Your Android Password Is Useless…

Written by Dave ParrackSeptember 17, 2015

Apple releases iOS 9, bypassing Android passwords, Apple helps you Move to iOS, Amazon Prime subscribers get another freebie, Hulu adds picture-in-picture, and emoji in the wild.

Apple Releases iOS 9 to the Public

Apple fans can now upgrade to iOS 9, with Apple having released the latest version of its mobile operating system to every iOS user around the world. Anyone with an iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch running iOS 8 can upgrade their device for free, which makes doing so a bit of a no-brainer. The iOS 9 update clocks in at just 1.3GB, a lot less than the 4.6GB required to install iOS 8.

We have already covered iOS 9 in some detail, but here is a quick reminder of the main features it brings to iOS: New and improved apps including the new News replacing Newsstand, new abilities for Siri and Spotlight, true multitasking that allows you to use two apps side-by-side, an improved on-screen keyboard, and two-factor authentication (2FA) for iCloud.

To upgrade to iOS 9, go to Settings, and download the update. Then tap Generaland select Software Update. Assuming your device is already up-to-date and has enough free space, iOS 9 should install without any issues. However, some people are experiencing issues, so don’t blame us if iOS 9 fails to install correctly!

Android Passwords Are Rendered Useless

Your Android password may have been rendered absolutely useless thanks to a bug discovered in Android 5.0 (Lollipop). No matter how strong your password may be, the lockscreen can be bypassed by typing out an extra-long string in the password field. This causes the handset to crash to the homescreen, thus opening your phone up to anyone.

The vulnerability was discovered by researchers at the University of Texas, who published the details on Tuesday (Sept. 15). They said, “By manipulating a sufficiently large string in the password field when the camera app is active, an attacker is able to destabilize the lockscreen, causing it to crash to the home screen”.

Google has already patched the flaw, which means owners of Nexus devices can manually install the patch. Unfortunately, everyone else will have to wait for their carrier to push the update out to users. In the meantime, switch from using a password to either a pattern or pin, as neither of these methods are affected by the flaw.

Apple Wants You to ‘Move to iOS’

Apple has released its first Android app, and it’s one designed to help you switch from Android to iOS. Move to iOS is compatible with all recent iPhones and any device running Android 4.0 (KitKat) or later. It moves your content and settings using a private Wi-Fi network, migrating the data after requesting a security code from the user.

The app’s description reads, “With just a few steps, you can migrate your content automatically and securely from your Android device with the Move to iOS app. No need to save your stuff elsewhere before switching from Android. The Move to iOS app securely transfers all kinds of content for you.” This includes contacts, emails, messages, and your camera roll.

Apple is just trolling Android users at this point, right?!

Amazon Prime Adds The Washington Post

According to TechCrunch, Amazon is adding a new reward for Amazon Prime subscribers: six months of the digital edition of The Washington Post for free. This is an immediate saving of $9.99-per-month, with reduced rate subscriptions of $3.99-per-month offered after the six months come to an end.

This is a no-brainer for Amazon, as its CEO and founder Jeff Bezos actually owns The Washington Post, having purchased the esteemed organ in 2013 for $250 million. This should therefore be a win-win for Bezos, who could see Amazon Primememberships and subscriptions to The Washington Post rise as a result.

Hulu Adds Picture-in-Picture to iPad

With iOS 9, Apple has added a picture-in-picture video mode, which means you can watch TV while checking Facebook. However, the individual streaming services still need to update their iOS apps to make this kind of multitasking possible.

Hulu is the first to add support for PIP viewing, updating its iOS app accordingly. This means you can binge-watch the entirety of Seinfeld while responding to emails or tweeting random nonsense. Now we just need Netflix to follow suit.

See Emoji Captured In the Wild

And finally, does emoji imitate life, or does life imitate emoji? That is the question asked and answered by Daniel McKee, who put together this video showing emoji as seen in the wild. It turns out that emoji are everywhere in the real world; you just need to know where to look.

McKee spent six months trawling Instagram to find these photos of emoji in the wild. In the end, he found 817 of them, and posted them all in a video lasting just five minutes. Having so many scrolling past your eyes in quick succession makes it tough to spot your favorites, but it’s still a work of genius. [H/T The Awesomer] Source: www.makeuseof.com