Technologies

How to Factory Reset Your iPad to Sell or Gift It

Factory resetting your iPad is easy to do, and will protect any personal data that could be left on your tablet.

Buying a new iPad is exciting. You get to look forward to unboxing it, playing with all the new features and tweaking the settings until everything is just right. Before you get too excited, though, you must confront the unavoidable question of what to do with your old iPad. If it’s still in working condition, you have several options, like selling it or repurposing it — maybe into a baby monitor. But first you need to erase and factory-reset it.

By erasing your iPad and giving it a factory reset before you give it away or sell it, you’re protecting any sensitive personal data that could be left on your device. Taking just a few seconds to do this can save you a lot of time and stress. Here’s exactly how to wipe your iPad and protect yourself when switching around devices.

Before you erase, be sure to back up

If you want to keep the data that’s already on your iPad before you erase and reset it, you will first need to back up your iPad. There are a couple of ways you can back up your iPad via Mac and Windows PC, but the easiest way is by using iCloud.

You can back up using iCloud by going to Settings > your name at the top of the page > iCloud > iCloud Backup. Next, choose «Turn on iCloud Backup.» Once you’ve enabled iCloud Backup, your iPad should back up automatically once a day when your iPad is connected to power, connected to the internet and locked.

If you want to manually back up your iPad you will follow the same steps as above but once you get to iCloud Backup select «Back Up Now.» You can view previous backups by going to Settings > your name at the top of the page > iCloud > Manage Storage > Backups.

A helpful tip for backing up your devices: Make sure whatever you are backing up is connected to both your home internet and a power source. This ensures that you aren’t draining your battery or your data while you back up your devices.

Time to erase

Now that you’ve saved your data, it’s time to erase your device. Like backing up your iPad, there are two ways to erase your device: with your Mac or Windows PC, or on your iPad. Again, the easier option is to reset directly from the iPad.

To erase your device go to Settings > General > Transfer or Reset iPad and then tap «Erase All Content and Settings.»

Now that all of your personal data is safely backed up and your iPad is completely wiped, you can fully revel in the joys of selecting a new iPad or other tablets.

Speaking of that new iPad or tablet, check out CNET’s recommendations for iPads and for Android tablets.

Technologies

Today’s NYT Mini Crossword Answers for Tuesday, Oct. 14

Here are the answers for The New York Times Mini Crossword for Oct. 14.

Looking for the most recent Mini Crossword answer? Click here for today’s Mini Crossword hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Wordle, Strands, Connections and Connections: Sports Edition puzzles.

Today’s Mini Crossword has an odd vertical shape, with an extra Across clue, and only four Down clues. The clues are not terribly difficult, but one or two could be tricky. Read on if you need the answers. And if you could use some hints and guidance for daily solving, check out our Mini Crossword tips.

If you’re looking for today’s Wordle, Connections, Connections: Sports Edition and Strands answers, you can visit CNET’s NYT puzzle hints page.

Read more: Tips and Tricks for Solving The New York Times Mini Crossword

Let’s get to those Mini Crossword clues and answers.

Mini across clues and answers

1A clue: Smokes, informally
Answer: CIGS

5A clue: «Don’t have ___, man!» (Bart Simpson catchphrase)
Answer: ACOW

6A clue: What the vehicle in «lane one» of this crossword is winning?
Answer: RACE

7A clue: Pitt of Hollywood
Answer: BRAD

8A clue: «Yeah, whatever»
Answer: SURE

9A clue: Rd. crossers
Answer: STS

Mini down clues and answers

1D clue: Things to «load» before a marathon
Answer: CARBS

2D clue: Mythical figure who inspired the idiom «fly too close to the sun»
Answer: ICARUS

3D clue: Zoomer around a small track
Answer: GOCART

4D clue: Neighbors of Norwegians
Answer: SWEDES

Technologies

Watch SpaceX’s Starship Flight Test 11

Technologies

New California Law Wants Companion Chatbots to Tell Kids to Take Breaks

Gov. Gavin Newsom signed the new requirements on AI companions into law on Monday.

AI companion chatbots will have to remind users in California that they’re not human under a new law signed Monday by Gov. Gavin Newsom.

The law, SB 243, also requires companion chatbot companies to maintain protocols for identifying and addressing cases in which users express suicidal ideation or self-harm. For users under 18, chatbots will have to provide a notification at least every three hours that reminds users to take a break and that the bot is not human.

It’s one of several bills Newsom has signed in recent weeks dealing with social media, artificial intelligence and other consumer technology issues. Another bill signed Monday, AB 56, requires warning labels on social media platforms, similar to those required for tobacco products. Last week, Newsom signed measures requiring internet browsers to make it easy for people to tell websites they don’t want them to sell their data and banning loud advertisements on streaming platforms.

AI companion chatbots have drawn particular scrutiny from lawmakers and regulators in recent months. The Federal Trade Commission launched an investigation into several companies in response to complaints by consumer groups and parents that the bots were harming children’s mental health. OpenAI introduced new parental controls and other guardrails in its popular ChatGPT platform after the company was sued by parents who allege ChatGPT contributed to their teen son’s suicide.

«We’ve seen some truly horrific and tragic examples of young people harmed by unregulated tech, and we won’t stand by while companies continue without necessary limits and accountability,» Newsom said in a statement.

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One AI companion developer, Replika, told CNET that it already has protocols to detect self-harm as required by the new law, and that it is working with regulators and others to comply with requirements and protect consumers.

«As one of the pioneers in AI companionship, we recognize our profound responsibility to lead on safety,» Replika’s Minju Song said in an emailed statement. Song said Replika uses content-filtering systems, community guidelines and safety systems that refer users to crisis resources when needed.

A Character.ai spokesperson said the company «welcomes working with regulators and lawmakers as they develop regulations and legislation for this emerging space, and will comply with laws, including SB 243.» OpenAI spokesperson Jamie Radice called the bill a «meaningful move forward» for AI safety. «By setting clear guardrails, California is helping shape a more responsible approach to AI development and deployment across the country,» Radice said in an email.

One bill Newsom has yet to sign, AB 1064, would go further by prohibiting developers from making companion chatbots available to children unless the AI companion is «not foreseeably capable of» encouraging harmful activities or engaging in sexually explicit interactions, among other things.