WOW Tech

BlackBerry Rumored to Release Android Smartphone in November
Just when you thought the name “BlackBerry” had faded into obscurity, the company that used to rule the smartphone world looks to be back with a new handset. And this time, it’s running Google’s Android.
Yes, according to an image posted to Twitter by famed tech leaker Evan Blass (better known by his handle ), BlackBerry is really hoping you miss tapping away on a smartphone with its own physical keyboard.
The image shows a rendering of BlackBerry’s long rumored Venice smartphone. Based on the render, the phone will have a curved screen that cascades off its sides (similar to Samsung’s Galaxy S6 Edge) and a slide-out keyboard.
That slider design is reminiscent of older Android phones, such as Motorola’s older Droid smartphone, which had a keyboard that slide out from its side. The Venice’s keyboard, however, slides out from the phone’s bottom, which should make it feel more like a classic BlackBerry.
Based on the image, the Venice phone will run a full version of Google’s Android, which means you’ll get access to all of Google’s goods and services including the Google Play Store.
I’ve got to admit, based on what I’ve seen, I’m pretty interested in the BlackBerry Venice. The render is attractive, and no matter how far onscreen keyboards have advanced, nothing beats a physical keyboard for speed and accuracy. Still, BlackBerry isn’t exactly a super sexy name, which could make the Venice a tough sell.
The new phone is expected to hit the market this November and (Blass says) will eventually make its way to all four major U.S. carriers.

Hold on to your Apple Watch, because if you lose it, you may never see it again.

With the introduction of iOS 7, Apple rolled out a new feature called Activation Lock to iPhones, iPads and iPod touch devices that prevented a thief or malicious person (or a prankster) from wiping your device and resetting it back to factory condition.

This one feature has been very effective in reducing iPhone and iPad thefts since most people won’t want to buy an iPhone or iPad that’s locked and clearly belongs to someone else. It has also made recovering a lost iOS device much easier since it also prevents anyone from disabling the Find My iPhone feature without knowing the user’s iCloud password.

However, it turns out that the Apple Watch has no such protection mechanism, making it easy for anyone to wipe it and return it to factory condition, and then pass it off to an unsuspecting third-party.

Here’s a video showing just how quick and easy this is to pull off.

It took Apple six years to bring Activation Lock to the iPhone. Let’s hope it doesn’t take that long to make it available to Apple Watch owners, because without it, Apple’s latest product could become a big target for the bad guys.