I use 1Password instead of iCloud Keychain because, even after I unlock my iPhone or iPad, anyone who wants access to my passwords or credit cards still has to unlock 1Password. Like iTunes and Apple Pay purchases, it uses Touch ID to secure it against anyone but me. So, if a crying stranger asks to borrow my iPhone to call home, if a friend asks to surf the web while they wait, if someone at a conference has a failure and asks to borrow a device, I can hand it over without worrying about passwords or credit cards. You might think I’d like Touch ID for iCloud Keychain, and you’re be right. But what I’d really like is more. I’d like a Guest Mode.

Adding Touch ID to iCloud Keychain would make iCloud Keychain more secure, but like 1Password it would still only protect login, credit card, and a small subset of other data.

What if the person I hand my iPhone or iPad to decides to go snooping through my photos or messages? Apple could add optional Touch ID to every app, so you could go into Settings, flip a Secure toggle, and then have to pin or fingerprint your way into any built-in or App Store app. People and institutions highly vested in security would no doubt love that, but it would add both complexity and an excessive amount of overhead.

A Guest Mode could be a simpler, more elegant solution.

With iOS 8, Apple refactored its system manager, SpringBoard, into several smaller, more focused components. In addition to BackBoard, which was already spun off to handle background tasks, they added Frontboard for foreground tasks. They also added PreBoard to handle the Lock screen under secure, encrypted conditions. Whether by extending Preboard or by creating a GuestBoard, if such a thing made any sense, perhaps iOS could provide a more functional and yet still secure Lock screen.

Right now, if you don’t use Touch ID or enter a passcode, the Lock screen presents you with an Emergency option. It lets you call 911 or whatever the emergency number is in your area. With iOS 8, if enabled, it also lets a first responder pull up an Emergency card from the Health app with vital medical information like drug allergies.

In addition, a Guest button could allow access to a secure instance of the Phone app, so that crying stranger could call their parents, or Safari, so that bored child could surf the web.

“Secure” being the key consideration. Lock screen is perpetually torn between security and convenience. You can enable features like Notification Center, message previews, Control Center, Siri, Passbook, and more, and each one provides convenience at the expense of security and privacy. They also expose Apple to potential Lock screen bypasses.

Just like you can disable features from the Lock screen, disabling the Guest Mode would allow for individuals to better choose their own balance. Perhaps you could require Touch ID or a passcode to enter Guest Mode, so that someone who takes unauthorized possession of your device couldn’t abuse it.

You can currently implement something like this using Guided Access. You can lock your iPhone or iPad to Safari or to a game, and have it stay that way until your passcode unlocks it.

It takes time to set up, however, and it’s not ideal in all situations. With Guest Mode, if enabled, you could just swipe, tap, and hand over your iPhone or iPad without having to worry about anyone accessing anything else that’s on it.

You can be a good samaritan with less risk of bad things happening.

The fantastic upcoming first-person shooter Evolve is being reimagined for mobile as a match-3 iOS game called Hunters Quest, available for free today in the App Store. As in the original, players are hunting a big, bad alien and have to work together to make sure they don’t become the prey. Over time you earn ability mastery points in the mobile title which carry over to the full-fledged console game.

The mobile title also provides simplified replays of your latest console or PC matches for strategic review. The open beta weekend not long ago saw a whooping 2.2 million matches played, and looking at the latest gameplay video, it’s easy to see why Evolve is going to be really popular.

Here’s a quick run-down of the features in Hunters Quest.

• Battle through over 100 exciting missions
• Unleash devastating attacks using a variety of hunters
• Match 3 tokens of the same color to attack enemies and activate hunters’ skills
• Earn Mastery Points to rank up your character in the console game
• Collect unique wildlife in the Bestiary

Though unfortunately Evolve won’t be natively available for Mac at the February 10 launch, we have a couple of ways you could get it to work.

• Free, IAPs – Download now

It’s time to gear up and buckle down for this weekend’s big game! No matter what team you’re rooting for this year, we can all agree that 15% off all accessories here at ShopCrackBerry is a pretty sweet deal.

We’ve got cases, chargers, batteries, etc. for the hottest BlackBerry devices including the BlackBerry Passport, BlackBerry Classic, BlackBerry Z10, Blackberry Z30, BlackBerry Q10 and many more.

To receive 15% off your entire cart, use coupon code: GAME15 at checkout and you’re all set! We also offer FREE shipping on all orders over $50 and provide expedited shipping options for those that need their order on the fly.

Read More »

If you’re looking to get an SD card or a USB drive, be sure to check out Amazon’s Gold Box deal of the day, through which the retailer is offering heavy discounts on Sony’s memory products.

It’s time to gear up and buckle down for this weekend’s big game! No matter what team you’re rooting for this year, we can all agree that 15% off all accessories here at the iMore Store is a pretty sweet deal.

We’ve got cases, chargers, screen protectors, etc. for the hottest Apple devices including the iPhone 6, iPhone 6 Plus, iPhone 5S, iPad Air, iPhone 5C and many more.

To receive 15% your entire cart, use coupon code: GAME15 at checkout and you’re all set! We also offer FREE shipping on all orders over $50 and provide expedited shipping options for those that need their order on the fly.

So, place your bets for your favorite team and save some serious cash on your favorite iPhone and iPad accessories because this deal is only going on until midnight, February 2.

It’s time to gear up and buckle down for this weekend’s big game! No matter what team you’re rooting for this year, we can all agree that 15% off all accessories here at Windows Central is a pretty sweet deal.

We’ve got cases, chargers, car mounts, etc. for the hottest Windows Phones including the Nokia Lumia 1520, HTC One M8, Nokia Lumia 920, Lumia 1320 and many more.

To receive 15% off your entire cart, use coupon code: GAME15 at checkout and you’re all set! We also offer FREE shipping on all orders over $50 and provide expedited shipping options for those that need their order on the fly.

If you’re looking to get an SD card or a USB drive, be sure to check out Amazon’s Gold Box deal of the day, through which the retailer is offering heavy discounts on Sony’s memory products.

Read More »

If you’re looking to get an SD card or a USB drive, be sure to check out Amazon’s Gold Box deal of the day, through which the retailer is offering heavy discounts on Sony’s memory products.

Here are all the SD and microSD cards on offer:

• Sony 16GB SDHC/SDXC Class 10 UHS-1 R40 Memory Card – $7.99 (down from $19.99)
• Sony 32GB SDHC Class 10 UHS-1 R40 Memory Card – $10.99 (down from $34.99)
• Sony 64GB SDXC Class 10 UHS-1 R40 Memory Card – $23.99 (down from $64.99)
• Sony Media Solutions 128GB SDXC UHS-1 Memory Card – $49.99 (down from $99.99)
• Sony 16GB Class 10 Micro SDHC R40 Memory Card – $7.99 (down from $14.99)
• Sony 32GB Class 10 Micro SDHC R40 Memory Card – $11.99 (down from $24.99)
• Sony 64GB microSDXC Class 10 UHS-1 Memory Card – $25.99 (down from $44.99)

There are a host of USB drives on sale as well, like the 16GB Micro Vault M-Series Flash Drive, which is available for just $5.99, a mark-down of 85 percent from its list price of $39.99. To see all the products on offer, head to the link below.

Source: Amazon

Microsoft has now revealed there are over 2.2 million people who have signed up for the company’s Windows Insider Program to help test preview verisons of Windows 10. This is a big increase compared to the 1.7 million members that Microsoft said had signed up for the program just eight days ago.

Rail Heads is a Windows Phone game designed to test your reflexes and ability to plan ahead. The game has you positioning railroad tracks out ahead of a locomotive you are guiding down the tracks.

Controls are simple, game play challenging (almost to the point of frustration) and there are plenty of bobble heads to unlock and choose as your gaming character. Available for low-memory Windows Phones, Rail Heads may not be the most picturesque of games available in the Windows Phone Store but could be a decent time waster to have in your gaming library.