Technologies

Apple’s New iOS 17 Security Feature Blocks Opportunistic iPhone Thieves

Requiring more biometric authentication for critical tasks could stop crooks from seizing control of your iPhone.

Apple has a new security feature coming that’s designed to keep your iPhone safer from thieves. Stolen Device Protection, as the setting is called, requires Face ID or Touch ID authentication, but to keep your most sensitive iCloud settings secure, it requires you to scan your face or enter a fingerprint a second time an hour later.

It’s an optional feature that Apple nonetheless recommends everyone turn on when it arrives in the next full version of the iPhone’s operating system. It’s available now in the just-released developer beta of iOS 17.3, and it’s the latest feature Apple has added to help iPhone users protect their data and devices.

Read more: Best iPhone of 2023

The feature uses a new mechanism called a Security Delay to make it harder for thieves and opportunists to access your most sensitive settings on iPhones, yet it’s designed not to obstruct everyday use — a tricky tightrope to walk. Once turned on, the feature requires users to enter their biometric info (facial scan or fingerprint) once and then again after an hour — and no, you can’t bypass it using a passcode.

Only a handful of settings will be locked under Stolen Device Protection, including changing your Apple ID password, updating your Apple ID account security settings (like adding or changing recovery contacts), changing your iPhone passcode, turning off Find My, adding or removing Face ID or Touch ID and turning off Stolen Device Protection itself.

Crucially, a Security Delay won’t be required if you’re at a familiar location like home, work or another place where you’ve spent a lot of time and unlocked your phone regularly. Apple hasn’t clarified what makes a location trusted, but it won’t just be places you’ve frequented and where you’re logged in to Wi-Fi (which would include spots like bars or coffee shops, where you might run into situations that Stolen Device Protectionis designed to protect against).

Adding a second delayed biometric scan means thieves or attackers demanding an initial passcode and face scan ultimately won’t be able to quickly change account ownership of the device. It’s challenging to add protection without potentially escalating a situation, but an Apple representative said the company studied commonly reported scenarios to find an effective solution.

As mentioned, Stolen Device Protection is in the iOS 17.3 developer beta available now, and Apple plans to include it in an upcoming public iOS 17 update.

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Technologies

Facebook Brings Back Local Job Listings: How to Apply

One of Facebook’s most practical features from 2022 is being revived by Meta.

On the hunt for work? A Local Jobs search is being rolled out by Meta to make it easier for people in the US to discover and apply for nearby work directly on Facebook. The feature is inside Facebook Marketplace, Groups and Pages, Meta said last week, letting employers post openings and job seekers filter roles by distance, category or employment type.

You can apply or message employers directly through Facebook Messenger, while employers can publish job listings with just a few taps — similar to how you would post items for sale on Marketplace.

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Facebook offered a Jobs feature before discontinuing it in 2022, pushing business hiring toward its other platforms. Its return suggests Meta is attempting to expand Facebook’s usefulness beyond social networking and to position it once again as a hub for community-driven opportunities.

«We’ve always been about connecting with people, whether through shared interests or key life events,» the press release states. «Now, if you’re looking for entry-level, trade and service industry employment in your community, Facebook can help you connect with local people and small businesses who are hiring.»

How to get started with Local Jobs on Facebook

According to Meta, Local Jobs will appear as a dedicated section in Facebook Marketplace starting this week. If you’re 18 or older, you can:

Tap the Marketplace tab on the Facebook app or website.
Select Jobs to browse available positions nearby.
Use filters for job type, category and distance.
Tap Apply or message the employer directly via Messenger.

Businesses and page admins can post jobs by creating a new listing in Marketplace or from their Facebook Page. Listings can include job details, pay range, and scheduling information and will appear in local searches automatically.

The Local Jobs feature is rolling out across the US now, with Meta saying it plans to expand it in the months ahead.

Technologies

Tesla Has a New Range of Affordable Electric Cars: How Much They Cost

The new, stripped-back versions of the Model Y and Model 3 have a more affordable starting price.

Technologies

Today’s NYT Strands Hints, Answers and Help for Oct. 22 #598

Here are hints and answers for the NYT Strands puzzle for Oct. 22, No. 598.

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

Today’s NYT Strands puzzle is a fun one — I definitely have at least two of these in my house. Some of the answers are a bit tough to unscramble, so if you need hints and answers, read on.

I go into depth about the rules for Strands in this story.

If you’re looking for today’s Wordle, Connections and Mini Crossword answers, you can visit CNET’s NYT puzzle hints page.

Read more: NYT Connections Turns 1: These Are the 5 Toughest Puzzles So Far

Hint for today’s Strands puzzle

Today’s Strands theme is: Catch all.

If that doesn’t help you, here’s a clue: A mess of items.

Clue words to unlock in-game hints

Your goal is to find hidden words that fit the puzzle’s theme. If you’re stuck, find any words you can. Every time you find three words of four letters or more, Strands will reveal one of the theme words. These are the words I used to get those hints but any words of four or more letters that you find will work:

BATE, LICE, SLUM, CAPE, HOLE, CARE, BARE, THEN, SLAM, SAMBA, BACK

Answers for today’s Strands puzzle

These are the answers that tie into the theme. The goal of the puzzle is to find them all, including the spangram, a theme word that reaches from one side of the puzzle to the other. When you have all of them (I originally thought there were always eight but learned that the number can vary), every letter on the board will be used. Here are the nonspangram answers:

TAPE, COIN, PENCIL, BATTERY, SHOELACE, THUMBTACK

Today’s Strands spangram

Today’s Strands spangram is JUNKDRAWER. To find it, look for the J that’s five letters down on the far-left row, and wind down, over and then up.

Quick tips for Strands

#1: To get more clue words, see if you can tweak the words you’ve already found, by adding an «S» or other variants. And if you find a word like WILL, see if other letters are close enough to help you make SILL, or BILL.

#2: Once you get one theme word, look at the puzzle to see if you can spot other related words.

#3: If you’ve been given the letters for a theme word, but can’t figure it out, guess three more clue words, and the puzzle will light up each letter in order, revealing the word.