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iOS 16 review: Apple opens the lock screen
Apple has focused on modernizing the iPhone lock screen, making it a more useful part of how you interact with your phone. The company has made lots of minor changes and improvements that add up to a better iPhone experience.
The latest Android 12 developer preview includes improved picture-in-picture
It offers a look at more upcoming features, including extended security for lock screen notifications.
District judge rules FBI needs a warrant to access your lock screen
A Washington state judge ruled that the FBI needs a search warrant to look at a suspect's lock screen.
Huawei's lock screens unexpectedly turn into advertisements
According to Huawei users on Twitter, ads for the hotel reservation site Booking.com are popping up on the lock screen of some Huawei smartphones. As Android Police reports, the ads seem to appear on devices using the preinstalled landscape wallpapers. They've been spotted in several countries -- including the UK, Netherlands, Ireland, South Africa, Norway and Germany -- and on various models.
Android Wear will soon be a remote control for your Sonos speakers
Picture the scene: you're throwing a house party with guests sipping at your expensive whiskey and a good time is being had by all. Suddenly, unexpectedly, the Hamster Dance pops up on the Sonos - curse your eclectic music tastes - and the atmosphere suddenly turns restless. Never fear, because soon you'll be able to nudge the track to something more suitable just by banging a finger on your Moto 360. Sonos has revealed that it's currently beta-testing a control app for Android Wear devices that'll enable you to play DJ from the comfort of your wrist. iOS users are also apparently getting some love, too, since Zatz Not Funny is reporting that an iPhone lock screen widget is also being hammered out in the company's secret testing labs. Now you just need to move the Hamster Dance off your number one party playlist and you'll be sorted. [Image Credit: Robert / Sonos Forums]
What does Twitter want with Cover's Android lock screen? A smarter smartphone, duh
Imagine your Twitter app immediately surfacing tweets about a nearby earthquake or disaster without you having to enter a single keyword search. Or one-step switching between Instagram and Twitter so you can see if that filtered photo of your cat received any favorites. Or a notification that brings up a favorite restaurant's Twitter account around dinnertime so you can see its daily specials. And imagine if it was all only possible because you had an Android phone.
Wallgram: Convert Instagram shots into iOS 7 parallax wallpaper
Are you at a loss for wallpapers to decorate your lock and home screens? Wallgram (US$1.99) is a new app that resolves that problem by letting you convert any Instagram photo -- your own included -- into attractive and functional iOS 7 parallax wallpaper. The app, from developer Capable Bits, is rather simple, but does a really good job of preparing those photos for life as wallpaper. After launching Wallgram, you're greeted with a simple UI and asked to let Wallgram have access to your Instagram account. Once that's done, a "Home" button displays the timeline of Instagram photos from those people you follow; a "My Photos" button does the same for your Instagram images; and you can also tap an "Explore" button to view a feed of popular Instagrams. Regardless of how you discover the picture you want to turn into wallpaper, you just tap a large green button emblazoned with a white plus sign and the image is "awesomized" and added to your camera roll. What does "awesomization" entail? Basically, it takes the outer fringes of the photo and blurs them while keeping the center of the image quite sharp. At this point, you can just go to your cameral roll, tap on the image, tap the share button and select Use as Wallpaper. Just move the image so that it looks the best to you -- in most cases, this will be with the sharp portion of the image in the center of your iPhone screen and the top and bottom blurred -- and tap the Set button to save the image as your home screen, your lock screen or both. If there's one complaint I have about the "awesomization" process, it's that I wish that the blur was adjustable. The transition between blurred and non-blurred photo seems a bit abrupt, and I'd like to see the ability to adjust that transition as well as what parts of the image are blurred or not. But for the most part, Wallgram does exactly what it's supposed to do -- let you convert Instagram photos to iOS 7 parallax-view iPhone wallpaper in as few steps as possible. When you consider that you have an almost endless supply of wallpaper images to choose from each day from Instagram, that $1.99 price tag seems like a heck of a deal. Those wallpapers can theoretically be shared via Twitter, Facebook and email -- I say "theoretically" because the sharing features were not working in the version I downloaded for review. Wallgram requires iOS 7, and is optimized for iPhone 5.
iOS 7 lock screen vulnerability reported, and here's how to fix it (Updated)
It took less than 24 hours for someone to find a way to break through iOS 7's passcode feature, and wouldn't you know it: the new Control Center is to blame. By going through a rather simple series of swipes and taps, a user can bypass the lock screen on some iOS 7 devices. You start in the Control Center, switch to the Timer, then double-tap the home button which lets you access the multitasking feature, allowing you to browse apps without having to unlock the device. I say "some" because there's a rather simple tweak you can perform that will prevent someone from using this nasty trick on your own iPhone or iPad: Simply go to Settings -> Control Center and toggle the "Access on Lock Screen" option to "off." Ta-da! You're safe! Update: Apple is working on a fix. Update 2: According to multiple reports, accessing the multitasking menu through the Timer glitch only produces blank screenshots, but using the glitch while in the Camera app gets the job done. [via Forbes]
iOS 6.1.3 screen lock bypass uncovered (video)
Remember how yesterday's release of iOS 6.1.3 was supposed to fix a security hole that allowed one to bypass the lock screen? Well, turns out Apple's got a bit more work to do. Today, a new lock screen sidestep was revealed by YouTube user VideosdeBarraquito, and this time around, running iOS 6.1.3 won't do you any good. The bypass involves invoking a telephone call by voice command and then ejecting the SIM card at a specific event. After a few steps, access to a users contact list and photo gallery becomes easily accessible. The upside? If you're genuinely concerned about your security, you can plug this hole yourself by disabling the voice dial option from the Password Lock screen within system settings. You can view the complete exploit after the break. As for Apple, looks like it's back to the drawing board.
Apple releases iOS 6.1.3 to patch lock screen security hole
A month to the day after Apple issued iOS 6.1.2 in order to patch an Exchange bug, the company has pushed out iOS 6.1.3 today to seal up a security hole that allowed a complex combination of finagling to bypass one's lock screen. Moreover, it's said to add Maps updates for the nation of Japan, while also adding a variety of undisclosed "security patches." It looks as if all modern iOS devices (iPad and iPod touch included) are eligible, so feel free to hit up the Settings menu on your device or plug it into iTunes. If you aren't seeing it right away (as is the case with this particular editor's iPhone 4S), just keep trying. And trying. And trying.
iOS lock screen can be bypassed with some button mashing... again (video)
It seems that every time Apple introduces a new version of iOS, it creates some new method to get past the software's lock screen. A YouTube tutorial reveals the rather simple combination of button presses and fake emergency calls necessary to give you access to anyone's iDevice -- or more specifically to the iOS phone module, from where you can make calls, view and edit contacts, send email and perform any other linked function. You'll have to be quick-fingered, however, as you have to push the home button rapidly after getting into the iPhone's contact list. You can learn how to do it after the break, but until Cupertino issues an update, we'd suggest keeping your beloved fondlephone close by.
Microsoft explains the origins of Windows Phone 8's home and lock screens
We've delved into just what we think of Windows Phone 8's interface, but not what led Microsoft to the final layout. The company isn't content to let us wonder -- a pair of new company blog posts explain some (though not all) of what was involved in that birthing process. Ignore the marketing spin and you'll learn that the wider, more densely packed home screen was chosen as much for balance as to stuff in more home tiles, and that it caused a momentary crisis for the app list as a result. The Redmond team goes on to justify choices behind the lock screen, such as why notifications are as customizable as they are, why the music controls fade and why there's a failsafe for PIN attempts. Don't expect to come out of the explanations suddenly craving a Lumia 920; just expect to make more sense of the OS inside.
Microsoft unveils new lock screen for Windows Phone 8 powered by Live Apps
Microsoft is busy officially revealing all the bits and pieces that make up Windows Phone 8, and one of them is its new lock screen. Powered by Live Apps designed for Windows Phone 8 like Facebook, it lets apps directly update your lock screen with new photos and information. Exec Joe Belfiore is, as usual, excited about it, pointing to the "surprise" now waiting every time he picks up his phone. If pics from your last vacation popping up every time you turn your phone on doesn't get you going ,just imagine sports scores or other relevant info you've picked pushed straight to the front, just a button press away.
iOS 6: Accessibility gets a boost
There are a number of new accessibility options in iOS 6 today, and you don't necessarily need to be disabled to use them. For example, I accidentally dropped my iPhone 4 a few weeks ago and broke the Sleep button on top of the unit, and since then, I've been using the AssistiveTouch feature in the options to lock my phone's screen with software rather than hardware. That menu has received an update in the new OS, allowing direct access to Voice Control, Screenshot and the Multitasking menu, among other new and updated options. iOS 6 also offers a new service called Guided Access, which allows you to lock down your phone to the use of one app, and then also enables you to circle off any part of the screen that you don't want usable. This could be great for children. For example, if they want to draw with your iPad's screen but you don't want them going into any other apps or deleting any other work you might have, you can use Guided Access to make sure they're only doing what you allow them to do. iOS has drawn a lot of attention (and rightfully so) for making sure it's accessible to anyone, no matter how they are able to use it. However, these accessibility features can be usable for everyone. There's a lot of hidden functionality in these features, already included in the OS that you just installed.
Daily iPhone App: ScreenDIY lets you beautify your iPhone homescreen
If you want to spruce up your home screen or add some flair to your iPhone's lock screen, then you should check out ScreenDIY from SoftEase. The app has a repository of retina wallpapers, but at 152 images, it's not an overwhelming amount. You'll find a nice mix of frames, patterns and professional images. There's also a decent selection of App shelves and icon skins if you prefer a snazzier look. The wallpaper selection is constantly being updated by the developer, so there's always something fresh and new for you to browse. Besides stock wallpapers, ScreenDIY also lets you customize both your homescreen and lock screen wallpapers by mixing and matching the stock images. You can select the DIY option and choose a custom background, a matching icon skin and more. You can also add a personal touch by importing a photo from your camera roll or by taking a photo on the fly using the camera. A preview button lets you see the skin in action. When you are done, you can save the custom skin to your camera roll and then set it manually as your background. You can also share it via Facebook, Twitter Flickr, Sina weibo and Tencent weibo. Though I usually don't install wallpaper apps, I decided to check out ScreenDIY because it had some attractive backgrounds and, at 6.6 MB, it wasn't going to take up too much space on my 16 GB iPhone. I'm happy with the app and look forward to the new wallpapers that are added each week. ScreenDIY is available for 99-cents from the iOS App Store.
Gmail 1.3 for iOS now saves image attachments
The official Gmail app for iPhone recently got a nice update, and in addition to a few bugfixes and performance enhancements, users now have the ability to save picture attachments straight to their iPhone (or iPad's) camera reel. That's a nice feature -- it means that you can browse and save attachments more easily. I can imagine some nice use cases as well: You could grab an image from Gmail and put it right into a slideshow on your iPad, or send yourself some images from another computer, and insert them on to your iPhone or iPad's lock screen wallpaper easily. The Gmail app in general is a solid app to have. Though I usually use the Gmail web client in my browser when I'm at home, and Apple's own Mail app when I'm out and about, there are times when I'd just rather have an official Google experience when browsing mail. With this update and a few others lately (the last update added support for Notification Center), Gmail makes an even better case for owning a spot on your home screen. [via The Verge] #next_pages_container { width: 5px; hight: 5px; position: absolute; top: -100px; left: -100px; z-index: 2147483647 !important; }
Samsung's SmartStay replicated by ISeeYou Android app, keeps screens on while you're watching
If you're not joining the Galaxy S III bandwagon and aren't keen on feeling completely left out, the ISeeYou app can give you a hand. Mimicking Sammy's SmartStay feature, the app prevents your ICS device from slipping into sleep mode when you're staring at its display. Springing $0.99 for the app nets you control over the frequency and length of the peeks taken by your phone's front-facing camera -- helpful for coordinating with a handset's sleep settings and presumably for optimizing battery life. A free version can be taken for a spin, though it doesn't allow for such fine tuning. Yearning to simulate part of the Galaxy S III experience? Mosey over to Google Play for the downloads.
Smart Cover can unlock password-protected iPads running iOS 5 (video)
Psst. Hey, do you carry a spare Smart Cover around with you? Well, if you're an unscrupulous sort, you can actually use it to bypass the lock screen of any iPad running iOS 5. This multi-step security hole will let you browse whatever's running behind the passcode screen, whether that's email, apps or the homescreen. To take advantage of the flaw, hold down the power button on the locked device until the power off slider appears, then whip the Smart Cover on, open and tap cancel. Fortunately for iPad owners, the rest of the tablet remains locked-down, but the main problem here is any sensitive information left on-screen. If you unlock the tablet to the main screen, you won't be able to open new apps, although anyone feeling particularly nefarious can apparently delete apps from that meticulously arranged home screen. See how it's done in the video after the break. [Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
Ice Cream Sandwich revamps Android camera and gallery features
It's been a long time coming, but with the introduction of Ice Cream Sandwich, Android finally takes a significant leap forward in terms of camera and gallery features. The camera interface is completely new -- it's faster and easier to use with instant access from the lock screen. Shots are taken immediately thanks to zero shutter lag and continuous autofocus with automatic face detection. Touch-to-focus with exposure lock is now supported, and the UI adds a proper digital zoom slider. The camera app also includes a new sweep panorama feature. The gallery app is also significantly improved, with Instagram-like "hipster filters" and a built-in photo editor that lets you crop and rotate pictures at arbitrary angles. Any tweaks you make are saved in a separate file, keeping the original shot intact. Images can now be sorted by location (using geotagging), and by person (if manually tagged). Video also receives a serious boost in functionality with 1080p capture, continuous autofocus, and the ability to zoom while recording. Additionally, it's now possible to create time lapse videos right from your phone. It's too early to tell if all these features will trickle down to legacy devices or remain exclusive to the Galaxy Nexus, but we'll find out soon enough.
iOS 5 beta 2 blocks Gevey SIM Unlock, brings photo album curation to iDevices
It's only been a few days since Apple released iOS 5 beta 2, but we've already received a bevy of tips from developers who've spent some quality time with the update and uncovered a few of its more salient features. Here are some highlights. It looks like Apple has blocked Applenberry's Gevey SIM software, which allowed users to unlock devices running iOS 4.3 or iOS 5 beta 1 without having to jailbreak. (Read) According to Dev Team member MuscleNerd, iOS 5 beta 2 can still be jailbroken using the RedSn0w 0.9.8b1 tethering tool, released earlier this month. (Read) The beta refresh also brings a few tweaks to iOS 5's notifications system. Traditional alerts and reminders now pop up on the lock screen in larger typeface, alongside their appropriate icon. If left unattended, the notifications will eventually be added to the Android-like banner menu, at the top of the lock screen. (Read) Users can now create and curate photo albums directly from their iDevices, though the feature isn't without its quirks. A tipster informs us that photos added to new albums remain in the original collection, as well. If you migrate an image from one album to another and delete the original, both pics will disappear. The next beta release might be issued over the air. When a tipster checked for updates on an iPad running beta 2, he received a "No updates were found" message, suggesting that users may be able to find future refreshes without syncing their devices with iTunes. (Screenshot after the break.) Update: We're hearing from many of you that the gallery functionality was actually a part of beta 1. But, you're encouraged to continue enjoying it here, in beta 2. [Thanks to everyone who sent these in]
