'Activation lock' to tighten iOS security

Apple may not be able to do anything to stop a mugger from stealing your iPhone, but changes in iOS 7 will prevent the thief from trying to sell the phone as new.More from WWDCMeet iTunes Radio, Apple's long-awaited streaming music serviceApple gives the iPhone a user interface face-lift with iOS 7 Editors' Take: iOS 7 gets a new look and several new featuresApple unveils new MacBook Air, gives Mac Pro sneak peek Editors' Take: Apple updates MacBook AirEditors' Take: A bold new look for the Mac Pro desktopEditors' Take: Apple Mac OS X 10.9 MavericksWWDC 2013: Full coverage At its Worldwide Developers Conference here on Monday, Apple unveiled several security enhancements. Activation Lock is the most interesting. Though the company didn't go deep into detail on the new feature, Apple's head of Mac software engineering, Craig Federighi, said the feature prevents unauthorized resetting of an iPhone or iPad.Basically, if the Find My Phone tracking utility has been deactivated, or if the phone has been wiped, the thief will have to know the owner's Apple ID and password before the device will work again.Smaller security improvements in iOS 7 will include per-app activation for a Virtual Private Network (VPN), allowing people to have more granular control over how their VPN settings get used; and the operating system update also will include message blocking.

Windows 8 devices not cheap, will rival pricey Apple

With all the Windows 8 hoopla at Computex, it's easy to forget that Microsoft's next operating system isn't a price panacea for consumers. Acer Chairman JT Wang said Wednesday that the initial crop of Windows 8 devices will be pricey enough that they will be more suitable for "developed economies" like North America where "where purchasing power is strong," according to a report in Taipei-based DigiTimes.And that means they'll have to be competitive with anything Apple has on the market in the September-October time frame when Windows 8 is projected for release. A crush of new Windows 8 ultrabooks, hybrids, and tablets is expected at that time. "Windows 8 needs to be as successful as Apple in the higher-end of the PC market," Wang said. Apple is expected to refresh its MacBook line with a MacBook Air-like 15-inch model, among other models.The new MacBooks will likely have Retina-class displays and Intel's new "Ivy Bridge" silicon.Related storiesDual-screen Taichi leads lineup of unique Asus Windows 8 PCsComputex 2012: Acer Aspire S7 Ultrabook hands-onCNET Asia covers ComputexSamsung Series 5 Ultra ConvertibleComputex 2012: Qualcomm S4 tablet