The passcode lock is a key security measure protecting the personal and security-related data of iPhone, iPad and iPod touch users far and wide. But recently, it emerged that a hardware-based hack in the form of a little black box could bypass this measure on iOS 8.1 and below, including non-jailbroken devices, using a brute-force tactic, and following on from that, one developer has created a software based utility now that can do likewise without the need for additional hardware, but it works on jailbroken devices only.

After the black box attack revealed last week, which essentially bypasses the limit on passcode retries, Majd Alfhaily has come up with TransLock, a tool that uses the same tactic but is purely software-based. Since a jailbreak offers very few limits on what kinds of code can be executed, TransLock overrides the retry limit, and can punch in a new passcode attempt every five seconds.

2:27 PM

It seems that Apple could be releasing a refreshed wireless keyboard very soon, as an updated model with backlit keys has just been spotted on the online Apple Store for the Czech Republic. Read on for more information on this intriguing piece of development.

The last time Apple updated its wireless keyboard for Mac was back in 2011, and that simply included an addition / update of keys to stay relevant to the new OS X features that the company had introduced, such as Launchpad and Mission Control. But, by large, the keyboard has remained the same since being introduced and bundled alongside the new iMacs in 2009.

2:22 PM

Apple Watch will have plenty of competition when it hits the market next month, and as is the case in the smartphone market, Apple’s major adversary is Google. Android Wear, which rolled out last year to notably less fanfare than Apple Watch, has been adopted by a number of vendors including Samsung and LG, but even at this early stage, one suspects that the Cupertino company firmly has the momentum. Here, we highlight twelve features of Apple Watch that Android Wear lacks, and that might go some way to explaining why the former will likely be the company to beat in this emerging product group.

4:45 AM

Apple’s iOS is considerably more interactive than it used to be thanks to the introduction of Today view widgets, the Control Center, and other such effects. But minor adjustments, like the active icon of the Clock app showing the actual time, also make use of otherwise static, unspectacular necessities. The jailbreak scene is always looking for ways to improve and modify things, though, and if you’d like to replace the default analog clock with a digital one, then, well.. there’s a tweak for that!

The appropriately-named Digital Clock Icon does exactly what it says on the tin, changing up the stock Clock icon with a digital alternative. Notably, it’ll also give you details of the current date and altitude, which is a nice touch, and if you’re looking for something new to grace your home screen, then this is one tweak that you’ll definitely want to try out.

4:34 PM

Whenever a new flagship smartphone is announced the inevitable questions start to crop up about how fast it is, especially when compared with existing hardware from the competition. Now that Samsung’s Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 Edge are well and truly out of the bag, don’t you find yourself wondering just a little bit about how it compares with, say, an iPhone 6?

The guys at Phone Arena wondered exactly that, so while they were at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona earlier this week they decided to put together a video that shows a Galaxy S6 Edge and an iPhone 6 being put through their respective paces side-by-side. While not quite scientific and far from definitive, the tests do show both phones launching their built-in apps that cover things like contacts and photo management.

4:22 PM