech2 News Staff /  31 Jan 2017 , 16:57

Apple is said to have removed the Activation Lock tool on the iPhone, iPad and the iPod. With this feature, users could check the ownership status of any of the above mentioned devices.

This tool allowed users to enter the serial number or IMEI of an iOS device to find out if the activation lock was active or not. This helped consumers who were interested in purchasing used devices avoid stolen ones. It has been removed from the iCloud web page as well which now leads you to a ‘404 Not Found’ page.

Apple hasn’t mentioned as to why exactly it is shutting down the Check Activation Lock Status feature. There is a possibility that the company took the decision due to some security or privacy risk, or maybe there aren’t enough people who are actually using this feature.

Last year, a Kerala based security researcher had identified a bug running in iOS 10.1 that allowed him to bypass the activation lock on an iPad. Hemanth Joseph bypassed the activation lock in a locked iPad by finding a weakness in the device setup process running on iOS 10.1. The bug which was discovered by Joseph was reportedly fixed in an iOS update later.

Apple working on 10.5-inch iPad for 2017 say rumours; production slated to begin in December

By tech2 News Staff /  25 Nov 2016 , 11:37

Apple iPad rumours have been doing the rounds of online world since August this year. But according to Taiwan supply chain makers quoted by Digitimes, the size of the upcoming iPad is being confirmed at 10.5-inch. The production for the same is expected to begin in December and the product unveil will happen in Q1 2017.

After the 7.9-inch, 9.7-inch and 12.9-inch form factors, the 10.5-inch iPad will be the fourth form factor from Apple.

According to Digitimes, the 10.5-inch display size has been selected as it seems to be the most popular size among enterprises and education sector in the US. The existing 9.7-inch form factor is deemed to small and the 12.9-inch iPad Pro is on the expensive side of things.

Sources have said that the new 10.5-inch iPad will come with an Apple A10X processor which will also be used in the new 12.9-inch iPad Pro.

Apple is also expected to launch low price version of the 9.7-inch iPad to compete with existing Android tablets. The 9.7-inch iPads are expected to be launched with the A9X processor which is present on the 12.9-inch and 9.7-inch iPad Pros.

iPad app to help astronauts track food intake

Image Credits: REUTERS

  13 Oct 2016 , 19:03

An iPad app, designed specifically for use in space, simplifies the way astronauts track their dietary intake and offers greater insight for physicians and researchers on the Earth looking to keep crews healthy and fit, NASA said.

The International Space Station Food Intake Tracker (ISS FIT) iPad app, recently delivered to the space station, gives astronauts real-time feedback about their dietary habits.

“Understanding the relationship of diet with crew health is critical for future exploration missions, where nutrition will be a key countermeasure in mitigating the negative effects of spaceflight on the body,” Scott M. Smith, nutritionist at NASA, said in a statement.

“We’ve recently documented that astronauts can protect their bones with good nutrition and exercise,” Smith said.

“This app puts the tools in their hands to track this information in real time,” Smith explained.

The app does not require internet access to sync with the food database – that includes foods available on the space station, including those from international partner agencies – as many of the apps available on Earth require, NASA said.

The app reports nutrients specifically of concern for astronauts (and often terrestrial beings), ensuring adequate calorie consumption, minimising sodium intake and maintaining hydration to reduce kidney stone risk.

The app, developed through NASA’s Center of Excellence for Collaborative Innovation, used crowdsourcing techniques hosted by TopCoder.

Designed for use on the space station, the solution had to meet strict criteria, offer multiple user options and work without internet connectivity.

The app allows crew members to record foods available on the space station. It gives astronauts options to record foods from a checklist, search tool, using audio recording, taking photos or scanning barcodes, if available.

The app provides real-time information on key nutrients including calories, sodium and fluid, allowing crew members to see at lunch that they need to consume more water later in the day, for example.

The app replaces a weekly computer questionnaire, which provided an estimate of dietary intake over the week.

The detailed data not only helps crews in real time each day, but also will allow for more detailed assessments of dietary intake during flight and relating these to other crew health concerns like bone loss and vision changes, NASA said.

Google releases a Quick Switch Adapter to help you transfer data from iPhone to Pixel

By tech2 News Staff /  05 Oct 2016 , 13:15

The Google Pixel and Pixel XL smartphones were announced at the ‘Made By Google’ event in San Francisco. Pre-order for these devices will start from 13 Oct on Flipkart, Croma and Reliance Digital along with the Google store. The base model is priced at Rs 57,000.

In order to make switching from an iPhone to a Pixel easier, Google has bundled in a Quick Switch Adapter. While switching between Android phones is easier since your data is backed up on your Google account, doing that from an iPhone can get a bit more time consuming.

You will need to use the old data cable of your iPhone, with one end connected to the lightning port and the other USB port connected to the adapter which is connected to the USB Type C port on the Google Pixel/PixelXL.

Once the connection is established, the Pixel smartphone will guide you through a set of instructions on how to go about. The transfer process is compatible with iPhones as well as iPads which run iOS version 8 and above.

You will need to switch off iMesssages and FaceTime from your iOS settings before removing the SIM card from the iPhone/iPad. You also need to ensure that the Pixel/PixelXL is at least 50 percent charged before the transfer process begins. In the process you are asked to log into your Google account and you are asked what all you want to transfer between the phones. Options include contacts, calendar events, photos, videos, music, SMS messages and iMessages.